The Massachusetts Association for Mental Health is pleased to be a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Outreach Partner. We disseminate science-based behavioral health information and are eager to grow partnerships that advance the health of individuals and families throughout our Commonwealth.

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Understanding the Brain
  • This National Institutes of Health (NIH) study suggests that our brains appear uniquely tuned for musical pitch. The study suggests that speech and music may have shaped the human brain’s hearing circuits.

  • This NIMH study highlights how spoken language patterns predict which people at risk for psychosis would progress to full psychosis within two years with 93% accuracy.

  • This NIH study shows that in people with lower incomes, stress-related brain activity was linked to more inflammation in the body. This may help explain why people with lower incomes have a higher risk of heart disease.

  • Listen to this podcast with NIMH's Dr. Niko Kriegeskorte, a computational neuroscientist who studies how our brains enable us to see and understand the world around us. A written transcript is also available.

  • NIMH director, Dr. Joshua Gordon, discusses how gains made by researchers in the past shape and influence the work of future researchers to bring about new discoveries in health.
Children & Families
  • This NIH article discusses brain changes that occur during adolescence, the potential for risky behaviors and mental health issues during this time period, and what parents can do to support their teens through these turbulent years.

  • This MedlinePlus issue provides information about the importance of postpartum health and the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression.
Older Adults Behavioral Health
  • View a 2-part webcast of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) recent event in observance of National Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day to learn about prevention, treatment, and recovery supports for older adults.

  • A recently published Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) article found that in 2013 more than half of all older Americans used at least one psychoactive medication known to increase the risk of falls.

  • This CDC publication offers health care providers and systems a framework for implementing an elderly fall prevention program. Health care providers, including pharmacists, play a vital role in managing older adults’ exposure to psychoactive medications.
Depression Research
  • NIH will fund clinical trials to assess the benefits, applicability, and efficacy of applying genomic medicine interventions to improve management of diseases such as high blood pressure, depression, and chronic pain. The trials are part of the second phase of the Implementing Genomics in Practice (IGNITE) Network and will begin in 2020. The second of two initial trials will focus on pain and depression.
Suicide Prevention
  • As part of the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and White House initiative to curb veteran suicide, a cabinet-level task force has been launched to develop a national roadmap.

  • This Department of Defense (DOD) article highlights the DOD’s remarks to lawmakers during a joint hearing of the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on military personnel and the House Veterans Affairs Committee’s health subcommittee that solving suicide is a shared challenge in both the military and civilian societies.
Criminal Justice System
  • This SAMHSA brief provides an overview of Forensic Assertive Community Treatment, an intensive service delivery model intended for people with serious mental illnesses who are involved in the criminal justice system.

  • This SAMHSA action brief provides criminal justice stakeholders, correctional facility leadership, and correctional staff with helpful strategies and techniques to reduce diversion of Medication-Assisted Treatment medications.

  • This SAMHSA report describes evidence-based practices for screening and assessment of adults in the justice system with mental illness, substance use conditions, or both.

  • This SAMHSA action brief provides strategies for rural communities to adapt promising or proven interventions to better support crisis response and pre-arrest diversion in their communities.
New Reports Available
  • This National Vital Statistics Report from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) presents final 2017 data on the 10 leading causes of death in the US (including suicide) by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin.

  • This CDC NCHS Health E-Stat provides supplemental information on suicide rates by sex, age, and race and ethnicity.

  • This SAMHSA report provides data on behavioral health indicators as measured through the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services.
Clinicians & First Responders' Mental Health
  • A new Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) primer looks at the impact of health care provider burnout on the delivery of safe and high-quality care and ways the issue is being addressed from a systems perspective.

  • It is estimated that 30% of first responders develop behavioral health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The latest issue of the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center Bulletin describes resources available to help disaster behavioral health professionals and first responders understand risk factors for PTSD, its signs and symptoms, and when to seek additional help.
Community Education
  • The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health is offering this free accredited e-learning program to help develop behavioral health providers’ knowledge and skills related to culturally and linguistically appropriate services.

  • View the SAMHSA sponsored webinar called Finding Help Early: Community Education Strategies for Clinical High Risk and Early Psychosis.
Upcoming Events
  • The SAMHSA TA Network is sponsoring several webinars during the month of July on the topics of rural mental health, system of care leadership, and young adult services and supports.

  • July 18, 12-1 pm ET: Join this HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) webinar to learn about progress made toward achieving the Healthy People 2020 Mental Health Leading Health Indicators. This webinar will highlight the Zero Suicide initiative and its impact in state and federal sectors.
Calls for Input
  • Through this Request for Information, NIMH is seeking input on current clinical experience in the use of telehealth in emergency department settings to reduce suicidal thoughts and behavior, and research gaps for providing this type of care. Responses are due August 30, 2019.
Clinical Trial Participation
  • Depression and Brain Function: NIMH invites qualifying adults to participate in an inpatient and/or outpatient study. This depression research study tests the effects of the combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and psychotherapy on brain function. Participation includes research evaluations, brain scans, and active TMS and psychotherapy, or inactive TMS and psychotherapy. The study is recruiting people ages 18-65 with major depressive disorder, who are free of other serious medical conditions. If you are currently taking anti-depressants, you may still be eligible.
  • Duration: 8 weeks, and 3 once-a-month follow up visits or phone calls.
  • Call: 1-877-MIND-NIH, (1-877-646-3644), TTY: 1-877-411-1010, email [email protected], National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, Protocol #17-M-0147.
We look forward to continuing to work together for change!