January 2017
National Institute of Mental Health
Monthly Update
MAMH is proud to partner with the National Institute of Mental Health to disseminate knowledge about science-based mental health each month. With each update, we offer emerging research, important dates and publications to be aware of, and opportunities to get involved in research.
Emerging Research and Updates
  • Researchers in the NIMH's Division of Intramural Research Programs recently developed a new free resource--the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions toolkit. It includes screening questions that can help nurses or physicians in medical settings successfully identify youth at risk for suicide.
  • Last month, SAMHSA's Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) delivered their report to Congress that detailed the deficiencies in the country's treatment services for Americans living with serious mental illness. Building on this report, SAMHSA is working on instituting a budgetary set-aside for mobilizing resources to help patients being treated for first episode psychosis and implementing the Zero Suicide initiative. Read more about the policy changes here.
  • An Executive Order signed by the President titled, "Supporting Our Veterans During Their Transition from Uniformed Service to Civilian Life," directs the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security to develop a plan to ensure that all new Veterans receive mental health care for at least one year following their separation from service.
NIH All of Us Research Program Updates
  • The All of Us Research Program Advisory Panel recently established a new working group to provide input on the inclusion of American Indian and Alaska Native populations in the program.The group will identify strategies for developing meaningful, culturally sensitive collaborations with these communities.
  • The Genomics Working Group of the Advisory Panel recently completed it's final report. In it, they suggest the program consider a phased approach for genomic analyses, ramping up in a systematic way before attempting to analyze genomes at the scale of one million program participants.
  • Do you have a research question that the NIH All of Us Program could address in the areas of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness? NIH invites you to submit your ideas! The deadline is February 9. More information here.
New Publications and Resources
  • This post on the Drugs and Health Blog addresses personalized medicine for drug problems. Could the same strategy that doctors use for cancer treatments and other illnesses be used to treat addiction or prevent it from happening?
  • In a series of videos, Massachusetts Department of Public Health Medical Director, Alexander Walley and South Carolina's Manager of Prevention Services, Michelle Nienhius explore strategies for getting naloxone into the hands of those who need it most.
  • Preventing Opioid Overdose: The Value of Naloxone
  • Getting Naloxone to Those in Greatest Need: Lessons from Massachusetts
  • Lessons from South Carolina: Engaging Law Enforcement in Naloxone Distribution
  • Lessons from South Carolina: Tracking Naxolone Distribution
  • The Centers of Disease Control released this report that uses the most recent data from the National Vital Statistics System to update trends in drug overdose deaths, describe demographic and geographic patterns, and identify shifts in the types of drugs involved.
  • This blog post provides suggestions to parents for talking with their kids about social media and cyberbullying. Another blog post provides suggestions to parents for how to anticipate potential problems or risks with their kids, and how to stay in the loop about their technology use and online interactions.
  • The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) at the Department of Justice recently profiled its 300th program for its Model Program Guide--an online database of evidence-based juvenile justice programs for practitioners and communities. This post profiles that 300th program which provides a gender responsive intervention in group homes for adjudicated females.
Get Involved
  • NIMH is hosting a videocast on adolescent suicide prevention on January 24th from 8:30am-12:30pm ET. Talks will address how to recognize and manage teens at risk and how to intervene early. The event will be live streamed and archived on the NIH videocast website.
  • SAMHSA's 14th annual Prevention Day is February 5 in National Harbor, MD. The event is focused on successfully addressing emerging substance misuse prevention issues. Register for the event here.
  • The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and the Office on Women's Health within HHS, along with the American College of Preventative Medicine are now accepting abstracts for oral and poster presentations for the 2018 Healthy Aging Summit, July 16-17 in Washington, D.C. They are due by February 5, learn more here.
  • NIMH is seeking participants for a study that screens for various inpatient and outpatient studies that investigate the brain and experimental medications to quickly lift severe and hard-to-treat depressive symptoms. Click here to learn more. To find out if you qualify, email moodresearch@mail.nih.gov NIMH at or call 1-877-646-3644.
January
  • January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. In support of this, SAMHSA offers a variety of resources to help educate people on the signs of trafficking and services for human trafficking survivors. Learn more here.
  • January is National Stalking Awareness Month. The CDC has compiled resources to help communities prevent stalking and participate in this awareness month. Learn more here.
  • Next Week, January 22-28 is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week. Visit this webpage to learn more about the week sponsored by NIDA and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
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