Before we introduce this week’s post about important disparities in 988 utilization, by Lindsey Dawson and Heather Saunders and originally published in KFF Health News, we wanted to highlight an upcoming Symposium on Responding to Behavioral Health Emergencies being held by the Medical Care section of the American Public Health Association (among others). The need… Read More »
Over the last 25 years, researchers have documented the broad impact of behavioral interventions on a range of psychological and physical health outcomes. Despite the promise of evidence-based treatments, a common challenge for practitioners is ensuring treatment adherence to maximize benefits. This is especially challenging for most chronic conditions. Integrating research and recommendations from medication… Read More »
Health insurers often pay health plans to manage the care of their members. Good care can help prevent emergencies, such as avoidable trips to a hospital emergency department (ED). Medically complex patients, such as those with behavioral health problems or substance use disorders, tend to have a lot of ED visits. Social determinants of health… Read More »
Individuals experiencing homelessness are among the most medically, socially, economically, and politically vulnerable in our society. Because of this, patterns of service use by these individuals can often serve as indicators of the safety net capacity and overall wellness of the systems of care we have in place – like “canaries in the coal mine.”… Read More »
In 2019, mental health and opioid use disorders remain major public health issues. The most recent estimates suggest that 40 million adults experience mental illness in the U.S. and nearly 8 million adults experience both mental and substance use disorders at the same time. Individuals with mental illness also face higher risks of co-occurring chronic health conditions and… Read More »
Each year, millions of people around the world are victims of human trafficking. In the US, the National Human Trafficking Hotline, which maintains one of the most extensive data sets, received 13,897 calls in 2017, with 4,460 human trafficking cases reported. Of the 4,460 cases reported, 3,186 cases were of sex trafficking and 689 cases were… Read More »