(June 26, 2018) Research Roundup is a monthly public service of the Office of Research and Public Affairs. Each edition describes a striking new data point about serious mental illness and summarizes recently published research reports or developments.
DATAPOINT of the Month
- 46.2% of individuals with serious mental illness who did not receive treatment did not do so because of the cost
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, almost half of all individuals with serious mental illness who had a perceived unmet need for care did not receive treatment because they could not afford the cost. This was the most significant reason for not receiving care, according to the survey, followed by thinking they could handle the problem on their own and not knowing where to go for services.
RESEARCH of the Month
- Risk-based firearm seizure laws associated with reductions in firearm suicide rates.
Firearm seizure legislation for individuals who are at risk of danger to themselves or others is found to be effective in reducing state-level firearm suicide rates in Connecticut and Indiana, according to new research published in Psychiatric Services this month. Researchers from the University of Indianapolis analyzed suicide rates from firearms and other means after enactment of firearm seizure laws passed in Connecticut in 1999 and Indiana in 2005. They found a 7.5% reduction in firearm suicides in Indiana after enacting the seizure laws resulting in an estimated 383 suicides prevented in a ten-year period. In Connecticut, the researchers found a 13.7% reduction in firearm suicides after increased enforcement of their firearm seizure laws after the Virginia Tech incident in 2007, resulting in an estimated 128 firearm suicides prevented in an eight-year period.
Kivisto, A. J., et al. (2018). Effects of risk-based firearm seizure laws in Connecticut and Indiana on suicide rates, 1981-2015. Psychiatric Services. - Individuals with serious mental illness are at heightened risk for dying from a drug overdose after release from prison.
Individuals with serious mental illness are at a 1.5 times higher risk for overdose death after release from prison compared to those without a serious mental illness, according to new research. Researchers from the Philadelphia Department of Health analyzed 82,780 released individuals from Philadelphia prisons from 2010-2016. More than 800 people released from the local criminal justice system died from an overdose during that period, and those with a serious mental illness were at heightened risk than those without a serious mental illness, according to the results.
Pizzicato, L. N., et al. (2018). Beyond the walls: Risk factors for overdose mortality following release from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. - Smoking cessation programs in primary care centers effective in reducing smoking in people with serious mental illness.
Low-burden quality improvement programs in a primary care setting are effective in increasing smoking cessation medication prescribing in physicians and reducing smoking among people with serious mental illness, according to new research. Individuals with serious mental illness have much higher rates of cigarette smoking than the general public, contributing to the 10-25-year shorter life expectancy of these individuals. Research published in Psychiatric Services this month indicates low-burden quality improvement programs of decisional support and education tools provided to primary care providers can decrease smoking prevalence among this high-risk population.
Chen, L-S., et al. (2018, June). Low-burden strategies to promote smoking cessation treatment among patients with serious mental illness. Psychiatric Services.
Elizabeth Sinclair
Director of Research
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Research Weekly is a summary published as a public service of the Treatment Advocacy Center and does not necessarily reflect the findings or positions of the organization or its staff. Full access to research summarized may require a fee or paid subscription to the publications.
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