People prefer plain language—especially when it comes to their health. That is why October’s Health Literacy Month is a great time to highlight the importance of using plain language to improve health literacy. A cornerstone of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) work in HIV, “health literacy” is someone’s ability to find and understand useful, accurate […]
Archives for October 2017
Mommy Mentors Help Fight The Stigma Of Postpartum Mood Disorder
According to the American Psychological Association, almost 15 percent of moms suffer from a postpartum mood disorder like anxiety or depression, making maternal mental health concerns the most common complication of childbirth in the U.S. And even though these mental illnesses affect millions of women each year, new research shows 20 percent of mothers don’t disclose their symptoms […]
Community Engagement, Precision Medicine, and Native Health
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) released a new toolkit, called Community Engagement, Precision Medicine, and Native Health. This health equity toolkit was developed to implement what was learned from American Indian / Alaska Native communities about their perceived risks and benefits of participation in the NIH All of Us Research Program. These toolkit materials can […]
Reports and Detailed Tables From the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
SAMHSA recently released reports and detailed tables that present findings from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The main First Findings Report contains a cross-section of NSDUH data on substance use and substance use disorders, mental health issues among adults and adolescents, and co-occurring disorders. The other reports focus on specific […]
Recovery Place Seattle at Beacon Hill: Detox Facility Designed to Help Homeless and Low-income Populations
King County is helping open a new detox facility that will offer integrated treatment for mental health and substance-use disorder – including opioid addiction – that prioritizes bed space for people who are homeless. The facility located in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood will offer 33 detox beds and 40 intensive inpatient treatment beds. It will […]
Mental Health Services for Latino Youth: Bridging Culture and Evidence
Because one in four Americans under the age of 18 is Latino, UnidosUS frames the current lack of widespread services as a national concern that potentially can be reformed through funded research and policy. The report recommends reaching Latino youths by using tactics such as hiring bilingual, culturally competent practitioners and incorporating cultural beliefs into […]