Health Benefits for Chai Drinkers

What is Chai Tea?

“Chai” actually means “tea” in Hindi, so calling “chai” “chai tea” is actually rather redundant. However, marketers in the western world thought that “chai tea” would help them sell the “new” product to the western market. Chai is actually centuries old, with its origins in India. Generally, it is a milky, spiced tea made with black tea, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, pepper, and various other spices. It is usually sweetened – most commonly with sugar, but some drinkers prefer honey. There is not a universal recipe for chai, as different drinkers like it different ways, so the spice list can change depending on who’s making it.

It is most likely this list of ingredients not often found in western beverages that makes chai seem “exotic” to westerners. But in India, chai is as common as tea is in Britain and coffee is in the United States. In fact, it’s so common that in many Indian households, the first thing a host offers a guest is a cup of chai.

Potential Health Benefits of Chai

Some tea companies tout the health benefits of drinking their chai product – but buyer beware. While chai is certainly better for the body than a drink such as coffee, because not all chai is made with the same ingredients, it’s not really possible to state that chai is universally beneficial. And it’s also more likely to benefit the drinker when the drinker has brewed his/her own chai, rather than buying boxed chai or chai in tea bag form. Why? Simply because the spices and herbs being used are much fresher. Here is a list of some of the benefits of the different ingredients in most chai recipes:

1) Cinnamon: In a recent study by the US Agricultural Research Service, cinnamon has been shown to benefit diabetics because the cells are less likely to let insulin in. In lab rats with Type 2 diabetes, cinnamon helped lower blood pressure and prevented cell damage. Cinnamon’s oils also help to stop the growth of certain bacteria and yeasts.

2) Ginger: In the Far East, ginger has been used for over two millennia to treat upset stomach, diarrhea, arthritis, and heart disease. Recent research by western scientists also suggests that ginger may help lower the risk of colon cancer.

3) Cardamom: Like ginger, cardamom is often used to soothe digestion problems. But it is also used to treat respiratory problems such as asthma or people suffering from other kinds of respiratory spasms. Further, in Saudi Arabia, animal studies have shown cardamom to have anti-inflammatory properties, reducing muscle spasms.

4) Cloves: Used in Ayurvedic medicine as an analgesic, cloves are most often used to soothe toothaches and remedy halitosis. It also has antiseptic qualities, and can be used to kill intestinal parasites, fungi, and bacteria. These latter qualities have also led cloves to be used for treating diarrhea and similar digestive ailments.

5) Pepper: Most chai recipes do not usually contain enough black pepper for it to be of significant benefit to its drinkers. However, black pepper does reduce intestinal gas and works as an antioxidant.

Just remember: The best way to ensure that your regular cup of chai provides you with the health benefits you’re looking for is to brew it yourself. Then you can select the herbs and spices that benefit your specific health condition.

About The Author

Rachel Medlock is a connoisseur of hot drinks, including chai. She also operates the informational website http://www.MyChaiTeas.com.

Treatment of Mental Illness

Extraordinary advances have been made in the treatment of mental illness. An understanding of what causes some mental health disorders has led to greater sophistication in tailoring treatment to the underlying basis of each disorder. As a result, many mental health disorders can now be treated nearly as successfully as physical disorders.

Most treatment methods for mental health disorders can be categorized as either somatic or psychotherapeutic. Somatic treatments include drug therapy and electroconvulsive therapy. Psychotherapeutic treatments include individual, group, or family and marital psychotherapy; behavior therapy techniques (such as relaxation training or exposure therapy); and hypnotherapy. Most studies suggest that for major mental health disorders, a treatment approach involving both drugs and psychotherapy is more effective than either treatment method used alone.

Psychiatrists are not the only mental health care professionals trained to treat mental illness. Others include clinical psychologists, social workers, nurses, and some pastoral counselors. However, psychiatrists are the only mental health care professionals licensed to prescribe drugs. Other mental health care professionals primarily practice psychotherapy.

Types of Mental Health Care Professionals

Professional Training and Expertise

Psychiatrist

Medical doctor with 4 years of psychiatric training after graduation from medical school.

Can prescribe drugs and admit people to the hospital. Some practice psychotherapy, some only prescribe drugs, and many do both.

Psychologist Professional who has a doctorate but not a medical degree. Many have postdoctoral training, and most are trained to administer psychologic tests that are helpful in diagnosis. May conduct psychotherapy but cannot perform physical examinations, prescribe drugs, or admit people to the hospital.

Psychiatric social worker A professional with specialized training in certain aspects of psychotherapy, such as family/marital therapy or individual psychotherapy. Often trained to interface with the social service systems in the state. May have a master's degree, but some have doctorates as well. Cannot perform physical examinations or prescribe drugs.

Psychiatric nurse Registered nurse who may practice psychotherapy independently in some states and may prescribe drugs under the supervision of a doctor.

Psychoanalyst May be a psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker who has many years of training in the practice of psychoanalysis, a type of intensive psychotherapy involving several sessions a week designed to explore unconscious patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior. Psychoanalysts who are also psychiatrists may prescribe drugs and admit people to hospitals in addition to conducting psychoanalysis.

Drug Therapy

Over the last 40 years, a number of psychoactive drugs have been developed that are highly effective and widely used by psychiatrists and other medical doctors. These drugs are often categorized according to the disorder for which they are primarily prescribed. For example, antidepressants are used to treat depression. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the newest and most widely used class of antidepressants. Other new classes of antidepressants are being developed.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

With electroconvulsive therapy, electrodes are attached to the head, and a series of electrical shocks are delivered to the brain to induce seizures. This therapy has consistently been shown to be the most effective treatment for severe depression. Many people treated with electroconvulsive therapy experience temporary memory loss. However, contrary to its portrayal in the media, electroconvulsive therapy is safe and rarely causes any other complications. The modern use of anesthetics and muscle relaxants has greatly reduced any risk to the person.

Psychotherapeutic Treatments

In recent years, significant advances have been made in the field of psychotherapeutic treatments. Psychotherapy, sometimes referred to as "talk" therapy, works on the assumption that each person has within himself the cure for his own suffering and that this cure can be facilitated through a trusting, supportive relationship with a psychotherapist. By creating an empathetic and accepting atmosphere, the therapist often is able to help the person identify the source of his problems and consider alternatives for dealing with them.

The emotional awareness and insight that the person gains through psychotherapy often results in a change in attitude and behavior that allows the person to live a fuller and more satisfying life. Psychotherapy is appropriate in a wide range of conditions. Even people who do not have a mental health disorder may find psychotherapy helpful in coping with such problems as employment difficulties, bereavement, or chronic illness in the family. Group psychotherapy, couples' therapy, and family therapy are also widely used.

Most mental health professionals practice within one of five types of psychotherapy: psychoanalysis, psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, behavior therapy, or interpersonal therapy. Psychoanalysis is the oldest form of psychotherapy and was developed by Sigmund Freud in the first part of the 20th century. The person typically lies on a couch in the therapist's office 4 or 5 times a week and attempts to say whatever comes into his mind, a practice called free association.

Much of the focus is on understanding how past patterns of relationships repeat themselves in the present. The relationship between the person and the therapist is a key part of this focus. An understanding of how the past affects the present helps the person develop new and more adaptive ways of functioning in relationships and in work settings.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy, like psychoanalysis, emphasizes the identification of unconscious patterns in current thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. However, the person is usually sitting instead of lying on a couch and attends only 1 to 3 sessions per week. In addition, less emphasis is placed on the relationship between the person and therapist.

Cognitive therapy helps people identify distortions in thinking and understand how these distortions lead to problems in their lives. The underlying premise is that how people feel and behave are determined by how they interpret experiences. Through the identification of core beliefs and assumptions, people can begin to think in different ways about their experiences, resulting in improvement in symptoms, behavior, and feelings.

Behavior therapy is related to cognitive therapy. Sometimes, a

combination of the two, known as cognitive-behavior therapy, is used. The theoretical basis of behavior therapy is learning theory, which holds that abnormal behaviors are due to faulty learning. Behavior therapy involves a number of interventions that are designed to help the person unlearn maladaptive behaviors while learning adaptive behaviors. Exposure therapy is one example of a behavior therapy (see

What Is Exposure Therapy? ).

Interpersonal therapy was initially conceived as a brief psychologic treatment for depression and is designed to improve the quality of a depressed person's relationships. It focuses on unresolved grief, conflicts that arise when people fill roles that differ from their expectations (such as when a woman enters a relationship expecting to be a stay-at-home mother and finds that she must also be the major provider for the family), social role transitions (such as going from being an active worker to being retired), and difficulty communicating with others. The therapist teaches the person to improve aspects of interpersonal relationships, such as overcoming social isolation and responding in a less habitual way to others.

Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis and hypnotherapy are often used to manage pain and treat physical disorders that have a psychologic component. Hypnosis is simply the induction of a trance or altered state of consciousness, whereas hypnotherapy involves psychotherapeutic intervention in conjunction with the hypnotic state. These techniques may promote relaxation and thereby lower anxiety and reduce tension. For example, hypnosis and hypnotherapy can help people with cancer who have anxiety or depression in addition to pain.

About 20% of American children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness during a given year, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. Further, nearly 5 million American children and adolescents suffer from a serious mental illness (one that significantly interferes with their day-to-day life).

Which Mental Illnesses Are Most Common in Children?

Children can suffer from the following mental illnesses:

• Anxiety disorders: Children with anxiety disorders respond to certain things or situations with fear and dread, as well as with physical signs of anxiety (nervousness), such as a rapid heartbeat and sweating.

• Disruptive behavior disorders: Children with these disorders tend to defy rules and often are disruptive in structured environments, such as school.

• Pervasive development disorders: Children with these disorders are confused in their thinking and generally have problems understanding the world around them.

• Eating disorders: Eating disorders involve intense emotions and attitudes, as well as unusual behaviors, associated with weight and/or food.

• Elimination disorders: These disorders affect behavior related to the elimination of body wastes (feces and urine).

• Learning and communication disorders: Children with these disorders have problems storing and processing information, as well as relating their thoughts and ideas.

• Affective (mood) disorders: These disorders involve persistent feelings of sadness and/or rapidly changing moods.

• Schizophrenia: This is a serious disorder that involves distorted perceptions and thoughts.

• Tic disorders: These disorders cause a person to perform repeated, sudden, involuntary and often meaningless movements and sounds, called tics.

Some of these illnesses, such as anxiety disorders, eating disorders, mood disorders and schizophrenia, can occur in adults as well as children. Others, such as behavior and development disorders, elimination disorders, and learning and communication disorders, begin in childhood only, although they can continue into adulthood. In rare cases, tic disorders can develop in adults. It is not unusual for a child to have more than one disorder.

What Are the Symptoms of Mental Illness in Children?

Symptoms vary depending on the type of mental illness, but some of the general symptoms include:

• Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol

• Inability to cope with daily problems and activities

• Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits

• Excessive complaints of physical ailments

• Defying authority, skipping school, stealing or damaging property

• Intense fear of gaining weight

• Long-lasting negative moods, often accompanied by poor appetite and thoughts of death

• Frequent outbursts of anger

• Changes in school performance, such as poor grades despite good efforts

• Loss of interest in friends and activities they usually enjoy

• Significant increase in time spent alone

• Excessive worrying or anxiety

• Hyperactivity

• Persistent nightmares

• Persistent disobedience or aggressive behavior

• Frequent temper tantrums

• Hearing voices or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations)

What Causes Mental Illness?

The exact cause of most mental disorders is not known, but research suggests that a combination of factors, including heredity, biology, psychological trauma and environmental stress, may be involved.

• Heredity (genetics): Mental illness tends to run in families, which means the likelihood to develop a mental disorder may be passed on from parents to their children.

• Biology: Some mental disorders have been linked to special chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters help nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other. If these chemicals are out of balance or not working properly, messages may not make it through the brain correctly, leading to symptoms. In addition, defects in or injury to certain areas of the brain also have been linked to some mental illnesses.

• Psychological trauma: Some mental illnesses may be triggered by psychological trauma, such as severe emotional, physical or sexual abuse; an important early loss, such as the loss of a parent; and neglect.

• Environmental stress: Stressful or traumatic events can trigger a mental illness in a person with a vulnerability to a mental disorder.

How Is Mental Illness in Children Diagnosed?

As with adults, mental illnesses in children are diagnosed based on signs and symptoms that suggest a particular disorder. However, this process can be especially challenging with children. Many behaviors that are seen as symptoms of mental disorders, such as shyness, anxiety (nervousness), strange eating habits and outbursts of temper, can occur as a normal part of a child's development. Behaviors become symptoms when they occur very often, last a long time, occur at an unusual age or cause significant disruption to the child's and/or family's ability to function.

If symptoms are present, the doctor will begin an evaluation by performing a complete medical history and physical examination. Although there are no laboratory tests to specifically diagnose mental disorders, the doctor may use various tests, such as X-rays and blood tests, to rule out physical illness or medication side effects as the cause of the symptoms.

If no physical illness is found, the child may be referred to a child and adolescent psychiatrist or psychologist, mental health professionals who are specially trained to diagnose and treat mental illness in children and teens. Psychiatrists and psychologists use specially designed interview and assessment tools to evaluate a child for a mental disorder. The doctor bases his or her diagnosis on reports of the child's symptoms and his or her observation of the child's attitude and behavior. The doctor often must rely on reports from the child's parents, teachers and other adults because children often have trouble explaining their problems or understanding their symptoms.

How Is Mental Illness in Children Treated?

Mental disorders are like many medical illnesses that require ongoing treatment. Although much progress has been made in the treatment of adults with mental disorders, the treatment of children is not as well understood. Experts are still exploring which treatments work best for which conditions in children. For now, many of the treatment options used for children, including many medications, are the same as what is used to treat adults. The most common treatment options used include:

• Medication: Many mental illnesses can be effectively treated with medications. The medications often used to treat mental disorders in children include antipsychotics, antidepressants and antianxiety drugs, stimulants and mood stabilizing drugs.

• Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy (a type of counseling) addresses the emotional response to mental illness. It is a process in which trained mental health professionals help people deal with their illness, often by talking through strategies for understanding and dealing with their symptoms, thoughts and behaviors. Types of psychotherapy often used with children are supportive, cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, group and family therapy.

• Creative therapies: Certain therapies, such as art therapy or play therapy, may be helpful, especially with young children who may have trouble communicating their thoughts and feelings.

What Is the Outlook for Children With Mental Illness?

When treated appropriately and early, many children can fully recover from their mental illness or successfully control their symptoms. While some children become disabled adults because of a chronic or severe disorder, many people who have a mental illness are able to live full and productive lives.

It is very important to seek treatment for your child if they are displaying any symptoms of mental illness. Without treatment, many mental disorders can continue into adulthood and lead to problems in all areas of the person's adult life. People with untreated mental disorders are at high risk for many problems, including alcohol or drug abuse, and violent or self-destructive behavior, even suicide.

What Research Is Being Done on Mental Illness in Children?

To date, most research on mental illness has centered on mental disorders in adults. However, the mental health community has now begun to focus on mental illness in children. Researchers are looking at childhood development in terms of what is normal and abnormal, trying to understand how factors affecting development can have an impact on mental health. The goal is to try to predict, and ultimately, prevent, developmental problems that could lead to mental illness. A key part of this research is the identification of risk factors -- factors that increase a child's chances of developing a mental disorder. In addition, the mental health community is calling for additional research on medications used to treat children with mental disorders.

Can Mental Illness in Children Be Prevented?

Most mental disorders are caused by a combination of factors and cannot be prevented. However, if symptoms are recognized and treatment is started early, many of the distressing and disabling effects of a mental illness may be prevented or at least minimized.

Mental Health:

Mental Illness Basics

Mental illness is any disease or condition affecting the brain that influence the way a person thinks, feels, behaves and/or relates to others and to his or her surroundings. Although the symptoms of mental illness can vary from mild to severe and are different depending on the type of mental illness, a person with an untreated mental illness often is unable to cope with life's daily routines and demands.

What Causes Mental Illness?

Although the exact cause of most mental illnesses is not known, it is becoming clear through research that many of these conditions are caused by a combination of genetic, biological, psychological and environmental factors. One thing is for sure -- mental illness is not the result of personal weakness, a character defect or poor upbringing, and recovery from a mental illness is not simply a matter of will and self-discipline.

• Heredity (genetics): Many mental illnesses run in families, suggesting that the illnesses may be passed on from parents to children through genes. Genes contain instructions for the function of each cell in the body and are responsible for how we look, act, think, etc. But, just because your mother or father may have a mental illness doesn't mean you will have one. Hereditary just means that you are more likely to get the condition than if you didn't have an affected family member. Experts believe that many mental conditions are linked to problems in multiple genes -- not just one, as with many diseases -- which is why a person inherits a susceptibility to a mental disorder, but doesn't always develop the condition. The disorder itself occurs from the interaction of these genes and other factors -- such as psychological trauma and environmental stressors -- which can influence, or trigger, the illness in a person who has inherited a susceptibility to it.

• Biology: Some mental illnesses have been linked to an abnormal balance of special chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters help nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other. If these chemicals are out of balance or are not working properly, messages may not make it through the brain correctly, leading to symptoms of mental illness. In addition, defects in or injury to certain areas of the brain also have been linked to some mental conditions.

• Psychological trauma: Some mental illnesses may be triggered by psychological trauma suffered as a child, such as severe emotional, physical or sexual abuse; a significant early loss, such as the loss of a parent; and neglect.

• Environmental stressors: Certain stressors -- such as a death or divorce, a dysfunctional family life, changing jobs or schools and substance abuse -- can trigger a disorder in a person who may be at risk for developing a mental illness.

Can Mental Illness Be Prevented?

Unfortunately, most mental illnesses are caused by a combination of factors and cannot be prevented.

How Common Is Mental Illness?

Mental illnesses are very common. In fact, they are more common than cancer, diabetes or heart disease. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, an estimated 23% of American adults (those ages 18 and older) -- about 44 million people -- and about 20% of American children suffer from a mental disorder during a given year. Further, about 5 million Americans adults, and more than 5 million children and adolescents suffer from a serious mental condition (one that significantly interferes with functioning).

Mental Health:

Mental Illness in Children

About 20% of American children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness during a given year, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. Further, nearly 5 million American children and adolescents suffer from a serious mental illness (one that significantly interferes with their day-to-day life).

Which Mental Illnesses Are Most Common in Children?

Children can suffer from the following mental illnesses:

• Anxiety disorders: Children with anxiety disorders respond to certain things or situations with fear and dread, as well as with physical signs of anxiety (nervousness), such as a rapid heartbeat and sweating.

• Disruptive behavior disorders: Children with these disorders tend to defy rules and often are disruptive in structured environments, such as school.

• Pervasive development disorders: Children with these disorders are confused in their thinking and generally have problems understanding the world around them.

• Eating disorders: Eating disorders involve intense emotions and attitudes, as well as unusual behaviors, associated with weight and/or food.

• Elimination disorders: These disorders affect behavior related to the elimination of body wastes (feces and urine).

• Learning and communication disorders: Children with these disorders have problems storing and processing information, as well as relating their thoughts and ideas.

• Affective (mood) disorders: These disorders involve persistent feelings of sadness and/or rapidly changing moods.

• Schizophrenia: This is a serious disorder that involves distorted perceptions and thoughts.

• Tic disorders: These disorders cause a person to perform repeated, sudden, involuntary and often meaningless movements and sounds, called tics.

Some of these illnesses, such as anxiety disorders, eating disorders, mood disorders and schizophrenia, can occur in adults as well as children. Others, such as behavior and development disorders, elimination disorders, and learning and communication disorders, begin in childhood only, although they can continue into adulthood. In rare cases, tic disorders can develop in adults. It is not unusual for a child to have more than one disorder.

What Are the Symptoms of Mental Illness in Children?

Symptoms vary depending on the type of mental illness, but some of the general symptoms include:

• Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol

• Inability to cope with daily problems and activities

• Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits

• Excessive complaints of physical ailments

• Defying authority, skipping school, stealing or damaging property

• Intense fear of gaining weight

• Long-lasting negative moods, often accompanied by poor appetite and thoughts of death

• Frequent outbursts of anger

• Changes in school performance, such as poor grades despite good efforts

• Loss of interest in friends and activities they usually enjoy

• Significant increase in time spent alone

• Excessive worrying or anxiety

• Hyperactivity

• Persistent nightmares

• Persistent disobedience or aggressive behavior

• Frequent temper tantrums

• Hearing voices or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations)

What Causes Mental Illness?

The exact cause of most mental disorders is not known, but research suggests that a combination of factors, including heredity, biology, psychological trauma and environmental stress, may be involved.

• Heredity (genetics): Mental illness tends to run in families, which means the likelihood to develop a mental disorder may be passed on from parents to their children.

• Biology: Some mental disorders have been linked to special chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters help nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other. If these chemicals are out of balance or not working properly, messages may not make it through the brain correctly, leading to symptoms. In addition, defects in or injury to certain areas of the brain also have been linked to some mental illnesses.

• Psychological trauma: Some mental illnesses may be triggered by psychological trauma, such as severe emotional, physical or sexual abuse; an important early loss, such as the loss of a parent; and neglect.

• Environmental stress: Stressful or traumatic events can trigger a mental illness in a person with a vulnerability to a mental disorder.

How Is Mental Illness in Children Diagnosed?

As with adults, mental illnesses in children are diagnosed based on signs and symptoms that suggest a particular disorder. However, this process can be especially challenging with children. Many behaviors that are seen as symptoms of mental disorders, such as shyness, anxiety (nervousness), strange eating habits and outbursts of temper, can occur as a normal part of a child's development. Behaviors become symptoms when they occur very often, last a long time, occur at an unusual age or cause significant disruption to the child's and/or family's ability to function.

If symptoms are present, the doctor will begin an evaluation by performing a complete medical history and physical examination. Although there are no laboratory tests to specifically diagnose mental disorders, the doctor may use various tests, such as X-rays and blood tests, to rule out physical illness or medication side effects as the cause of the symptoms.

If no physical illness is found, the child may be referred to a child and adolescent psychiatrist or psychologist, mental health professionals who are specially trained to diagnose and treat mental illness in children and teens. Psychiatrists and psychologists use specially designed interview and assessment tools to evaluate a child for a mental disorder. The doctor bases his or her diagnosis on reports of the child's symptoms and his or her observation of the child's attitude and behavior. The doctor often must rely on reports from the child's parents, teachers and other adults because children often have trouble explaining their problems or understanding their symptoms.

How Is Mental Illness in Children Treated?

Mental disorders are like many medical illnesses that require ongoing treatment. Although much progress has been made in the treatment of adults with mental disorders, the treatment of children is not as well understood. Experts are still exploring which treatments work best for which conditions in children. For now, many of the treatment options used for children, including many medications, are the same as what is used to treat adults. The most common treatment options used include:

• Medication: Many mental illnesses can be effectively treated with medications. The medications often used to treat mental disorders in children include antipsychotics, antidepressants and antianxiety drugs, stimulants and mood stabilizing drugs.

• Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy (a type of counseling) addresses the emotional response to mental illness. It is a process in which trained mental health professionals help people deal with their illness, often by talking through strategies for understanding and dealing with their symptoms, thoughts and behaviors. Types of psychotherapy often used with children are supportive, cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, group and family therapy.

• Creative therapies: Certain therapies, such as art therapy or play therapy, may be helpful, especially with young children who may have trouble communicating their thoughts and feelings.

What Is the Outlook for Children With Mental Illness?

When treated appropriately and early, many children can fully recover from their mental illness or successfully control their symptoms. While some children become disabled adults because of a chronic or severe disorder, many people who have a mental illness are able to live full and productive lives.

It is very important to seek treatment for your child if they are displaying any symptoms of mental illness. Without treatment, many mental disorders can continue into adulthood and lead to problems in all areas of the person's adult life. People with untreated mental disorders are at high risk for many problems, including alcohol or drug abuse, and violent or self-destructive behavior, even suicide.

What Research Is Being Done on Mental Illness in Children?

To date, most research on mental illness has centered on mental disorders in adults. However, the mental health community has now begun to focus on mental illness in children. Researchers are looking at childhood development in terms of what is normal and abnormal, trying to understand how factors affecting development can have an impact on mental health. The goal is to try to predict, and ultimately, prevent, developmental problems that could lead to mental illness. A key part of this research is the identification of risk factors -- factors that increase a child's chances of developing a mental disorder. In addition, the mental health community is calling for additional research on medications used to treat children with mental disorders.

Can Mental Illness in Children Be Prevented?

Most mental disorders are caused by a combination of factors and cannot be prevented. However, if symptoms are recognized and treatment is started early, many of the distressing and disabling effects of a mental illness may be prevented or at least minimized.

About The Author

"Art Buchanan's story of personal revival absolutely inspiring! He's one of the foremost experts in overcoming mental illness and what he knows can transform your life!" Mike Litman Host - Worlds #1 Personal Developmental Radio Show (http://www.out-of-darkness.com)

They are calling Arthur Buchanan's methods of recovering from mental illness REVOLUTIONARY! (MEDICAL COLLEGE OF MICHIGAN) 'Arthur Buchanan has given us a revolutionary blue print for recovery in these uncertain times, when Mental Illness at a all time high in the United States of America, yet if you follow this young mans methods, we assure you of positive results and I QUOTE 'If these methods are followed precisely, their is no way you can't see positive results with whatever illness you have' Dr. Herbert Palos Detroit, Michigan'

Listen to Arthur Buchanan on the Mike Litman Show!
http://freesuccessaudios.com/Artlive.mp3 THIS LINK WORKS, LISTEN TODAY!

With Much Love,
Arthur Buchanan
President/CEO Out of Darkness & Into the Light
209 Ellis Ave. Suite 1313 Bellevue Ohio, 44811,
http://www.out-of-darkness.com
http://www.AHHDandME.com
http://www.biologicalhappiness.com
http://www.mentalillness.com
http://www.everyonehurts.com

CMS and JCAHO Healthcare Security Requirements Summary by: Karl Radke

Every healthcare organization/hospital accepting payment for Medicare and Medicaid patients is required to meet certain Federal standards called “Conditions of Participation” (CoPs).

These Federal requirements are promulgated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to improve quality and protect the health and safety of patients. Compliance is based on surveys conducted by state agencies on behalf of the CMS. Conditions of Participation are regulatory standards hospitals agree to follow as a condition for receiving federal funding through the Medicare program.

Under an agreement with CMS, State healthcare licensure agencies conduct surveys of hospitals and enforce compliance with CoPs and ensure that Conditions of Participation are being practiced. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities are subject to random onsite reviews. Unannounced surveys can result from patient or public complaints or inquiries. Healthcare Security is an important element for the new 2006 Conditions of Participation.

CONDITIONS of PARTICIPATION
Department of Health & Human Services
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(Healthcare Security)
____________________________________________

A-0038

Title 42CFR, Volume 3 - §482.13 Condition of Participation: Patients’ Rights

A hospital must protect and promote each patient’s rights

Interpretive Guidelines §482.13

These requirements apply to all Medicare or Medicaid participating hospitals including short-term, acute care, surgical, specialty, psychiatric, rehabilitation, long-term, childrens’ and cancer, whether or not they are accredited. This rule does not apply to critical access hospitals. (See Social Security Act (the Act) §1861(e)).

These requirements, as well as the other Conditions of Participation in 42 CFR §482, apply to all parts and locations (outpatient services, provider-based entities, inpatient services) of the Medicare participating hospital.

____________________________________________

A-0057

Title 42, Volume 3 CFR - §482.13(c)(2) The patient has the right to receive care in a safe setting.

Interpretive Guidelines for §482.13(c)(2)

The intention of this requirement is to specify that each patient receives care in an environment that a reasonable person would consider to be safe. For example, hospital staff should follow current standards of practice for patient environmental safety, infection control and security. The hospital must protect vulnerable patients, including newborns and children. Additionally, this standard is intended to provide protection for the patient's emotional health and safety as well as his/her physical safety. Respect, dignity and comfort would be components of an emotionally safe environment.

Survey Procedures §482.13(c)(2)

• Review and analyze patient and staff incident and accident reports to identify any incidents or patterns of incidents concerning a safe environment. Expand your review if you suspect a problem with safe environment in the hospitals.

• Review QAPI, safety, infection control and security (or the committee that deals with security issues) committee minutes and reports to determine if the hospital is identifying problems, evaluating those problems and taking steps to ensure a safe patient environment.

• Observe the environment where care and treatment are provided.

• Observe and interview staff at units where infants and children are inpatients. Are appropriate security protections (such as alarms, arm banding systems, etc.) in place? Are they functioning?

• Review policy and procedures on what the facility does to curtail unwanted visitors or contaminated materials.

• Access the hospital's security efforts to protect vulnerable patients including newborns and children. Is the hospital providing appropriate security to protect patients? Are appropriate security mechanisms in place and being followed to protect patients?

Exceptions:

The use of handcuffs or other restrictive devices applied by law enforcement officials who are not employed by or contracted by the hospital is for custody, detention, and public safety reasons, and is not involved in the provision of health care. Therefore, the use of restrictive devices applied by and monitored by law enforcement officers who are not employed or contracted by the hospital, and who maintain custody and direct supervision of their prisoner are not governed by §482.13(f)(l-3). The individual may be the law enforcement officer's prisoner but he/she is also the hospital's patient. The hospital is still responsible for providing safe and appropriate care to their patient. The condition of the patient must be continually assessed, monitored and reevaluate.

JCAHO – 2006
(Healthcare Security)

____________________________________________

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations evaluates and accredits more than 18,000 healthcare organizations and programs throughout the United States. Hospitals aggressively seek Joint Commission accreditation to meet Medicare certification and licensure requirements. Accreditation is also a condition of reimbursement for many insurers and other payers. In addition, JCAHO Accreditation reduces the hospital’s liability insurance premiums. Beginning in 2006 JCAHO will conduct all surveys without prior notice.

The Joint Commission has accredited hospitals for more than 50 years and today accredits over 80 percent of the nation’s hospitals. The Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) have required JCAHO accreditation by US hospitals since 1965 as a ‘Condition of Participation’ requirement in order for them to receive Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements.

The Joint Commission and Healthcare Security

The Joint Commission’s Standards address the hospital’s performance in specific areas, and specify requirements to insure that patients are provided a safe and secure environment. 2006 Environment of Care© requirements include, but are not limited to the following:

• Development and maintenance of a written Security Management Plan to include an Emergency Management Plan.

• Conduct an annual Risk Assessment that evaluates the potential adverse impact of the external environment on the security of patients, staff, and others coming to the facility.

• Use the risks identified to select and implement procedures and controls to achieve the lowest potential for adverse impact on security.

• Identify, as appropriate, patients, staff and other people entering the facility.

• Access Control / Physical Protection – control access to and egress from security sensitive areas, as determined by the organization.

• Mitigate Violence in the Emergency Department and other locations.

• Education and Training – staff, licensed practitioners, and volunteers have the knowledge and skills necessary to perform their responsibilities within the environment.

• Develop and implement a proactive infant abduction prevention plan.

• Include information on visitor/provider identification as well as identification of potential abductors/abduction situations (during staff orientation and in-service curriculum programs).

• Enhance parent education concerning abduction risks and parent responsibility for reducing risk and then assess the parents' level of understanding.

• Attach secure identically numbered bands to the baby (wrist and ankle bands), mother, and father or significant other immediately after birth.

• Footprint the baby, take a color photograph of the baby and record the baby's physical examination within two hours of birth.

• Require staff to wear up-to-date, conspicuous, color photograph identification badges.

• Discontinue publication of birth notices in local newspapers.

• Consider options for controlling access to nursery/postpartum unit such as swipe-card locks, keypad locks, entry point alarms or video surveillance (any locking systems must comply with fire codes).

• Consider implementing an infant security tag or abduction alarm system.

Material in this brochure provided to Accutech-ICS (www.Accutech-ICS.com) by Security Assessments International, Inc., www.saione.com

Disclaimer

The information provided by Accutech-ICS.com and SAI is in accordance with our understanding of current JCAHO and CMS Regulations. It is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered 'legal' advice. Please consult with your legal counsel or Compliance Officer for clarification of laws and rules related to your State when applicable.

Accutect-ICS.com and SAI are not affiliated with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

Accutech-ICS.com and SAI - ©January, 2006

About The Author

Karl Radke is the director of sales and marketing at Innovative Control Systems, Inc (ICS) headquartered in Franklin, Wisconsin. Karl has been vital to the marketing and development of the Accutech product line. Accutech is recognized as the market leader in infant and pediatric security while maintaining a strong role in long-term care and assisted living markets.

For more information about Accutech, visit http://www.Accutech-ICS.com or e-mail Karl at karlr@accutech-ics.com.

Access to Health Care in U.S: Problems and the Bottom Line

Access encompasses both the ease and timeliness with which health services can be obtained (Office of Health Care Access, 1999; Millman, 1993). Metrics of measuring access to health services include:

* Having health insurance,
* Adequate income, and
* A regular primary care provider or
* Other regular source of care (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000).
* Utilization of certain clinical preventive services, such as, early prenatal care, mammography, and Pap tests, can also indicate better access to services.
* Rate of avoidable hospital admission

Health care models:

* Purely private enterprise: Exist in poorer countries with sub standard health care dominated by private clinics for wealthier population.
* In almost all the countries, a private system exists in addition to Government health care system (such as Medicare and Medicaid in U.S). This is sometimes referred to as Two-tier health care.
* The other major models are public insurance systems:

o Social Security Health Care model where workers and their families are insured by the State.
o Publicly funded health care model, where the residents of the country are insured by the State.
o Social Health Insurance, where the whole population or most of the population is a member of a sickness insurance company.

Models for access: access to health services can be impeded broadly by:

* Affordability: Economic barriers (no insurance, poverty),
* Availability: Supply and distribution barriers (inadequate or inappropriate services or primary care providers, geographic unavailability due to difficult infrastructure);
* Unavailability of services, lack of transportation and other infrastructure), and

Language and cultural barriers.

Discussion:
_________________________

A. Insurance coverage:
____________________

* Approximately 85% of Americans have health insurance.
* Approximately 60% obtain health insurance through their place of employment or as individuals,
* Various government agencies provide health insurance to 25% of Americans.[3].
* In 2004, 45.8 million (15.7%) Americans were without health insurance [1].
* According to 2000 U.S. census data [2], the percentage of large firms (200 employees or more) offering health benefits to its retirees fell between 1988 and 2001 (excepting a spike in 1995).
* Although most types of health insurance cover common treatment services and screening and diagnostic tests, many preventive services and interventions are not covered. For example, while most health insurers will pay to treat emphysema, lung cancer, and other tobacco-related diseases, for example, few will reimburse for smoking cessation programs or medications.

B. Economic condition:

Cost is a barrier. Cost is more likely to affect persons:

* Of Hispanic ethnicity,
* To affect unmarried persons,
* Those who did not graduate from high school, were four times more likely than college graduates to experience cost barriers to health care,
* People with income under $25,000

C. Availability:

Access barrier is intense in areas where the need is high but capacity of existing providers is insufficient.

* Hispanic is less likely than non-Hispanic respondents to have health-care coverage (76.2% versus 90.6%),
* They have one or more regular personal health-care providers (68.5% versus 84.1%), or
* They have a regular place of care (93.4% versus 96.2%).
* Hispanic has needs of medical care, but can not obtain it (6.5% versus 5.0%).
* Hispanics also are significantly less likely to be screened for blood cholesterol and for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers and to receive a influenza / pneumococcal vaccination.

D. Language factor:

Language can be an obstacle to health care access for:

* People who do not speak English and
* For the deaf and hearing impaired.

According to the 1990 U.S. Census, about nine percent of Connecticut’s population was foreign born and 15% of children and older spoke a language other than English at home. Of this group, 39% did not speak English “very well”. . According to U.S. Census Bureau, 2001, 6 percent of population is hard of hearing, and 25,500 residents are considered profoundly deaf (Connecticut Commission on the Deaf and Hearing Impaired, 2001).

The ability of Connecticut’s health care providers to communicate with non-English speaking people and is very limited. In 2001, 35 percent of total physicians and surgeons practicing medicine in Connecticut indicated that a language other than English was spoken at their practice location (Connecticut Department of Public Health, Bureau of Regulatory Services, 2001). Spanish was the most frequently spoken language.

E. Cultural factor:

Cultural differences between Hispanics and other minorities and health care providers affect health-related behaviors in certain minority groups:

* lack of knowledge about Western medicine,
* fear of public institutions (based on experiences with discrimination),
* modesty about their bodies, and
* The belief in minority women that their own needs are secondary to those of their husbands and children (True and Guillermo, 1996).
* Hispanics have less knowledge about cancer. Cancer is increasing among Hispanics [4], and cancer screening, an essential component of early detection and treatment.
* Many non-Western women do not go directly to a physician when they are ill. Instead, they first attempt to treat themselves, and if that fails, they follow the recommendations of friends, family, and in some cases, alternative or folk healers (Bayne-Smith, 1996).
* Many health problems of minority women thus go unreported and unrecognized, in part because the women do not communicate the problems, but also because providers cannot relate to the women’s cultural norms (Bayne-Smith, 1996).
* Lesbians are less likely than heterosexual women to seek health care and more likely to encounter barriers in access to care and preventive services. For example, many women who have sex only with women believe they do not need Pap tests, and confusion even exists in clinical practices about whether lesbians should be offered cervical smears routinely (Bailey et al., 2000).

? Do Medicare and Medicaid contribute to barriers to access so far we think about the delinquencies in reimbursement?
? Does it anyway refer to the question of availability of health care providers?

The U.S Health care ranking is very poor in relation to other industrialized nations in health care despite having

* the best trained health care providers and
* the best medical infrastructure

The ranking are as bellow:

* 23rd in infant mortality,
* 20th in life expectancy for women and 21st for men
* 67th in immunization, right behind Botswan
* Rank below Canada and a wide variety of industrialized nations on outcome studies on a variety of diseases, such as coronary artery disease, and renal failure.

The ranking is poor because, the access barrier is intense in U.S. Access to Health care. Difficulty in accessing to health care to 30% Americans is based on the ability to pay (disparity is directly related to income and race) [5].

Managed care organizations spend 20 % of their premium behind administration while it is only 3% in Medicare. Moreover, Managed care covers 60% of the population while Medicare and Medicaid cover 25%. About 17% of U.S population is uninsured of which, two-third has trouble accessing/paying for health care. As Medicaid covers mainly uninsured population, therefore, we may presume that high administrative cost of care providers and quickly decreasing reimbursement rate in Medicaid is a major cause of access barrier to minorities and disadvantaged so long we bark on ‘availability’ of care.

The bottom line:

Possible options to remove access barrier

* Reducing fundamental socio-economic inequities (almost absent in U.S),
* Expanding insurance coverage,
* Expanding access to Public health (preventive) services that reduce risk factors to chronic diseases and injuries.
* Prompt and effective primary care in a doctor’s office or other outpatient setting, followed by proper management can reduce the need for hospitalization for many medical conditions, such as asthma, dehydration, urinary tract infections, and perforated or bleeding ulcers (Foland, 2000; Office of Health Care Access, 2000). These conditions are referred to as “ambulatory care sensitive” hospital admissions.
* When early care is delayed or foregone, the result is often “avoidable” or “preventable” hospitalizations which can indicate:
o problems with access to primary health care services or
o Inadequate outpatient management and follow-up, because Three out of four “avoidable” hospital admissions occur through emergency rooms (Foland, 2000).
* Health Literacy and removing cultural barrier by social services and public health programs: Many patients lack the reading and comprehension skills helpful for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and to function in the U.S. health care system. These deficits result not only from poverty and low educational attainment, but also from differences in language and culture. Because of the inability of patients to read and understand health-related information:
o infants are being born with birth defects,
o diseases are being diagnosed at advanced stages, and
o Medications are being taken improperly.
* Removing cultural barriers to lifestyle and medication that have proven effective for controlling weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar should help reduce the large inequities in chronic disease.
* Universal health care (single or multi payer).

Sources:

1. "Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2004." U.S. Census Bureau. Issued August 2005.

2. Cunningham P, May J. "Medicaid patients increasingly concentrated among physicians." Track Rep. 2006 Aug;(16):1-5. PMID 16918046.

3. LS Balluz, ScD, CA Okoro, MS, TW Strine, MPH, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC 2002.

4. Villar HV, Menck HR. The National Cancer Data Base report on cancer in Hispanics: relationships between ethnicity, poverty, and the diagnosis of some cancers. Cancer 1994; 74:2386--95

5. The Case for Universal Health Care in the United States http://cthealth.server101.com/the_case_for_universal_health_care_in_the_united_states.htm, The Case For Single Payer, Universal Health Care For The United States Outline of Talk Given To The Association of State Green Parties, Moodus, Connecticut on June 4, 1999-By John R. Battista, M.D. and Justine McCabe, Ph.D.

About The Author

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