Tag Archives: mental health

Older Adults, Dementia, and Antipsychotic Drugs

About 15% of older adults have dementia. Some of them are prescribed antipsychotic drugs to help treat the symptoms of the disease. However, the Food and Drug Administration has not approved those drugs to treat dementia. May is Older Americans … Continue reading

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Mental Health Care in the Military

As servicemembers put their mental and physical health on the line to protect the country, it makes sense to provide care for their minds as well as their bodies. However, that task may be easier said than done. Does DOD … Continue reading

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Examining a Potential New Treatment for Wounded Warriors

In today’s military, the wounds of war often lurk beneath the surface. Traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder are increasingly common among servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. And the road to recovery can be a long one. Rest … Continue reading

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Care for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

In 1961, President Kennedy signed an executive order establishing the Peace Corps. For 55 years, volunteers have been committing to 2-year assignments to help communities in as many as 140 countries. But what happens when volunteers return to the United … Continue reading

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Veterans’ Access to Mental Health Care (podcast)

The number of veterans receiving mental health care services from the Veterans Health Administration grew 63% between 2005 and 2013—about three times the rate for all health services. How has the increased demand affected veterans’ access to care? Listen to … Continue reading

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Federal Efforts to Help People with Mental Illness

Some 10 million Americans suffer from serious mental illness. We focused on services for them in a previous WatchBlog post, but they are part of a bigger picture: about 43 million adults—roughly 1 in 5—live with some form of mental health … Continue reading

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Coordinating Programs Serving Those with Serious Mental Illness

Each year, the first full week of April marks National Public Health Week—a time to highlight issues that are important to improving health across the country. Within the week, each day has a theme, and today’s theme is “Building Broader … Continue reading

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Podcast on Federal Efforts Related to Serious Mental Illness

The U.S. health care system has a range of federal programs for the millions of Americans with mental illness. Hear our podcast with Linda Kohn, a director in GAO’s Health Care team, who led a recent review on federal efforts … Continue reading

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A Look at Health Care in Underserved Populations for National Public Health Week

Each year, the first full week of April marks National Public Health Week. During this time, people gather to recognize contributions to public health and highlight issues that are important to improving health across the country. This year’s theme is … Continue reading

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