Since my insurance won't cover it, I guess Mom would have to

The Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE) put out a press release earlier this week on just how vital family members are to each other's long term care. This seems to be less of a "my family would drop everything to help" issue and more of a "well, I don't have adequate insurance for that" issue:

Nearly four in ten Americans say they would turn to family and friends if they were ever to need long-term care services, compared to relatively few who say they plan to rely on insurance or private savings. Conducted by KRC Research between October 27-30, 2006, the survey asked 1,025 adult Americans what they would rely on most if they were ever to become unable to handle some of the basic tasks of daily living, such as bathing, eating and dressing themselves. Here's how the public responded:

Family and friends 39%
Health insurance 18%
Long-term care insurance 15%
Accumulated savings 12%
Government assistance/programs 12%

Notably, the press release did NOT conclude "The fact that only a third of US residents can count on insurance to provide them with needed long-term care is a giant friggin' problem." So I'll let that be my conclusion instead.

A new depression treatment - and why it doesn't work

Today's Sacramento Bee reports on a new and controversial treatment for depression, Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS). According to the Bee's report, the treatment has been approved by the FDA in spite of minimal evidence that it actually works.

It's an interesting read, and I'll admit, one that left me puzzled. While it's great to have any additional treatments available that even might work to treat otherwise unresponsive depression, is it justifiable to ask such patients (or their insurers) to spend $40,000 on an unproven treatment? From the outside, I would say no, of course not; but if I were suffering from such a depression, I suspect I'd pay anything for even a little bit of hope.

Combat veterans seek mental health care

...and sometimes they don't find it. According to a study in the current Journal of the American Medical Association, more than a third of Iraq veterans seek mental health services in the year after returning from deployment. The study links combat experiences with the need for post-deployment services. But what's most interesting in the article is what it doesn't say.

Consider this quote in the article's summary: "More than 50% of those referred for a mental health reason were documented to receive follow-up care." Though it's presented in positive terms, what it actually says is alarming: Almost half of those who seek help for mental health issues aren't getting it.

If you or a friend or family member are a combat veteran and need mental health services, this information may be useful to you: First of all, many local therapists (myself included) and agencies offer reduced-fee services for clients with lower incomes. This way everyone can benefit from counseling, even those who think they can't afford it. Second, for combat veterans who have experienced trauma and have spouses or significant others, there is reason to believe couples therapy may be the best treatment. Creating a safe and supportive couple relationship can serve to both reduce the impact of trauma on the survivor, and decrease the chances that the survivor's partner will be secondarily traumatized or feel excessively burdened by living with the survivor. Emotionally Focused Therapy has been specifically developed and studied as a couple-based response to trauma, and works well; I'd recommend seeking out a therapist who offers this approach. (And--surprise--I'm one of them. But I'm not the only one, and am happy to make referrals if you wish.)