News From APIRE's Practice Research Network

Mental Health U.S. 2008: This upcoming publication will include a chapter on mental health practitioners and trainees of compiled data from all professional mental health organizations.

Walter Reed Army Institute for Research Routine Army Behavioral Health Treatment Study: This study will lay the groundwork for future research on clinical care by testing methodology used to regularly collect basic clinical and practice-level data in Army behavioral health treatment settings.

PTSD: A Comprehensive Approach to Disseminate Evidence-Based Care: This study will identify and disseminate key evidence-based recommendations to support clinical decision making in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD in military mental health settings.

Medicare and Medicaid Psychopharmacologic Treatment Access and Continuity Studies: These studies are examining the scope and consequences of medication-access problems among Medicaid and Medicare psychiatric patients. Data from these studies are being used by APA and other advocacy groups to help improve Medicare and Medicaid prescription drug policies.

National Depression Management Leadership Initiative (NDMLI): Two new projects were developed in collaboration with the AAFP and ACP as a follow-up to the successful NDMLI. The Sustainability and Spread Follow-Up Study examined the sustainability and spread of key elements of change introduced during the NDMLI following the conclusion of the project in 2006. The Shared Care Initiative will study the effect of systematic use of self-rated assessments on communication between primary care pysicians, psychiatrists, and other mental health providers and on outcomes for patients with depression. This study also aims to promote collaborative education of primary care physicians and psychiatrists regarding the recognition and appropriate management of bipolar and anxiety disorders.