DBSA NCA Weekly Update 06/26/22

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance National Capital Area Chapter Weekly Update June 26, 2022 Hello and welcome to the weekly email! If you have a suggestion or news item to share please send to [email protected] by 5:00 pm on Fridays. Be sure to check out the chapter website at www.dbsanca.org . DBSA NCA Peer Support Meetings We have resumed in-person meetings. See our Support Groups & Events calendar for more information. This week the chapter will offer Zoom peer support groups as shown on our Support Groups & Events page. Please note that peer groups are for people living with depression and bipolar disorder. The Friends and Family group is for friends and family members of those living with depression or bipolar disorder (or other mental illnesses) to share the challenges of that relationship. The Zoom connection links for groups have changed. To join peer groups, you may use the same link to access any Zoom meeting at its scheduled time. The Friends and Family group (first and third Wednesday evenings) has a different link for its meetings. If the provided link is used online, a password should be unnecessary. Please let us know of any difficulties via [email protected] . See our Support Groups page for up-to-date information on in person and virtual groups. Invite link for all ZOOM PEER groups: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6625874960?pwd=TU5SZ3lkV3o4TDhDdi9lZU1jZDZMQT09 Meeting ID 662 587 4960 Passcode: dbsanca One tap mobile +13017158592,,6625874960#,,,,,,0#,,3858633# Dial in 301-715-8592 Meeting ID: 662-587-4960 Passcode: 3858633 Google Calendar Link https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=c_jf01i5oim3ibbt9g36ku0ujjf4%40group.calendar.google.com &ctz=America%2FNew_York DBSA NCA Family and Friends Meeting Invite link for the FAMILY & FRIENDS group: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82298544216?pwd=QVpkeVFIeTJvVGJwbmpXNHdWcnVlQT09 Meeting ID: 822 9854 4216 Passcode: dbsanca One tap mobile +13017158592,,82298544216#,,,,*6740529# Dial in 301-715-8592 Meeting ID: 822 9854 4216 Passcode: 6740529 Google Calendar Link https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=c_2aih6ldtp0cojm4h58glb3h3ho%40group.calendar.google.com &ctz=America%2FNew_York News, Events, and Resources In Person Meetings Our chapter now has three different in-person peer support groups taking place. Two on Thursday evenings, and operate in parallel with the 7:00 PM ET virtual Thursday group. The Oxon Hill meeting at United Methodist Church at 6400 Livingston Road is temporarily suspended as of June 5, 2022. The meeting at Foundry United Methodist Church at 1500 16th St NW has moved its start time to 7:15 PM ET. Parking is now largely restricted on 16th Street NW until 7:00 PM. A 7:15 start allows participants to park more easily. The group finishes by 8:45 PM, and the church closes at 9:00 PM. The Beltsville group has moved to a hybrid meeting structure. It will continue to meet virtually at 7:00 PM ET on the second Monday of each month. The fourth Monday of the month, also at 7:00 PM ET, will be an in-person meeting at the Emmanuel United Methodist Church at 11416 Cedar Lane, Beltsville, MD. The Montgomery County peer support group is still considering when it may return to in-person meetings. — DBSA National Statement on Gun Violence The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance acknowledges the heaviness many people around the country are feeling in the wake of the recent mass shootings at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX and in Tulsa, OK which, sadly, follow on the heels of shooting incidents in Buffalo, NY, Dallas, and Los Angeles. In the aftermath of acts of gun violence, questions often arise about whether the assailant had a history of one or more mental health conditions. For example, after two mass shootings in a single weekend in Texas in August 2019, then-President Donald Trump stated, “Mental illness and hatred pulls the trigger” (Abutaleb and Wan, 2019). In 2018, more than 50 percent of Americans believed that people with schizophrenia and alcohol use disorders posed a danger to others, and 30 percent believed that people with depression posed such a threat (Pescosolido, Manago, and Monahan, 2019). In their responses to heightened community concerns over the threat of mass shootings, numerous public officials in recent years have pointed to “mental illness” as a simplified explanation for these terrifying acts of violence. The “deranged shooter” narrative resonates with a persistent (if largely false) belief among majorities of adults in the United States. DBSA’s mission is to provide hope, help, support, and education to individuals living with mood disorders. In our role as the leading peer-focused advocacy organization for people living with depression and bipolar we believe it is critical the public and policymakers stop responding to gun violence and mass shootings with statements that mental health conditions are the underlying cause. The claim is false and discriminatory. Hearing the predictable characterizations of the perpetrators framed as mental health issues is a scapegoating tactic and does a disservice to those we are here to serve. Studying the relationship between mental illness and suicide or firearm violence (both self-directed and interpersonal) is challenging because mental illness is often undiagnosed and undetected by the health care system. Furthermore, postmortem (for suicide) or post-event (for violent crime) diagnoses may be biased. Like other vulnerable populations, persons diagnosed with mental health conditions are statistically more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violent crime. They represent between 25% and 58% of those shot and killed by police officers each year, and there is an apparent interaction between race and mental illness when citizens are shot by law enforcement officers. A recent study found that when police shot and killed people in the line of duty, their explanatory reports applied the label of “mental illness” more than twice as often to white individuals as to Black individuals (32% vs. 15%). Studies show symptoms of mental illness by themselves rarely cause violent behavior and thus cannot reliably predict it. In fact, according to the Mental Health America Fact Sheet on Gun Deaths, Violence, and Mental Health , 95-97% of homicidal gun violence is not carried out by individuals with mental health conditions. To say otherwise is misleading and wrongfully points a finger at tens of millions of people who have experienced or are living with mental health conditions. Previous violence is the only evidence-based predictor of future violence. Having a history of violence, youth justice-involvement, physical interpersonal abuse, and parental justice-involvement are the key predictors of future violence. DBSA believes our policymakers must begin to address the root causes of violence. We endorse the recommendations put forward by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing in its August 2019 report . Included among those recommendations are the following: Pass legislation to increase the availability of threat assessment training at the local, state, tribal and national levels. Enact state red flag or extreme-risk protection orders that allow the temporary removal of guns from individuals who are known to pose a high risk of harming others or themselves in the near future. Fully implement the existing federal background check requirement for firearms purchases. MEDICARE HELP The Medicare patient resource center is on a mission to help people with disabilities get the most out of the Medicare program (note: they do not sell or provide healthcare plans). They have published a comprehensive guide to understanding eligibility, coverage, and, most importantly, how to navigate the enrollment process. https://www.medicareplans.com/medicare-coverage-for-people-with-disabilities/ THE NIMH MONTHLY NEWSLETTER Sign up for the latest mental health news, research advances, upcoming events, publications, clinical trials, meeting summaries, and more. In addition to the email newsletter and RSS updates , please also visit NIMH on Twitter , Facebook , and YouTube , where they highlight Science Updates, Press Releases, and other timely matters. https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USNIMH/subscriber/new?topic_id=USNIMH_52 RESEARCH STUDY University of Maryland study for teens with mood disorders and their parents The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy is conducting a study to test whether mobile health technologies can be used to measure response to antidepressant treatment in adolescents. To qualify for the study, teens ages 12-17 must have a mood disorder, be currently treated with antidepressants and have access to a smartphone or tablet. To participate email [email protected] or call 410-706-4369. Teens will be asked to use a Fitbit (activity tracker) and a mobile app for four weeks. Parents will be asked to use a version of the app specific to them. At the conclusion of the study teens will keep the Fitbit, and parents may receive compensation up to $300. No treatments will be provided in this study. UPCOMING TV SHOWS On WETA, Monday, June 27th, at 9:00 PM. A Ken Burn PBS special- Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness , Part 1 of 2. The Storm . Diverse youth across America provide insight into living with mental health challenges, including issues of stigma, discrimination, awareness and silence.(2 hours) On Tuesday, June 28th at 9:00 PM, Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness , Part 2 of 2 Resilience . Finding help and inpatient/outpatient treatment; the criminalization of mental illness; youth suicide; the "double stigma" that results when mental illness is combined with racial or gender discrimination. (2 hours). https://www.pbs.org/show/hiding-plain-sight-youth-mental-illness/ IN MEMORY DBSA announces the passing of Dr. Jan Fawcett, the founding Medical Advisor DBSA Mourns the Loss of Dr.

In Person Meetings

Our chapter now has three different in-person peer support groups taking place.

Two on Thursday evenings, and operate in parallel with the 7:00 PM ET virtual Thursday group.

The Oxon Hill meeting at United Methodist Church at 6400 Livingston Road is temporarily suspended as of June 5, 2022.
The meeting at Foundry United Methodist Church at 1500 16th St NW has moved its start time to 7:15 PM ET. Parking is now largely restricted on 16th Street NW until 7:00 PM. A 7:15 start allows participants to park more easily. The group finishes by 8:45 PM, and the church closes at 9:00 PM.

The Beltsville group has moved to a hybrid meeting structure. It will continue to meet virtually at 7:00 PM ET on the second Monday of each month. The fourth Monday of the month, also at 7:00 PM ET, will be an in-person meeting at the Emmanuel United Methodist Church at 11416 Cedar Lane, Beltsville, MD.

The Montgomery County peer support group is still considering when it may return to in-person meetings.

—

DBSA National Statement on Gun Violence

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance acknowledges the heaviness many people around the country are feeling in the wake of the recent mass shootings at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX and in Tulsa, OK which, sadly, follow on the heels of shooting incidents in Buffalo, NY, Dallas, and Los Angeles.

In the aftermath of acts of gun violence, questions often arise about whether the assailant had a history of one or more mental health conditions. For example, after two mass shootings in a single weekend in Texas in August 2019, then-President Donald Trump stated, “Mental illness and hatred pulls the trigger” (Abutaleb and Wan, 2019). In 2018, more than 50 percent of Americans believed that people with schizophrenia and alcohol use disorders posed a danger to others, and 30 percent believed that people with depression posed such a threat (Pescosolido, Manago, and Monahan, 2019).

In their responses to heightened community concerns over the threat of mass shootings, numerous public officials in recent years have pointed to “mental illness” as a simplified explanation for these terrifying acts of violence. The “deranged shooter” narrative resonates with a persistent (if largely false) belief among majorities of adults in the United States.

DBSA’s mission is to provide hope, help, support, and education to individuals living with mood disorders. In our role as the leading peer-focused advocacy organization for people living with depression and bipolar we believe it is critical the public and policymakers stop responding to gun violence and mass shootings with statements that mental health conditions are the underlying cause. The claim is false and discriminatory. Hearing the predictable characterizations of the perpetrators framed as mental health issues is a scapegoating tactic and does a disservice to those we are here to serve.

Studying the relationship between mental illness and suicide or firearm violence (both self-directed and interpersonal) is challenging because mental illness is often undiagnosed and undetected by the health care system. Furthermore, postmortem (for suicide) or post-event (for violent crime) diagnoses may be biased.

Like other vulnerable populations, persons diagnosed with mental health conditions are statistically more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violent crime. They represent between 25% and 58% of those shot and killed by police officers each year, and there is an apparent interaction between race and mental illness when citizens are shot by law enforcement officers. A recent study found that when police shot and killed people in the line of duty, their explanatory reports applied the label of “mental illness” more than twice as often to white individuals as to Black individuals (32% vs. 15%).

Studies show symptoms of mental illness by themselves rarely cause violent behavior and thus cannot reliably predict it. In fact, according to the Mental Health America Fact Sheet on Gun Deaths, Violence, and Mental Health, 95-97% of homicidal gun violence is not carried out by individuals with mental health conditions. To say otherwise is misleading and wrongfully points a finger at tens of millions of people who have experienced or are living with mental health conditions.

Previous violence is the only evidence-based predictor of future violence. Having a history of violence, youth justice-involvement, physical interpersonal abuse, and parental justice-involvement are the key predictors of future violence.

DBSA believes our policymakers must begin to address the root causes of violence. We endorse the recommendations put forward by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing in its August 2019 report. Included among those recommendations are the following:

Pass legislation to increase the availability of threat assessment training at the local, state, tribal and national levels.
Enact state red flag or extreme-risk protection orders that allow the temporary removal of guns from individuals who are known to pose a high risk of harming others or themselves in the near future.
Fully implement the existing federal background check requirement for firearms purchases.

MEDICARE HELP

The Medicare patient resource center is on a mission to help people with disabilities get the most out of the Medicare program (note: they do not sell or provide healthcare plans). They have published a comprehensive guide to understanding eligibility, coverage, and, most importantly, how to navigate the enrollment process.

https://www.medicareplans.com/medicare-coverage-for-people-with-disabilities/

THE NIMH MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Sign up for the latest mental health news, research advances, upcoming events, publications, clinical trials, meeting summaries, and more. In addition to the email newsletter and RSS updates, please also visit NIMH on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, where they highlight Science Updates, Press Releases, and other timely matters. https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USNIMH/subscriber/new?topic_id=USNIMH_52

RESEARCH STUDY

University of Maryland study for teens with mood disorders
and their parents

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy is conducting a study to test whether mobile health technologies can be used to measure response to antidepressant treatment in adolescents.

To qualify for the study, teens ages 12-17 must have a mood disorder, be currently treated with antidepressants and have access to a smartphone or tablet. To participate email [email protected] or call 410-706-4369.

Teens will be asked to use a Fitbit (activity tracker) and a mobile app for four weeks. Parents will be asked to use a version of the app specific to them. At the conclusion of the study teens will keep the Fitbit, and parents may receive compensation up to $300. No treatments will be provided in this study.

UPCOMING TV SHOWS

On WETA, Monday, June 27th, at 9:00 PM. A Ken Burn PBS special- Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness, Part 1 of 2. The Storm. Diverse youth across America provide insight into living with mental health challenges, including issues of stigma, discrimination, awareness and silence.(2 hours)

On Tuesday, June 28th at 9:00 PM, Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness, Part 2 of 2 Resilience. Finding help and inpatient/outpatient treatment; the criminalization of mental illness; youth suicide; the "double stigma" that results when mental illness is combined with racial or gender discrimination. (2 hours).

https://www.pbs.org/show/hiding-plain-sight-youth-mental-illness/

IN MEMORY

DBSA announces the passing of Dr. Jan Fawcett, the founding Medical Advisor
DBSA Mourns the Loss of Dr. Jan Fawcett, First Medical Advisor - Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

MENTAL HEALTH SUMMIT

The DBSA Summit will now take place virtually October 10 - 14th. Participate in mental health learning sessions, hear from peers and experts. Topics covered: Peer Engagement, Support Group and Chapter Leadership, and Basic and Advanced Facilitator Training. Also learn how DBSA is supporting children, teens, young adults, parents, and caregivers, and much more. Keep an eye on your inbox and social media for program details and registration links!

Check out some of the sessions from last year.

DBSA NATIONAL SURVEY

Older Adults Living with Depression AND Chronic Physical Health Conditions https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/depressionANDhealth

SPEAKER EVENTS

On Thursday, July 21, 2002, Dr. Keming Gao MD, PhD and Director of Mood Disorders Program at UH Cleveland Medical Center, will speak on "Diagnosis and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: What patients and families should know." Info on registering and attending via Zoom coming soon.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE GROUP

For those addressing substance abuse issues, CHOICES Trauma Informed 12 Step Peer Support Group (Mondays, 6:30 - 7:30 PM Eastern) offers an alternative to traditional AA/NA 12 step programs. https://choicesihar.org/peer-support-groups.html

TRAINING

The Department of Behavioral Health & Consumer & Family Affairs is pleased to announce the new 2022 Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) Training Class. To apply please complete the application in this link. The deadline to apply is at Noon on Friday, July 1, 2022.

Peer Specialist Certification Program

WEBINARS

An online course from DBSA National- Finding Something in Nothing: Resolving Emotional Blunting in Major Depressive Disorder

https://dbsa.patientcoach.com/learner/course/33?emci=9dfb67f7-32f2-ec11-b47a-281878b83d8a&emdi=6b60371a-66f2-ec11-b47a-281878b83d8a&ceid=7746505

Video: New Developments in a Blood Test for Bipolar

Development of a Combined Digital and Biomarker Test for Bipolar Disorder

Video and Text: “Four Ways Not to React To Someone With Depression or Crisis & Healthier Alternatives” from DBSA California.

https://mailchi.mp/71ba0a4a39f4/4-ways-to-help-family-friends-with-mood-disorders

—

Links

Kaiser Family Foundation - new analysis - A Look at Suicide Rates Ahead of 988 Launch—A National Three-Digit Suicide Prevention Hotline

A Look at Suicide Rates Ahead of 988 Launch—A National Three-Digit Suicide Prevention Hotline

Child Mind Institute Annual Report - Answering the Call: Scaling Support for Children’s Mental Health

https://childmind.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Child-Mind-Institute-Annual-Report-2021.pdf

The Stops & Starts of Making Peace with Your Meds | bpHope.com

How I’ve Mastered My Social Anxiety | bpHope.com

Long Summer Days & Bipolar Disorder | bpHope.com

Bipolar & My Struggle with Panic Attacks | bpHope.com

My Story: Learning the Hard Way That Medication Is Key | bpHope.com

7 Fan Favorites on Dealing with Bipolar Anger | bpHope.com

When Bipolar Management Takes You Beyond Your Comfort Zone | bpHope.com