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Bright Nights Community Forum: Support for Caregivers: Managing Behavioral Symptoms of Individuals with Dementia
While many people think of dementia as a memory problem, what is not as well known is that behavioral problems like depression, anxiety, wandering, and aggression are seen in almost every person over the course of their illness. It is these behavioral symptoms that seem to cause the biggest problems in management, function, hospitalizations, nursing home placement, and also in caregiver outcomes like stress and depression.
To address this issue, researchers from the University of Michigan Program for Positive Aging have developed an innovative online tool called the WeCareAdvisor. The tool uses a step-by-step approach designed to assist with the assessment and management of behavioral symptoms, giving them a tailored ‘prescription’ for managing the behavior they are dealing with. It also includes safety considerations and strategies to help reduce caregiver stress.
To learn more about the impact of depression and anxiety on individuals with dementia, including strategies to prevent and manage stress in caregivers, the University of Michigan Depression Center in collaboration with the Program for Positive Aging and the Ann Arbor District Library will present this discussion. Helen C. Kales, MD, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Program for Positive Aging at the University of Michigan and Research Investigator at the VA Center for Clinical Management Research, will give a brief overview presentation highlighting the latest research on best practices for supporting individuals with dementia with challenging behaviors, including the innovative new WeCareAdvisor tool.
This will be followed by questions and discussion with a panel of experts including Cathleen Connell, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health; Mary Blazek, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School; and Laura M. Struble, PhD, GNP-BC, Clinical Associate Professor and Program Lead, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner & Clinical Nurse Specialist Programs, Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, University of Michigan School of Nursing.
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Bright Nights Community Forum: The Challenges of ADHD: An Up-Close and Personal Perspective as Psychiatrist and Parent
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood brain disorders and generally persists through adolescence and into adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty with focus and attention, regulating emotions and behavior, and planning and organizing the day. These symptoms can negatively impact behavior and relationships at home, school, and other social settings. The good news is that with love, support and indicated treatment, the majority of people with ADHD can achieve great success in school and life.
Join us to learn more about the impact of ADHD on individuals and families, as well as strategies to treat and manage the disorder, as the University of Michigan Depression Center and the Ann Arbor District Library present this Bright Nights community forum.
The keynote speaker for this discussion is Thomas Fluent, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry and a Clinical Associate Professor in the University of Michigan Medical School. Dr. Fluent will discuss his extensive experience with ADHD in his roles as psychiatrist and parent of a child with ADHD. He will address some of the latest research on ADHD and the various controversies surrounding over/under-diagnosis and over/under treatment of the disorder. Dr. Fluent will also provide practical information to help parents navigate the stress of making sense of the mountains of information available regarding ADHD medication and treatment options. Dr. Fluent’ s presentation will be followed by a discussion with a panel of experts, including Karen Nicholson-Muth (LMSW, LLC, Private practice clinician in Ann Arbor), and Carolyn Ruffolo (LLMSW, Clinical Social Worker, U-M Health System) with plenty of time for questions.
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Bright Nights Community Forum: Mobile Health Technology: Detecting Moods in Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a chronic disease with unstable and unpredictable moods. Many individuals with bipolar disorder live very productive lives, but an episode of mania or depression can be devastating. The ability to access support in time to prevent an episode is key for living a stable life with bipolar disorder.
Researchers at the University of Michigan Depression Center and College of Engineering have teamed up to create a program called PRIORI, which studies the acoustics of speech and the ability to predict mood state changes. This novel technology is designed to monitor moods with minimal effort from the patient.
Dr. Melvin McInnis, M.D., FRCPsych, the Thomas B. and Nancy Upjohn Woodworth Professor of Bipolar Disorder and Depression at the U-M Depression Center, will present a brief overview of bipolar disorder from a clinical and genetic perspective and provide information on new methods for monitoring moods. This will be followed by questions from the audience and a discussion with panelists John Gideon, BS, MS, Graduate Student Research Assistant, U-M Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Jennifer Montgomery, MSW, LMSW, Clinical Social Worker, U-M Department of Psychiatry; and Kelly Ryan, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Neuropsychology Program, U-M Department of Psychiatry.
For more information, please visit the Depression Center website at www.depressioncenter.org, or contact Trish Meyer, 763-7495, or meyerpa@umich.edu.
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Bright Nights Community Forum: Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Returning Veterans
The military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have greatly increased the number of veterans returning home with combat exposure, reintegration issues, and psychiatric symptoms. National Guard and Reserve service members and their families face additional challenges, as they prepare for deployment on a part-time basis while still meeting their obligations in their home communities. Unlike active duty service members and families, they do not return to military installations with access to military health services or peers. And in many cases, their home communities may lack the services and resources to address the reintegration issues that might arise.
To address these issues, The Military Support Programs And Networks (M-SPAN) Program Team from the University of Michigan Depression Center and Department of Psychiatry has drawn on their experience and expertise in the areas of outreach and access; peer-to-peer programs; family, marital and parenting interventions; and support group facilitation, to develop and tailor programs designed to meet the unique mental health needs of returning veterans and their families, including National Guard and Reserve service members.
Marcia Valenstein, MD, MS, a professor in the U-M Department of Psychiatry and member of the U-M Depression Center, gives a brief overview presentation outlining the unique mental health needs of veterans, as well as successful intervention programs designed specifically for veterans and their families. This is followed by questions and a panel discussion, including Edward J. Thomas, LMSW, BCD, Staff Social Worker, PTSD Clinical Team, and Military Sexual Trauma Coordinator, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, and Nick Anderson, Systems of Care Coordinator, Michigan Army National Guard. This event was cosponsored by the AADL and the U-M Depression Center.
For more information on the U-M Depression Center, please visit the Depression Center website at depressioncenter.org or contact Trish Meyer at 734.763.7495 or meyerpa@umich.edu.
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Bright Nights Community Forum: Depression During Childbearing Years: Strategies for Prevention, Intervention, and Raising Resilient Children
Research conducted by the University of Michigan Depression Center suggested that as many as one in five pregnant women may experience symptoms of depression during the childbearing years. Many are symptomatic during their pregnancies, and symptoms may continue during their children’s early years.
Kate Rosenblum, Ph.D., Clinical Associate Professor in the U-M Department of Psychiatry, Director of the Women & Infants Mental Health Program, and Co-Director of the Infant and Early Childhood Clinic, will give a brief overview of the latest research on perinatal depression, including strategies for prevention, intervention, and raising resilient children. Novel early interventions to improve maternal depression, parenting skills, foster healthy attachment, and maximize a healthy developmental path for children will be explored.
This will be followed by questions from the audience and a discussion with panelists from the U-M Depression Center, including Maria Muzik, M.D., MSc., Assistant Professor, U-M Department of Psychiatry; Medical Director, Women and Infants Mental Health Clinic; Lisa Hammer, M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, U-M Medical School; and Lulu Zhao, M.D., Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynecology, U-M Medical School.
For more information on the UM Depression Center, please visit University of Michigan Depression Center.
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Bright Nights: The Impact of Academic Stress on Student Mental Health
Some level of stress is a part of everyone’s life, but almost 40 percent of parents say their high-school student is experiencing a great deal of stress from school, according to an NPR poll conducted with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. In most cases, that stress is from academics, not social issues or bullying, the poll found. Teenagers say they're suffering, too. A study by the American Psychological Association found that nearly half of all teens — 45 percent — said they were stressed by school pressures.
“Everyday stress” is a normal reaction to a variety of situations that we encounter in the real world, and can even be beneficial, motivating us to accomplish a task, or to avoid a situation that might be harmful. However chronic stress can lead to long-term health issues, affecting both physical and mental health – and can also negatively impact school performance, extracurricular activities, and relationships with family and friends. While it’s not possible to completely remove all of the stress from our lives, the good news is that there are strategies that students (and their parents!) can use to help manage their stress and improve academic performance.
To learn more about the impact of academic stress on student mental health, including strategies to prevent and manage stress, the University of Michigan Depression Center and the Ann Arbor District Library will present a Bright Nights community forum entitled, “The Impact of Academic Stress on Student Mental Health” on Tuesday, September 30, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the 4th Floor Meeting Room of the downtown Ann Arbor District Library (corner of S. Fifth Ave. and William).
Elizabeth Koschmann, PhD, Research Investigator in the U-M Department of Psychiatry and a member of the U-M Depression Center, will give a brief overview presentation outlining the connections between stress, anxiety and depression, and providing useful strategies to help relieve stress. This will be followed by questions and discussion with a panel of experts including Kate Fitzgerald, MD, Assistant Professor, U-M Department of Psychiatry; Amy McLoughlin, EdM, Counselor at Skyline High School; and Tom Atkins, MD, a private practice clinician in Ann Arbor.
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Bright Nights Community Forum: Health Care Reform and Mental Health Parity: What Does It Mean for You?
There has been a great deal of discussion recently concerning the computer roll-out of the Affordable Care Act. However, less attention has been paid to the actual details of the ACA, especially relating to changes in coverage for mental illness. How exactly will these changes affect individual coverage and access to services, and on a broader level, how will the ACA impact a national mental health system that is already struggling to adequately serve the number of individuals seeking care?
To learn more about the Affordable Care Act and its impact on mental health coverage and access, the AADL and the U-M Depression Center present this discussion, featuring Marianne Udow-Phillips, MHSA, Director of the Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation, and member of the U-M Depression Center National Advisory Board. She gives a brief overview of the Affordable Care Act, focusing on the changes that will impact mental health care coverage and what this will mean on a practical level for individuals seeking care for themselves and/or their family members.
This is followed by questions from the audience and a discussion with medical experts, including Gregory Dalack, MD, Chair, U-M Dept. of Psychiatry; Kara Zivin, PhD, Assoc. Professor, U-M Dept. of Psychiatry, and School of Public Health Faculty Associate, Institute for Social Research; and Dr. Duane DiFranco, MD, Senior Medical Director, Blue Care Network of Michigan.
For more information on the Depression Center, visit their website at www.depressioncenter.org, or contact Trish Meyer, 763-7495, or meyerpa@umich.edu.
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Bright Nights Community Forum: Identification and Treatment of Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents
Anxiety disorders can be disabling and are surprisingly common, affecting up to 30% of all youth. While transient fears and anxieties are a normal part of child and adolescent development, if the anxiety causes excessive distress, leads to avoidance, and/or interferes with school performance, activities, or relationships, this could be an indication of an anxiety disorder. The good news is that effective treatments are available.
Learn more about anxiety disorders in youth and adolescents, including the latest treatment options, at this forum featuring Kate Fitzgerald, MD, Assistant Professor in the U-M Department of Psychiatry, co-director of the Pediatric Anxiety and Tic Disorders Clinic, and a U-M Depression Center faculty member. Dr. Fitzgerald's presentation will be followed by questions from the audience and a discussion with expert panelists, including Depression Center faculty members Joseph Himle, PhD, MSW and Elizabeth Koschmann, PhD, along with Karen Nicholson-Muth, LMSW, a private practice clinician in Ann Arbor.
This event is cosponsored by the U-M Depression Center. For more information on the Center, visit the Depression Center website at www.depressioncenter.org, or contact Trish Meyer, 763-7495, or meyerpa@umich.edu.
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Bright Nights Community Forum: Genetic Testing for Autism and Psychiatric Disorders in 2013: A Rapidly Moving Target
For decades, family, twin and adoption studies have pointed to the involvement of heritable factors in psychiatric disorders. Research has shown, however, that the genetic basis of autism, depression, schizophrenia, and manic depression (bipolar disorder) is quite complex. Genetic changes can be found in cases with autism, schizophrenia and other developmental disorders that were not present in the parents
This complicated genetic architecture poses many challenges both for individuals and families who are struggling to understand and manage their disease, and for their clinicians. To provide greater understanding of our current state of knowledge on the links between genetics, autism and psychiatric disorders, the U-M Depression Center and AADL present this Bright Nights community forum.
Margit Burmeister, Ph.D., Research Professor in Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, Professor of Human Genetics and Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School and Beverly M. Yashar, MS, CGC, PhD, Director, Genetic Counseling Graduate Training Program, and Associate Clinical Professor, Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, provide an overview presentation to explore scenarios in which this testing is “prime time,” and those where it has limited utility. The talk is followed by questions from the audience and a discussion with expert panelists, including Mohammad Ghaziuddin, MD, Professor of Psychiatry and Director, Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinic, U-M Medical School, and Donna M. Martin, M.D., Ph.D., the Donita B. Sullivan Research Professor in Pediatrics, and Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Human Genetics, U-M Medical School.
For more information on the Depression Center, visit their website at www.depressioncenter.org, or contact Trish Meyer, 763-7495, or meyerpa@umich.edu.
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Bright Nights Community Forum: Lean On Me: Helping A Loved One To Cope With Depression
Depression is not simply a bad mood or a passing case of the blues. It is a real illness which affects not only the individual, but everyone who cares about him/her. Friends and family members can find themselves dealing with a whole range of uncomfortable emotions of their own when living or interacting with someone who is depressed, including frustration, confusion, anger, and guilt. Helping a loved one cope with depression can be key to his or her recovery, but it isn't always easy. To provide greater understanding of the ways in which family and friends can offer helpful support (and take care of themselves), the University of Michigan Depression Center will present this Bright Nights Community Forum.Laura Nitzberg, LMSW, Assistant Director, Psychiatric Social Work, UM Dept. of Psychiatry; Adjunct Faculty, UM Medical School and School of Social Work; and member, UM Depression Center, will outline some of the challenges of providing support for a friend or family member with depression, as well as some helpful strategies. Her presentation will be followed by audience Q&A with panelists Ann Hendrick, Visual Arts teacher, Skyline High School; Bob Nassauer, Volunteer Board Member for the Local Affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); Kathy Schoof, LMSW, ACSW, Clinical Social Worker, UM Dept. of Psychiatry and member, UM Depression Center; and Cathy Hanson, Co-chair, Patient and Family Centered Care Committee, UM Dept. of Psychiatry.For more information on the Depression Center, please visit the Depression Center website at www.depressioncenter.org, or contact Trish Meyer, 763-7495 or meyerpa@umich.edu.