Check out Florida BH IMPACT's September Newsletter for news and updates in behavioral health.
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More news below:

ANXIETY SCREENING IS NOW RECOMMENDED FOR ALL WOMEN AND ADOLESCENT GIRLS OVER 13

The Women's Preventive Services Initiative (WPSI) released a recommendation in June, suggesting screening for anxiety for all women and adolescent girls aged 13 years or older who are not currently diagnosed with anxiety disorders, including pregnant and postpartum women. This recommendation is specifically targeted at clinicians providing preventive health care to women!  
Click here to read the article in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Psych News published an article explaining this recommendation further.
 

STUDIES SHOW THAT TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19 THROUGH BREAST MILK IS UNLIKELY

Breast milk is an unlikely source of transmission for COVID-19 based on several studies. Click here to read the scientific brief on the topic from WHO. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study last month, finding that transmission of the virus through breast milk is unlikely based on a study of 18 infected women. Click here to read more.

The Florida Maternal Mental Health Collaborative hosted the 6th Annual Perinatal Mental Health Conference in Tampa, FL and online December 9, 10, and 11. Our theme this year was "Perinatal Mental Health Equity: Enhancing Care Access and Quality". The keynote speaker, Amalia Londoño Tobón, MD along with our other wonderful speakers contributed to a dynamic conversation around health equity for perinatal patients in Florida and beyond. We look forward to continuing this work with you all in 2022!

Case Report: Implementation of a Multi-Component Behavioral Health Integration Program in Obstetrics for Perinatal Behavioral Health was published in Frontiers in Psychiatry. This paper provides a look at the implementation phase of Florida Behavioral Health IMPACT (Florida BH IMPACT), a program led by Dr. Heather Flynn, Dr. Amandla Shabaka-Haynes, and Dr. Kay Roussos-Ross.

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Amanda Sesker, a postdoctoral scholar in Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, participated in the National Institute on Aging’s prestigious Butler-Williams Scholars Program at the end of August.  “It is a very competitive program that only accepts the most promising early career researchers who have the potential to make a significant impact in aging research,” said College of Medicine Professor Angelina Sutin, who brought Sesker into her lab in the fall of 2020. “Amanda is the first post-doc from my lab to get accepted into the program. Many alums from the [Butler-Williams] program, however, have made significant contributions to the field of aging."

The intensive, three-day program provides early-career researchers and scientists the opportunity to meet and network with established researchers in the field of aging research, learn more about NIA science and funding opportunities, and sharpen grant writing skills. Sesker will use this experience in the preparation of a K99 grant to be submitted in February of 2022.

September was National Suicide Prevention Month, and Florida State University has many programs and resources that provide tools and resources in spreading awareness, and many free or reduced cost resources for suicide prevention and enhancing mental health.

“FSU provides many effective tools for treating depression and dramatically reducing suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Depression cannot currently be cured but can be managed so that people can live very productive and happy lives," says Dr. Kozel, a Professor and the Mina Jo Powell Endowed Chair in Neurological Sciences at Florida State University who works in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine.

Resources available for confidential communication include the FSU Counseling and Psychology Services, who are available to talk 24/7 at 850-644-8255. University Health Services can be reached at 850-644-6230. Students in an emergency are encouraged to contact the Florida State Police Department at 850-644-1234. These resources for mental health and suicide prevention can be used to refer a friend as well.