Events Occurring During Pregnancy Linked to Schizophrenia in Offspring

I came across an interesting report this morning on Medscape in which they reported on a Danish study that found that in families with no history of mental illness, the loss of a loved one in a mother’s first trimester of pregnancy is associated with a significantly increased risk for schizophrenia in her child.

The study looked at 1.38 million Danish births occurring between 1973 and 1995, and researchers determined whether any relatives had died or received a diagnosis of cancer, heart attack, or stroke during each mother’s pregnancy. Their children were followed from their 10th birthday through June 30, 2005, or until they died, moved out of the country, or developed schizophrenia. Researchers found that the risk of schizophrenia and related disorders was approximately 67 percent greater among the offspring of women who had experienced the death of a relative during the first trimester, but the death of a relative up to six months before or at any other time during the pregnancy was not related to a risk for schizophrenia in the child.

The researchers believe that chemicals released by the mother’s brain in response to stress may have an effect on the fetus’ developing brain.

Makes sense, doesn’t it?

I’m concerned about Britney, too

Britney Spears was released from the Resnick Neuropsychiatric unit at UCLA Medical Center earlier this week, following a short stay.

According to People magazine, a court official overrode physicians’ opinions that Britney needed further inpatient care and should remain in the hospital. Dr. Deborah Nadel, who issued the 72-hour hold on Britney, and another identified psychiatrist, had wanted Britney to remain in the hospital for treatment for at least 14 days. This type of hearing is held at the hospital to determine—judicially, not psychiatrically— whether the continued confinement of a patient is justified. The hearing referee takes into consideration only whether or not a person’s “rights” are being violated, not whether or not the patient needs treatment. Britney’s recent behavior has been grossly self-destructive, but unless she decides to seek treatment herself or unless and until she has been determined to pose an immediate danger to herself or others, I believe she will continue her downward spiral.

While we certainly should never trample on people’s civil rights, our laws in regard to mental health care certainly need an overhaul. The very laws that are in place to protect Brittany may be contributing to her demise. I strongly believe in the rights that America has provided for our citizens, but we have come to confuse the “idea” of rights with what’s good and true and “right”. Would not Britney, if she were thinking clearly, want to be saved from herself? I think so.

After Britney’s discharge from the hospital, her parents issued a statement saying that they “believe her life is presently at risk.”

In an earlier post, I recommended Pete Earley’s book, Crazy, as an excellent example of a parent of an adult child trying desperately to secure needed psychiatric care for that adult child despite the judicial system’s refusal to ensure that that care is provided. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, I encourage you to pick up a copy. Can the problem possibly be any clearer than to see America’s pop princess deteriorating before our very eyes?

A Bit of History Found: Nursing Pins at Ruby Lane

Because I spend so much time at my computer writing and doing research, sometimes I like to spin off in another direction toward other interests or whatever catches my eye on the Internet. (Isn’t that the beauty of the Internet, that whatever one thinks about can be mined to the depths? And, where is the Internet, anyway?) Well, I’ve always had an interest in history and relics of times gone by, particularly when there is a connection (however loose) to me or my family or experiences or places I’ve been or things I’ve done. Anyway, as I was exploring the ’net a couple of weeks ago, I came across a site that specializes in nursing pins and other nursing memorabilia. Now, since I’m a nurse and also because I have an interest in American history and such things, I was immediately drawn to Nursing Pins at Ruby Lane, an online “shop” specializing in vintage nursing school pins. But, wait! There’s more … The first thing I found that was to my liking was a photo, circa 1920s, of the nursing school graduating class from Hartford Hospital. Hartford Hospital School of Nursing in Connecticut is no longer in existence, but I did go to nursing school in Hartford, so the antique photo was close enough for me. I ordered the photo and then another item, a 1939 school of nursing “announcement” (we would call it a school catalog today) from Norfolk General Hospital in Virginia. I was born at Norfolk General and was delighted to find the announcement from an earlier time. Interestingly, the announcement quotes the entire cost of a three-year nursing education at less then $200. My discovery of Nursing Pins at Ruby Lane was a delight and one that pointed me to a web site that I’ll return to again. Now back to reviewing the galleys for The Forgotten Future. 

Opened My Eyes a Little

I’m reading a great book about a father’s struggle to find appropriate mental health services for his adult son. It makes clear the realties faced by many who have to fight so hard against the “system” when attempting to obtain proper psychiatric treatment for their loved ones.  In Crazy: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness, author Pete Earley not only tells the story of his efforts to obtain proper care and treatment for his son, but he tells of his investigation into the terrible treatment of mentally-ill prisoners in the Miami-Dade County Pretrial Detention Center..He offers the reader a quick couple of pages of the history of psychiatric care in the United States—not enough to bore the casual reader, but just enough to permit one to immediately grasp the awful truth that for many adults suffering from serious psychiatric disturbances, the circumstances under which they are held has progressed little over the past two hundred years.

Since I’m busy doing final pre-publication details for my forthcoming book, The Forgotten Future: Adolescents in Crisis, (due out later this month!! Yeah!!) I’m actually reading Crazy when I should be doing other things. But I can’t put it down. It’s that gripping, and what it says about the way a large segment of America’s mentally ill are treated is a seriously sobering tale that shames us all. Since my experience has been with children and adolescents, my awareness of the extreme crossover between psychiatric institutions and jails has admittedly been somewhat limited. Crazy has opened my eyes, and I am grateful to Pete Early for doing so. If you’re even remotely inclined to read Crazy, I strongly encourage you to do so. Then, let me know what you think.