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INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE OF CHICAGO

  • 12 Oct 2022 4:38 PM | Deborah Hodges (Administrator)

    After 'unprecedented" jump in 2020, firearm-related homicides increased another 8.3% last year.  

    Rates of gun-related homicides and suicides both jumped by over 8% in 2021, and to levels not seen in 30 years, according to CDC data.

    From 2020 to 2021, homicides involving firearms increased from 6.12 to 6.63 per 100,000, while gun-related suicides increased from 8.07 to 8.75 per 100,000, reported Thomas Simon, PhD, of CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, and colleagues, writing in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

    What's so concerning about these findings, said Simon, is that they follow on the back of an already "unprecedented" 35% increase in firearm homicides from 2019 to 2020. 

    Full article here> 

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  • 11 Oct 2022 9:43 AM | Deborah Hodges (Administrator)

    Evidence-based strategies should be implemented to eliminate the stigma and discrimination around mental health conditions, according to an extensive report from The Lancet Commission.[MedPage Today]

    Group outlines six goals, including training for healthcare workers. 

    The Commission's recommendations are intended for a broad cross section of stakeholders, including governments, international organizations, schools, public and private employers, and healthcare workers and their organizations, noted co-chair Graham Thornicroft, PhD, of King's College London, and more than 50 global colleagues in The Lancet.

    Full article here> 

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  • 11 Oct 2022 9:37 AM | Deborah Hodges (Administrator)

    During the height of the pandemic, 4 in 10 Americans misled others about their COVID-19 status or their adherence to public health measures designed to prevent the spread of the virus, according to a study published Monday in JAMA Network Open, a journal of the Chicago-based American Medical Association. [Chicago Tribune 10.10.2022]

    Researchers found that about 42% of adults admitted they had engaged in some form of misrepresentation related to having COVID-19, vaccination or compliance with pandemic protocols. The results were based on a survey of more than 1,700 adults nationwide conducted in December 2021 — a time when coronavirus cases were surging across the country, including in the Chicago area.

    Full article here> 

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  • 7 Oct 2022 11:07 AM | Deborah Hodges (Administrator)

    Mental illnesses often go untreated, especially for people in racial/ethnic minority groups. Among U.S. adults with mental disorders, racial/ethnic minorities are only half as likely as Whites to get treatment; they are also more likely to drop out before completing their treatment. As a result, although they are less likely than Whites to have a mental disorder in their lifetime, racial/ethnic minorities have more severe cases of mental disorders.

    There are multiple reasons why people with mental disorders may not get treatment. An NIMHD-supported study aimed to uncover some of these reasons among Asians, Blacks, Latinos, and Whites by using data from three nationally representative surveys conducted from 2001 to 2003. The data included survey responses from 1,417 adults with untreated mental disorders for 12 months. All individuals were interviewed to assess their conditions, including anxiety, substance use, and behavioral and mood disorders, ranging from mild to severe. The survey asked about reasons for not seeking treatment or for discontinuing treatment early. Some reported reasons were that the respondents wanted to handle the problems themselves, did not think their problems were severe, or did not believe that the treatment would work. Other reasons cited were that people could not afford or access treatment, especially in disadvantaged neighborhoods with fewer health providers.

    The survey data showed that Latinos and Asians were more likely than Blacks and Whites to report that they received no treatment for mental disorders lasting 12 months. Latinos and Asians were also more likely to report that they did not think they needed treatment.

    Full article here>

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  • 6 Oct 2022 10:46 AM | Deborah Hodges (Administrator)

    Social determinants of health interventions focused on housing security, including addressing houselessness and making home modifications to improve housing quality, improve clinical outcomes and generate a return on investment, according to an analysis from the Commonwealth Fund. [Patient Engagement HIT]

    The Commonwealth Fund has found that housing and nutrition social determinants of health interventions

    have the strongest evidence for yielding good ROI.


    The analysis, published as a follow-up to a similar three-year-old document, found moderate evidence that social determinants of health interventions centered on food, nutrition, and transportation were effective.

    Meanwhile, more data is needed to support the efficacy of medical-legal partnerships and interventions for social isolation and loneliness. Although there has been rigorous study looking at care management or patient navigators, results are mixed, the researchers said.

    “Overall, we continue to see mounting evidence that addressing social needs of complex patients can reduce costly forms of health care utilization and result in savings,” the researchers wrote in a blog post accompanying the report. “More research is being produced in this area, with studies of increasing rigor.”

    The issue of social determinants of health has seen mounting recognition over the past decade as the medical industry has begun to embrace value-based reimbursement models. Experts have asserted that addressing social determinants of health will stem the upstream factors that impact patient well-being, particularly patient access to preventive care and chronic disease management.

    Full article here> 

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  • 5 Oct 2022 1:39 PM | Deborah Hodges (Administrator)

    Nine out of 10 adults said ​they believed that there’s a mental health crisis in the US today. Asked to rate the severity of six specific mental health concerns, Americans put the opioid epidemic near the top, with more than two-thirds of people identifying it as a crisis rather than merely a problem. More than half identified mental health issues among children and teenagers as a crisis, as well as severe mental illness in adults. [CNN Health]

    Look at the metrics on the responses to what is contributing to the mental health crisis. 

    Full article here>

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  • 5 Oct 2022 8:31 AM | Deborah Hodges (Administrator)

    A few days left to National Hispanic/Latino Month 2022- from the Office of Minority Health [OMH]

    USA - Facts, health concerns, health insurance coverage and more. How up to date are you?  Illinois has the sixth highest population of Hispanics/Latinos. 

    Overview (Demographics): This ethnic group includes any person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. According to 2020 Census data, there are 62.1 million Hispanics living in the United States. This group represents 18.9 percent of the total U.S. population, the nation’s second largest racial or ethnic group after non-Hispanic whites. In 2020, among Hispanic subgroups, Mexicans ranked as the largest at 61.6 percent. Following this group are Puerto Ricans (9.6 percent), Central Americans (9.3 percent), South Americans (6.4 percent), Other Hispanic/Latino (including Spanish) (5.8 percent), and Cuban (3.9 percent). In 2020, states with the largest Hispanic populations were Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Texas. In 2020, 25.7 percent of Hispanics were under the age 18 compared to 53 percent of non-Hispanic whites.

    Full info here> 

    IDPH Health info here>

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  • 4 Oct 2022 11:47 AM | Deborah Hodges (Administrator)

    The national poverty rate was 12.8% in 2021, but was significantly different for the nation's oldest and youngest populations, according to a new Census Bureau report released today. [US Census Bureau]

    The child poverty rate (for people under age 18) was 16.9% in 2021, 4.2 percentage points higher than the national rate, while poverty for those ages 65 and over was 10.3%, 2.5 percentage points lower than the national rate.

    The American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates provide data for a number of demographic, social and economic indicators, including poverty. The estimates are used by planners, policymakers and community stakeholders to evaluate trends and make comparisons across demographic groups.

    The national child poverty rate was 16.9% but there was considerable variation among states, ranging from 8.1% to 27.7%.


    Government agencies, researchers and local organizations regularly use these estimates to measure economic well-being and identify the number of individuals and families eligible for various programs. 

    Read full article here> 

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  • 3 Oct 2022 4:04 PM | Deborah Hodges (Administrator)

    Even though people are becoming more connected through social media and other outlets, the great irony is that many people still feel lonely. That loneliness, in turn, can have far-reaching implications on a person’s health and well-being. Loneliness as a public health issue has been intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowing how to recognize loneliness and what can help patients overcome feeling lonely is key. [AMA]

    Full article here> 

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  • 30 Sep 2022 12:57 PM | Deborah Hodges (Administrator)

    Family-Based Intervention Lowers Long-Term Suicide Risk in Youth [NIH update}

    We assumed this for awhile now. Now, we know how important family support can be  in youth at risk for suicide. 

    Over the last 20 years, suicide rates have increased in the U.S. by 24%, with the largest increases occurring in females ages 10-14 and African American children aged 5-11. These statistics highlight the critical need for better ways to understand and prevent suicide in youth and adolescents. In a recent study supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, researchers examined the impact of a family-based intervention on suicide risk in youth and found risk-reduction benefits up to 10 years later.

    Full article here> 

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