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Dr. Calamia Named for Early Career Honors

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Dr. Matthew Calamia, Associate Professor of Psychology at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, has been named for the Early Career Psychologist Award by the Louisiana  Psychological Association (LPA) for 2023.

LPA spokesperson, Dr. Amanda Raines said, “This year we are recognizing Dr. Matthew  Calamia. Dr. Calamia is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the  Psychological Services Center at LSU. He is also an adjunct faculty member at the Institute for Dementia Research and Prevention at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and has been affiliated with the Jefferson Neurobehavioral Group in New Orleans,” she said.

“Dr. Calamia has published over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts, books, and book chapters  and presented his work at local, regional, and national conferences. He is a licensed clinical  psychologist with a designation in clinical neuropsychology providing direct patient care as  well as training to graduate students,” Raines said.

Dr. Calamia said, “I have spent the majority of my life in Louisiana. It was my dream to come  back and work at LSU and I have been beyond lucky to have the timing work out for that to  happen. It has been incredibly fulfilling to do training, research, and provide clinical services in my own community. I’m thankful to LPA for acknowledging my work with this award.”

As well as authoring peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Calamia has completed projects such  as the Keller-Lamar Health Foundation Validation of a Novel Web-Based Assessment of Cognitive and Emotional Functioning, as well as the Pennington Biomedical Center Nutrition  and Obesity Research Center Apathy, Unintentional Weight Loss, and Cognitive Decline in Late Life, with co-investigators, Drs. Owen Carmichael and Corby Martin.

Dr. Calamia provides direct patient care as well as training and supervising graduate  students with the neuropsychology emphasis.

Dr. Calamia’s contributions include several areas. In partnership with the Institute for  Dementia Research & Prevention at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, he and his team have explored predictors of cognitive change in cognitively healthy older adults and individuals with mild cognitive impairment. He also collaborates with the Adult Development and Aging Laboratory led by Dr. Katie Cherry at LSU.

Some of Dr. Calamia’s most innovative applications and research efforts involve technology.  He and his team are working on creating and validating computerized tools for use within a  variety of clinical populations. Currently they are looking at the effectiveness of incorporating a non-immersive virtual reality paradigm into functional rehabilitation for older adults with moderate cognitive impairment.

Dr. Calamia and his team have piloted virtual reality as a quality of life intervention for older adults in assisted living facilities. At Francois Bend Senior Living in Gonzales he and his team have residents participate in enjoyable activities using virtual reality headsets.

“There is one resident there who is not from this area originally,” Dr. Calamia previously aid,  “who cried from being able to go and ‘visit’ her hometown––in what is basically VR Google  Maps––and each week she ‘visits other places she has lived and traveled. This is such a neat  technology for reminiscence and also escape given how people have been limited in that  due to the pandemic. We are planning to expand to other senior living communities,” he  said.

Dr. Calamia’s projects also look at using specific memory scores on list-learning tasks to  predict future cognitive decline. His team is examining the impact of natural disaster on health, well-being, and cognition in adults and older adults.

Among other goals, Dr. Calamia and his group are examining the benefit of a brief memory  screening program to community dwelling older adults.

“I have conducted studies examining predictors of cognition functioning and decline in older adults,” he explained previously. “These studies have sought to carefully unpack associations by moving beyond global measures of cognition or other variables and using  multiple measures as well as statistical techniques such as structural equation modeling to address gaps in prior research.”

Along with co-authors, Calamia has published numerous articles including, “Serial Position Effects on List Learning Tasks in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease,” in  Neuropsychology, and “Social factors that predict cognitive decline in older African American adults,” in International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Dr. Calamia is also involved in the study of the psychometrics for neuropsychological tests.  Some of this research involves using archival clinical data from the Psychological Services  Center and Jefferson Neurobehavioral Group and data collection at the Baton Rouge Clinic.

Current projects in this area include examining associations between measures of  noncredible performance and selfreport in clinical and forensic settings. He and his team  are also examining practice effects on neuropsychological tests of attention, the validity of  existing neuropsychological measures in diverse clinical samples, comparing the predictive  validity of multiple measures of everyday function in older adults with and without cognitive  impairment, and examining psychometric properties of self-report measures across the  lifespan.

“A major emphasis of my research,” he said, “has been on examining the validity of  psychological or neuropsychological measures including the validity of measures in terms of  their hypothesized brain-behavior relationships, examining the validity of new scores  derived from existing measures or new measures being used in the field, and examining the degree to which different measures of related constructs yield different associations with  cognitive functioning,” he said.

He and his team members have authored, “The Incremental Validity of Primacy as a  Predictor of Everyday Functioning,” which is in press at Neuropsychology. “Psychometric  Properties of the Expanded Version of the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms  (IDAS-II) in a Sample of Older Adults,” is another example of his team’s contribution, this one for Aging & Mental Health. Advance Online Publication.

Dr. Calamia has conducted meta-analyses on practice effects and test-reliability for a  number of popular neuropsychological measures. “Both of these projects involved the  integration of a large amount of published literature. The practice effects publication  included nearly 1600 individual effect sizes,” Dr. Calamia explained.

Findings were published in a prestigious journal read by neuropsychological researchers  and clinicians, The Clinical Neuropsychologist, and designated for CE credit.

Other examples of his work include, “Test-Retest Reliability and Practice Effects of the Virtual Environment  Grocery Store (VEGS),” in Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology; “Practical  Considerations for Evaluating Reliability in Ambulatory Assessment Studies,” in Psychological Assessment, and “The Robust Reliability of Neuropsychological Measures: Meta- Analyses of Test-Retest Correlations,” in The Clinical Neuropsychologist.

Dr. Calamia and his team are also conducting studies examining ethnic and racial disparities in cognitive aging. Collaborators in this area include Dr. Robert Newton at Pennington  Biomedical Research Center. Current projects include examining racial differences in the  association between trauma symptoms and their impact on cognitive and everyday function. They are also evaluating the utility of a novel cognitive screening measure in a diverse  sample of older adults and minority representation in neuropsychological research.

Dr. Calamia has led or been involved in neuroimaging studies using either the lesion  method or functional magnetic resonance imaging to study brain-behavior relationships in  patient populations. This research has focused on clinical populations with the aim of  improving understanding of the neural correlates of emotional and cognitive functioning.  “Examining the Neural Correlates of Psychopathology Using a Lesion-Based Approach,” in Neuropsychologia, is an example.

Throughout the variety of his work, Dr. Calamia is committed to issues around diversity  within neuropsychology. He participates in the Society for Black Neuropsychology mentorship program and is on the executive board of the recently formed Queer Neuropsychological Society. He has recruited graduate students from diverse backgrounds  into his lab. One of his students led a lab publication in the special issue on “Black Lives  Matter to Clinical Neuropsychologists” in The Clinical Neuropsychologist focused on  reporting practices and representation in neuropsychology studies.

In 2021, the National Academy of Neuropsychology named Dr. Calamia as the recipient of  their prestigious Early Career Award. The National Academy of Neuropsychology is the professional association for experts in the assessment and treatment of brain injuries and  disorders, and its members are at the forefront of cutting-edge research and rehabilitation  in the field of brain behavior relationships.

“I was excited,” Dr. Calamia said about the honor. “I worked in a neuropsychology lab at LSU  as an undergraduate. When that professor retired, I was lucky enough to be able to come  back home and start my own lab. Over the years, I’ve managed to recruit an amazing group  of graduate student mentees into my lab,” he said. “The work coming out of my lab is all a  shared effort and so this award is really theirs as much as it is mine. It’s nice to be  recognized and I hope this little boost in visibility makes future graduate applicants consider LSU.”

What are some of his future plans?

“As part of my sabbatical last fall, I learned more about the healthcare industry from  Covenant Health Network,” said Dr. Calamia. “The long-term care industry is facing immense
challenges with a large number of workers leaving the field. To support those workers, out of that partnership, we have recently received a grant with a colleague of mine in I/O  Psychology, Dr. Rebecca Brossoit,” he said.

“Dr. Brossoit and I will be developing an intervention for employees and organizational  leadership in long-term care facilities with the goal of reducing employee burnout and turnover.”

 

 

Worldviews Clash in Veto Session Results

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In July 18, Louisiana lawmakers overturned Governor Edwards’ veto of a bill banning certain medical procedures for transgender children. House Bill 648 was the only one of 26 vetoes  by the governor that was overridden in the special session.

Representative Firment’s HB 648 bans the use of puberty-blockers, hormone treatment and gender-reassignment surgery for children under age 18. The veto required a super majority in both the House and the Senate chambers of the state. The House vote was 76 to 23 to  override. The Senate vote was 28 to 11.

Lawmakers failed to gather enough votes to overturn Edwards’ veto of two other bills with ongoing controversy regarding transgender issues. HB 466 would have prohibited discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms and HB 81would have required  teachers to use birth names and pronouns of students associated with their birth certificate unless a student’s parent or guardian directs otherwise.

Neither were able to be overturned by the lawmakers. The vote on HB 466 was 68 in favor to  override and 29 against. The vote on HB 81 was 67 to override and 29 against.

Edwards said in a statement, “Today, I was overridden for the second time, on my veto of a  bill that needlessly harms a very small population of vulnerable children, their families, and  their health care professionals. I expect the courts to throw out this unconstitutional bill as  well.”

Attorney General Jeff Landry, said, “By overriding the governor’s veto of Rep. Gabe Firment’s  bill, we send a clear signal that woke liberal agendas that are destructive to children will not  be tolerated in Louisiana.”

In the June Senate Health and Welfare Committee hearing, Clinical psychologist, Dr. Clifton  Mixon, was among those who testified in opposition to HB 648.

“I work in a gender clinic that  prescribes hormone therapies to youth,” he said. “At the heart of this debate is mistrust in  our medical and mental health providers to provide ethical, individualized care without prejudice and based on best practices and established research,” Mixon said. “I’m here to  address these concerns in opposition to a mean-spirited bill that defies science and humanity.

“The evidence is clear––gender affirming medical interventions are safe and effective  treatment for gender dysphoria and resulting mental health problems for many trans youth. Unfortunately, you’ve been exposed to false information that misrepresents the established  research and practice guidelines on gender health care medicine. I am here with actual studies that can help you understand the actual facts. I have a doctoral degree with training  in how to conduct and interpret research,” he said.

“These medical interventions reduce risk for suicide and improve overall mental health  functioning and quality of life. We are not providing access to youth for whom it is not  appropriate.”

Psychologist, Dr. Jesse Lambert, also testified in opposition, representing the Louisiana  Psychological Association.

“A lot of research has been discussed today scientifically sound research that indicates that  this is a true phenomena and that individuals who are trans have suffered greatly.

“Citing from the American Psychological Association, we have data that indicates that  individuals who are trans experience more victimization, be that bullying, be that acts of  violence occurring in school. They feel more ostracized, more isolated and this generalizes  into relationships including close family relationships.”

He explained that a model of triage issues with different intensities and that practitioners  don’t automatically jump to biological modalities.

“If this bill should pass, psychologist would not be able to take part in a team based  approach, involving endocrinologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians and contribute to an  individual’s care from a holistic standpoint.”

Speaking in favor of his measure, Rep. Firment said, “Perhaps the most compelling scientific  evidence to consider today is the fact that several progressive European nations who  pioneered chemical and surgical sex change procedures like England, Sweden, and Finland  have completely reversed course on this issue[…].

Dr, Quenton Vanmeter, a pediatric endocrinologist from Atlanta, Georgia, cited evidence  from European countries that suggests that there is no benefit in transgender surgery or  hormonal treatment and that the suicide rate is not impacted.

Dr. Stephen Félix, a pediatrician, said, “The problem with the studies that the AEP reports  and others, they do not have significant randomized control trials. They have small sample  sizes, they have poor follow up, they have a lot of people lost to follow up, they have  individuals who they have a very short period of time that they follow them.” he said.

“The studies that are coming out of Sweden, Finland or long-term studies where they looked  extensively and they said, ‘wait, this is all wrong.’ The quality of evidence that supports this  transition therapy is poor. The level of evidence that we’re presenting is strong.”

Sen. Mills said that he just needed them to understand organizations’ views. Dr. Griffin said,  “Policies are created by organizations, a small group of individuals in organizations. That is  then broadcast out and physicians like ourselves, in the trenches, […] “

 

 

Pointing to New Treatments New Study Links Gut Bacteria to Autis3

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Researchers at Simons Foundation’s Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) have identified a  microbial signature for autism spectrum disorder, a finding that offers information about  how the gut microbiome influences this neurological syndrome.

The study was published on June 26 in Nature Neuroscience and challenges the idea that  autism is a primarily genetic condition. The new research suggests that environmental  factors may be behind the rise in rates of autism.

The researchers noted, “The presence of this core microbiome in combination with the  depletion of most ASD-associated taxa further suggests a causal role for these  microorganisms in shaping autism symptoms. “Despite our inability to determine actual metabolomic profiles at this point (Methods), our  metabolite analysis based on microbiome-derived and brain-derived metabolite inferences  as well as the dietderived metabolite data reveals a picture of a unifying and distinct ASD  functional architecture. With the brain, the immunome and diet as major effectors, the  multi-factorial complexity of ASD is reduced to a multi-scale set of interactions centered  around human and bacterial metabolism that, in turn, determines phenotypic, genomic and metagenomic attributes via multiple feedback loops.”

 

 

Chicago Prof. School PsyD Program at Xavier Closing

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Rumors were circulating last month that The Chicago School of Psychology Xavier would be closing. The Times asked officials from the school about these rumors and on June 6, 2023, Vivien Hao, Public Relations Manager, provided a statement.

“The Chicago School’s New Orleans clinical psychology program will not be accepting new students starting Fall of 2023. University officials said several factors went into this decision, including future enrollment projections,” noted Ms. Hao.

“The University emphasizes all current students will continue to be supported towards completion of their programs, regardless of whether they decide to stay or transfer to another The Chicago School campus,” she wrote.

“The Chicago School’s leadership team is evaluating the long-term future of the New Orleans program in consultation with the American Psychological Association,” Hao said.

The American Psychological Association (APA) currently lists The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, New Orleans (Clinical PsyD) as “Accredited, on contingency,” with the next site visit scheduled for 2023.

The first class of doctoral students started at The Chicago School of Professional at Xavier in 2015.

The effort was innovative in a number of ways, including getting a head start on aligning with new standards for “Health Service Psychologists” to be approved by the American Psychological Association.

The Xavier based program is also innovative because it focused on applied clinical psychology specifically for the diverse and multicultural context in south Louisiana, and on “growing PsyD Psychologists here,” explained Dr. Christoph Leonhard in a previous interview, the then department Chair. “We developed the program to meet the needs of local social service providers of psychological services and of the community,” he said, “and frankly, to provide culturally competent services by people who understand this community, which is a very unique place in many ways.”

The program organizers said, at the time, that they limited their recruitment to students inside Louisiana. The hope was to grow PsyD psychologists here, and who will remain here, in order to serve the sometimes unique needs of the Louisiana culture. “Studies indicate that newly graduated psychologists who have to leave the state to get an advanced degree do not return,” said Leonhard previously. “So the emphasis of this program is to educate and train our own.”

To help them reach this goal, Leonhard and his colleagues created an Advisory Committee of local professionals, including two area psychologists, the late Dr. Janet Matthews and Dr. Michele Larzelere.

Dr. Kelli Johnson took over as Department Chair in 2018 and more recently, Dr. Margaret Smith serves as Department Chair. Current faculty  members Dr. Richard Niolon, Dr. J. Michael Bradley and Dr. Adriana Pena.

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is a private university with its main campus in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1979, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology was primarily focused on the professional application of psychology. It currently has about 6,000 students across all campuses and online, according to its .

Louisiana State University (LSU) hosts the only other clinical psychology  doctoral program accredited by APA in Louisiana. LSU also offers an accredited school psychology doctoral
program. Louisiana Tech University offers an accredited counseling doctoral program and Tulane is accredited for their school psychology program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BlackBerry

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A Review by Alvin G. Burstein

BlackBerry premiered February 2023 at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. Although it won no awards there, following its release to theatres and its on-line streaming, it attracted a great deal of positive comment. Directed by Matt Johnson, who also played one of the three main characters, Doug Fregin, the film is obviously a critical success. Rotten Tomatoes, the review aggregator reported an astonishing 98% positive reviews by critics and an impressive 91% positive comments by viewers, and CBS announced that it planned a mini-series using an augmented version of the film in the Fall of2023.

Many of the reviews remarked on the film’s humor, others saw it as a political critique of capitalism in the mode of The Wolf of Wall Street. Intrigued, I found it on Amazon Prime. I thought it, despite comedic elements, deeply tragic.

In what may be a Jungian synchronicity in 1946, Dick Tracy, Chet Goulds’s comic strip detective, Dick Tracy, adopted a mobile two-way communication device, the wrist radio, anticipating a host of communication devices.

In 1973, Martin Cooper, the head of the communications division of Motorola made the first mobile phone call on Sixth Avenue in New York City, using Motorola’s brick-sized device. In 1996, U. S. Robotics introduced Palm Pilot, a PDA (personal digital assistant). BlackBerry, combining the functions of a PDA and a cell phone emerged in 1999, and by 2011 had acquired 85 million users. This film is basically a biopic describing the BlackBerry’s  emergence and its 2016 death—and telling us about the people involved in its meteoric rise and fall.

Research In Motion LLC (RIM) was a Canadian firm manufacturing electronic gear, led by Mike Lazardis (played by Jay Baruchel), and Doug Fregin (played by Matt Johnson). These two entrepreneurs had assembled a madcap group of workers and had resolved to build a
device that would combine the functions of a PDA (personal digital assistant) and mobile phone, encrypting the data and minimizing the electronic traffic. They cobbled together a prototype device, and, seeking funds to begin manufacture, approached the third main character, Jim Balsillie, a corporate shark, played by Glenn Howerton.

The film opens with Lazardis and Fregin nervously awaiting an interview with Balsillie in the latter’s office. Lazardis is nervous and rattled by a noise coming from an electronic device on Balsillie’s desk. He opens it, notes that it was made in China, “the Mark of the Beast,” and repairs it using a paper clip as tool. When Balsillie arrives he shows no interest in their device, and the partners leave, crushed. A few days later, however, Balsillie arrives at RIM and announces that he will invest in their device if he is awarded a major interest in the infant firm and co-CEO status. Overriding Fregin’s concerns, Lazaridis agrees.

Balsillie aggressively reshapes the organization, ultimately diverting Lazaridis’s attention from the quality of the product to a focus on the acquisition of customers. To meet the needs of the exploding numbers, Balsillie also recruits engineering superstars, using back-dated stock options, and office managers who convert the mad-cap but dedicated staff into
frightened wage slaves. Disgusted, Fregin leaves the company.

BlackBerry becomes a major player in the PDA/cell phone field, but, increasingly plagued by mainframe overloads, service failures and increasing supply demands, Lazaradis is ultimately persuaded by Balsillie too outsource manufacture of the device to China.

When Apple’s iphone, with a keyboard on its screen, hits the market, BlackBerry plummeted. The film depicts federal agents launching inquiries into illicit stock option arrangements and Balsillie’s foiled attempts to acquire a hockey team to move to Ontario diverting his attention from BlackBerry. The final scenes show Lazardis throwing Balsillie to the wolves to avoid prosecution, and then, surrounded by boxes of myriad defective BlackBerries bearing the Mark of the Beast, absorbed in an impossible task of—one by one—repairing them.

Lazardis is like Icarus in Greek mythology, whose waxen wings melted when he ignored his father, Daedelus’ advice, and exhilarated, flew too close to the sun, melting his wings and
plunging to his death. Hubris, error rooted in pride, that Aristotle saw as the core of tragedy, had swept Lazardis to his doom.

In this biopic, the director opted to screen chyrons describing the outcome for the protagonists: Lazardis resigns from RIM; Balsillie also avoids prison; Fragin, having sold his stock at  BlackBerry’s peak, is a billionaire.

Stress Solutions

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Test Your Stress IQ

There is a reason we talk about stress. And, we all do talk about stress. Lately, it has become  a major topic. There is so much change in the world around us – everything from the  weather to our daily schedules to our bodies as we get older every day. So, we should all  know how stress affects us. Each of us is affected in unique combinations of ways by stress. And, each of us would define different things as being “stressful.” For example, one person  might find loud noises very stressful. Another could be totally unaffected by loud sounds or  noises. I imagine that many of you try to help colleagues, friends, family, or clients with their stress. So, why not test your stress IQ.

1. Name four symptoms that stress is affecting your brain.

2. Stress is the body’s reaction to harmful situation. Do the harmful situations have to be real?

3. Can plants reduce stress?

4. Can a mother’s uncontrolled stress affect her unborn child?

5. Can stress trigger an autoimmune disease in humans?

6. How does a sleep-deprived bee show stress?

7. It is just a fanciful belief that seeing birds can reduce your stress. True or False.

8. What is the first thing that is lost when your schedule gets too busy?

9. Growing up in poverty can have a lasting impact on a child’s brain. True or False.

10. Chronic stress can harm a lot of things but one thing it doesn’t do is age you prematurely. True or False.

Answers to Stress IQ Test – Each correct answer earns 10 points. A perfect score is 100.

1. If you listed 4 of the following 6 general symptoms indicating that stress is affecting your brain, give yourself 1 point. a. Constant worrying; b. Racing thoughts; c. Forgetfulness and disorganization; d. Inability to focus; e. Poor judgment; f. Being pessimistic or seeing only the negative side

2. No, whether the harmful situations is real or perceived or even “just” imagined, if you feel threatened, a chemical reaction occurs in the body to help you deal with the situation. That chemical reaction or the stress response is known as “fight or flight.”

3. Yes, some indoor plants can reduce stress. Of course, a walk in nature and the beauty of nature have long been known to make people feel better. Science backs up more benefits to keeping indoor plants around you. Indoor plants improve our mental health. A study at the University of Vermont showed that visual just seeing plants in the space around you helps reduce stress in only five minutes. Another study showed that plants in the same room while working increases a person’s ability to pay attention and stay focused (J. Environmental Psychology). Flowers are even more impressive. Research at Rutgers showed an immediate  impact on happiness. One hundred percent of the people in the study immediately responded with a smile.

4. Definitely. A pregnant woman’s chronic stress during pregnancy can cause behavioral and emotional problems of childhood that last into adulthood. The fetal brain responds to maternal chronic stress by making subtle changes in the development of the brain. These subtle changes lead to behavioral issues as the baby grows, such as ADD/ADHD, high levels of anxiety, learning differences, and even autism.

5. Yes. Almost all research papers on the topic of autoimmune disease start by saying that there is a multifactorial group of causes, including genetic, hormonal, some environmental and immunological factors. Despite the known causes, at least 50% of autoimmune diseases can be attributed to “unknown trigger factors.” And, that is where stress as a trigger fits in. Subjects of retrospective studies on autoimmune disease have identified that they experienced an unusual amount of emotional stress prior to onset of an autoimmune disease.

6. Some bee species who are sleep deprived perform their waggle dances with less  precision. The “waggle dance” of a bee is their equivalent of a GPS. So, a sleep deprived bee who is supposed to be communicating with the rest of the hive as to the direction of food could be off in the directions they are giving the others.

7. False. A study done at King’s College London examined the immediate effects on well- being when the 1,292 study subjects were in green spaces of nature and seeing/hearing birds at the same time. After statistical analysis the data showed that people rated their well-being in the moment highest when birds were present. The analysis eliminated the presence of nature (trees, plants, and water) thus isolating the positive effects of birds on
human emotions. The positive effects were found regardless of whether the participant had a prior diagnosis of depression/anxiety or no mental health issues.

8. The first thing that drops out of your schedule when work bears down is exercise. Aerobic exercise can reduce stress but if done in sufficient amounts, aerobic exercise can increase the length of “telomeres.” An important study done at U. of California proved that exercising at least 3 times a week for about ½ hour over a 6-month period can slow down cellular aging, which is measured by telomere length.

9. True. In general, people know many of the negative effects of poverty. What has not been well known is how childhood poverty coupled with stress might affect brain function, particularly the brain’s function of regulating emotions. One longitudinal study found that the amount of chronic stress from childhood through adolescence, including substandard housing, crowding, noise, family violence and separation, determined the relationship between childhood poverty and prefrontal brain function when the participant was trying to suppress negative emotions.

10. False. Chronic stress can cause premature aging and illness because the constant overproduction of cortisol reduces the supply of telomerase and that prevents the cell from reversing the effects of stress. In other words, your telomeres get shorter because of the stress and cannot be lengthened when the stress is too great.

Gov. Vetoes Bill That Would Have Restricted Discussion of Sexual Orientation in Schools

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HB 466 by Rep. Dodie Horton, RHaughton, would have prohibited the discussion of gender  identity and sexual orientation in public schools, but was vetoed by Gov. Edwards on Jun 29.

The proposed law, passed by the house with a vote of 74 to 25, and passed by the Senate with a vote of 29 to 9, would have prohibited a public school teacher, employee, or other presenter at a school from doing any of the following in grades kindergarten through 12:
(1) Incorporating into classroom instruction or discussion topics of sexual orientation or gender identity in a manner that deviates from state content standards or curricula developed or approved by the public school governing authority.
(2) Covering the topics of sexual orientation or gender identity during any extracurricular activity.
(3) Discussing his personal sexual orientation or gender identity.

Proposed law provides that no public school employee shall use a pronoun for a student that differs from the pronoun that aligns with the student’s sex unless the student’s parent provides written permission.

In his veto letter, Gov. Edwards said, ” House Bill 466 aims to prohibit teachers, school employees, or other school presenters from engaging in discussions regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. This bill unfairly places vulnerable children at the front lines of a vicious culture war.

Further, the language would lead to absurd consequences. As passed, the mere mention of one’s spouse who happens to be the same gender could cause the school employee or presenter to run afoul of the law without ill intentions and educators would be prohibited from teaching United States Supreme Court jurisprudence (see Obergfell v. Hodges) as well as from the Bible, which was just authorized as a course of instruction (see the Book of Leviticus).

“The bill is also unduly harsh as it allows students, teachers, and others serving students to totally disregard a student’s autonomy by forcing the student to answer to pronouns that they do not wish to use. Every parent would have to provide written permission to the school to allow or direct the employee to use pronouns differing from pronouns used in accordance with the child’s gender assigned at birth. This forced rejection of self-identity is particularly cruel to a child and this cruelty may adversely affect the child in their formative years. […]

“It is the duty of our schools to create an environment that fosters and supports all of the children of our state, to help them succeed academically and professionally. As I stated in response to another unnecessary and harmful bill from a previous session, ‘the real harm of this bill is that it would set as the policy of the State of Louisiana that there is something wrong with these children and that they should be treated differently from whom they really are. All of us are sons and daughters of this great state, and we should do and be better than that.’ “.

 

 

Governor Saves Health Care Budget from Cuts

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Gov. Edwards announced last Thursday that he had vetoed Lines 6-9 on page 72, noting, “Veto No. 2 restores the $100million reduction in funding to Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) to protect against devastating programmatic cuts that would result from loss of the funding and the federal matching funds, totaling between $400 million and $700 million that were discussed in the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare on June 20 and that were outlined in the letter sent to me by the committee after the hearing asking that I restore the funds.”

“The actual cut could have been seven times larger because of lost federal matching dollars, state health officials told lawmakers on the Senate Health and Welfare Committee last week. Officials said thousands of residents, including children, would likely have lost access to mental health care,” reported Molly Ryan, from WWNO.

Lawmakers had allocated the more than $100 million to pay off state retirement debt. Gov. Edwards had criticized the lastminute cut to health care, calling it “ridiculous” considering the state’s $2.2 surplus. “Lawmakers who helped both negotiate and pass the budget expressed regret about the reduction as they realized the profound impact it could have on health care access for Louisianans,” Ryan reported.

 

 

Mental Healing for Incarcerated People Act Signed by Governor Edwards

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The final version of Rep. Selders’ House Bill 55, aimed to improve treatment of incarcerated individuals with mental health needs, and referred to as “The Mental Healing Justice for Incarcerated People Act,” was signed by the Governor on June 8. It became Act 214 and becomes effective next month.

The new law provides that it is the intent of the legislature that the state allocate funding for the new law to ensure both the access and delivery of quality care for individuals incarcerated within the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections.

The existing law provides that the Department may establish resources and programs for the treatment of inmates with a mental illness or an intellectual disability, either in a separate facility or as part of other institutions or facilities of the department.

Act 214 amends existing law to make the establishment of resources and programs mandatory.

According to the Legislative Fiscal Office, “There is no anticipated direct material effect on governmental expenditures as a result of this measure. DPS&CCS states that the proposed  law includes provisions already included within a list of services that it provides utilizing existing resources and would have no fiscal impact on expenditures.”

The new law provides for the duties of the department as follows:

(1) Provide screening to persons entering state prison facilities, upon intake, for mental health disorders as defined in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, subject to appropriation by the legislature and the availability of resources.

(2) Refer a person to a facility’s mental health department if at any point during the person’s incarceration, any department staff member suspects that an incarcerated person may have a mental illness.

(3) Provide Mental Health First Aid training to employees on an annual basis, subject to
appropriation by the legislature and the availability of resources.

(4) Utilize trained peer support who have shared lived experiences to augment and enhance mental health services.

(5) Provide an incarcerated person who has been diagnosed with a serious mental illness, prior to that person’s release, with an appointment or walk-in instructions for a community
mental health provider to ensure continuity of care to the extent that this is feasible and subject to the availability of department and community resources.

 

 

Effort to Ban Medical Procedures for Trans Minors Rebounds, then Vetoed

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In a clash of ideologies, and after going through several gyrations to resurrect HB 648, Rep. Gabe Firment’s effort to ban surgery and hormone blockers for trans minors was vetoed by Gov. Edwards on June 30.

The measure was presumed dead after the Senate Health and Welfare Committee tabled it in a May, tie-breaker vote. The committee chair, Senator Fred Mills, who is a Republican, broke the tie and voted with the Democrat opposition to defer the bill.

But then on June 1, the Senate voted to suspend its rules and recalled the bill from committee, a rare, technical maneuver used when bills have been assigned to the wrong committee. The measure was reassigned to Senate Judiciary A, and a special review of the bill was scheduled for June 2.

The committee for Judiciary A approved the bill and the Senate passed it with amendments by a vote of 29 to 10. It was then returned to the House and the amended version passed 75 to 25. It was sent to the Governor on June 8 for executive approval.

However, in a long and detailed critique, Gov. Edwards vetoed the measure, writing, “This bill is entitled the ‘Stop Harming Our Kids Act,’ which is ironic because that is precisely what it does. This bill denies healthcare to a very small, unique, and vulnerable group of children. It forces children currently stabilized on medication to treat a legitimate healthcare diagnosis to stop taking it. It threatens the professional licensure of the limited number of specialists who treat the healthcare needs of these children. It takes away parental rights to work with a physician to make important healthcare decisions for children experiencing a gender crisis that could quite literally save their lives. And, without doubt, it is part of a targeted assault on children that the bill itself deems not ‘normal,’ “[…]

“According to the March 2023 Louisiana Department of Health’s Study on Gender Reassignment Procedures on Minors, from 2017 – 2021 there were zero gender reassignment surgical procedures performed on children in Louisiana, zero. The proponents
of this bill suggest that it is necessary to stop physicians from mutilating our children by
performing gruesome sex change surgeries. This is simply not happening in Louisiana,” he
wrote.

“The Gender Reassignment report further showed that the entire issue of gender reassignment impacts a very small subset of the population. In 2021, of 794,779 children enrolled in Medicaid only 465 were diagnosed by a healthcare provider with gender dysphoria, and of those only 57 were ultimately considered candidates for puberty blockers or hormone replacements,” the Gov. wrote.

During the Senate Health and Welfare Committee hearing, Clinical psychologist, Dr. Clifton
Mixon, was among those who testified in opposition to HB 648.

“I work in a gender clinic that prescribes hormone therapies to youth,” he said. “At the heart of this debate is mistrust in our medical and mental health providers to provide ethical, individualized care without prejudice and based on best practices and established research,” Mixon said. “I’m here to address these concerns in opposition to a mean-spirited bill that defies science and humanity.

“The evidence is clear––gender affirming medical interventions are safe and effective treatment for gender dysphoria and resulting mental health problems for many trans youth. Unfortunately, you’ve been exposed to false information that misrepresents the established research and practice guidelines on gender health care medicine. I am here with actual studies that can help you understand the actual facts. I have a doctoral degree with training in how to conduct and interpret research,” he said.

Psychologist, Dr. Jesse Lambert, also testified in opposition, representing the Louisiana
Psychological Association.

The clashing world views of the individuals supporting and those opposing the bill included both sides claiming that they had the more valid research and that the other side’s research was flawed.

Dr. Quenton Vanmeter, a pediatric endocrinologist from Atlanta, Georgia, cited evidence from European countries that suggests that there is no benefit in transgender surgery or hormonal treatment and that the suicide rate is not impacted.

Dr. Stephen Félix, a pediatrician, said, “The problem with the studies that the AEP reports and others, they do not have significant randomized control trials. They have small sample sizes, they have poor follow up, they have a lot of people lost to follow up, they have individuals who they have a very short period of time that they follow them,…” he said.

In concluding his veto letter, Gov. Edwards wrote, “I believe that this bill violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause because it targets and limits healthcare to transgender children that remain available to “normal” children. And finally, I believe that time will show that this veto was not just an exercise in compassion and respect for transgender children and their parents, but it was also the only legally responsible action to take because it is what is constitutionally required of me to do to uphold my oath of office as governor.”

 

 

Dr. Paula Zeanah Named 2023 Distinguished Psychologist by LPA

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Dr. Paula Zeanah, who has worked as a pediatric nurse and clinical psychologist in
a variety of settings, serving children and their families for more than 40 years, has been named the 2023 Distinguished Psychologist by the Louisiana Psychological Association (LPA).

Spokesperson for the LPA Awards Committee, Dr. Amanda Raines said, “Dr. Zeanah is the Lafayette General Medical Center/Our Lady of Lourdes Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Nursing and Professor of Nursing at the University of Louisiana Lafayette. She has over 200 peerreviewed publications and presentations and has served as the PI on over a dozen grant-funded projects,” Raines said.

“Dr. Zeanah has a long-standing role as a teacher, trainer, and supervisor at various academic institutions and medical centers and frequently serves as an advisor and consultant on numerous state, national, and international partnerships. Further, she frequently gives back to the field by serving as a committee member of various university and department organization and, most recently, as our esteemed president of LPA,” said Raines.

Dr. Zeanah serves as the Research Director at the Cecil J. Picard Center for Child Development & Lifelong Learning at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her expertise includes physical and mental health; perinatal, infant, and early childhood mental health; adolescent and early adulthood sexuality; and chronic illness in children and adolescents.

She has served as Associate and Full Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and  Behavioral Sciences at Tulane School of Medicine from 1998 to 2015. Before becoming a psychologist, Dr. Zeanah worked in a variety of primary care and tertiary health care settings as a pediatric nurse, educator, and administrator.

“I am deeply honored and proud to be identified as a distinguished psychologist, Dr. Zeanah told the Times. “And, given that Louisiana benefits from the contributions of many deserving psychologists, I am also quite humbled,” she added.

“As a young professional, my work/career was important to me,” Dr. Zeanah said. “But other than 11 years of pursuing education in nursing and psychology, I did not envision a specific endpoint. I have had opportunities that enabled me to integrate nursing and psychology in ways that have been gratifying and are still interesting to me!” she said.

“For example, my dissertation, the development of a measure of sexual self-esteem for women, evolved from my experiences working as a pediatric nurse practitioner with vulnerable teenagers for whom sexuality was insufficiently addressed. The measure has been used in studies examining various aspects of sexuality in many countries around the world—that’s cool! I believe being a nurse and a clinical psychologist has given me a certain credibility when focusing on the interface of health and mental health,” Dr. Zeanah said.

She has held many positions over the years, including:

Advisory Committee, New Families: Innovation and Development of the Child Health Services in Oslo, Norway; a collaborative project, City of Oslo and University of Oslo, 2021- 2022;

Consultant, Development of Culture of Wellness Framework for Nurse Family Partnership, National Service Office, Denver, CO, 2021;

Consultant, Supporting the Child to Thrive course development, Nurse Family Partnership, National Service Office, 2020-2021;

Advisory Group, Promoting Mental Health in NFP Educational Development (PI: L. Beeber, UNC). A project of the national NFP/University of Colorado Prevention Research Center for
Family and Child Health, under the direction of D. Olds, 2012-2021; and

Innovations Advisory Committee, Mental Health Subcommittee Nurse Family Partnership, Denver, Colorado, 2017-2019.

Dr. Zeanah went on to say, “Today, that’s a huge focus of psychology, but it was not always so. I’ve been lucky to hold positions that allowed me to work ‘inter-professionally’ in
nursing, psychology, and public health, which has been exciting, fun, and enabled the development of innovative strategies to address the mental health needs of vulnerable populations including pregnant women, infants, young children, and chronically ill children and families. Currently, I am collaborating with colleagues to increase attention to ethical dilemmas in the multidisciplinary field of infant mental health.”

Dr. Zeanah further explained, “Compelling research on the importance of early experience for brain development and later health and social functioning means the needs of infants are better recognized and prioritized-yet sometimes what is beneficial to the infant may be harmful or hurtful to the parent/caregiver, and vice-versa. Figuring out how to make
appropriate clinical decisions, within the contexts of limited resources, social and cultural pressures, and personal and professional values is the challenge. Any achievements have
not occurred in a vacuum—I’ve greatly benefitted from working in some of the country’s best medical centers and universities, having inspiring and encouraging colleagues, and of course, the unwavering support of my husband, family, and friends.”

Her numerous publications include:

Zeanah, P., Korfmacher, J., Lim, I. & Zeanah, C. (in press). Introduction to special section: Doing the ‘right’ thing: Ethical issues in infant and early childhood mental health. Infant Mental Health Journal;

Zeanah, P., Steier, A., Lim, I., Korfmacher, J., & Zeanah, C. (in press). Current approaches and future directions for addressing ethics in infant and early childhood mental health. Infant Mental Health Journal;

Lim, I., Korfmacher, J. Steier, A., Zeanah, C. & Zeanah, P. (2023). The ethics of infant and early childhood mental health practice. Infant Mental Health Journal;

Zeanah, C.H., Korfmacher, J., Lim, I., Steier, A., & Zeanah, P. (2023). Ethical dilemmas in infant mental health: Examples from child protection, home visiting, and medical contexts. Infant Mental Health Journal; and

Beeber, L., Gasbarro, M., Knudtson, M., Ledford, A., Sprinkle, S., Leeman, J., McMichael, G., Zeanah, P., Mosqueda, A. (under review). A mental health innovation for nurse home
visiting program shows effectiveness in reducing depressive symptoms, Prevention Science.

The American Academy of Nursing added her to its 2021 Class of Fellows. Dr. Zeanah was the only Fellow from Louisiana selected for the 2021 class. “The Academy’s Fellows embody our values of equity, diversity and inclusivity, inquiry, integrity, and courage, which enable us to achieve new heights of impact that advance health policy across the globe,” noted Dr. Eileen Sullivan-Marx, the organization’s president. Dr. Zeanah joins an elite group that now comprises more than 2,900 experts in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia who champion health and wellness.

“Nursing is a profession that values and relies upon research to inform practice,” Dr. Zeanah explained. “There’s never been more expertise in the field, or as comprehensive a commitment to health and wellness, which makes it an exceptionally good time to be a nurse.”

Dr. Zeanah’s grants, contracts, and development activities include:

Zeanah, P. (PI; Co-PI’s L. Asare, C. Suire). Clinical Decision-Making in Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting: Does implicit Bias Play a Role? New Horizons Grant, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, $18,690 February 2023-January 2024;

Zeanah, P. (PI). The Culture of Nurse Wellness in the Nurse-Family Partnership, Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office, $7840.00, March –September 2021. The purpose of this contract was to develop wellness education and resources for the national Nurse-Family Partnership program; and

Zeanah, P. (Local PI, Co-Investigator; L. Beeber, UNC, PI). Mental Health Integration to Nurse- Family Partnership, Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation, $74,188, January 2018-July 2021. Supports the development, implementation, and evaluation of the maternal mental health educational program for the national Nurse Family Partnership program.

Dr. Zeanah told the Times, “I truly appreciate the opportunities I’ve had through the years as a member of LPA to meet and work with so many strong psychologists, and to learn and grow professionally. This past year, I had the honor to serve as LPA’s President. More than ever, I am impressed by the myriad ways Louisiana psychologists are ‘advancing psychology as a science, as a profession, and as means of promoting human welfare.’ ”

What does she hope to accomplish in the future? “Sometimes I laugh about wanting to be a People’s Health Champion,” Dr. Zeanah said. “I’ve always been so impressed and energized by the accomplishments of those over 65! But truthfully, I do not have a list of specific things I want to accomplish. I do want to stay involved and to be useful—by that I mean I want to continue to contribute in meaningful ways to our profession through clinical service, scholarly activities, and involvement in professional activities,” she said.

“With a healthy balance of spending more time with my most important accomplishments—my children and grandchildren!” 

Researchers Present at Assn of Psychological Science Convention

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Psychological scientists from Louisiana joined more than 2,000 researchers from around the world who gathered in Washington D.C., for the 2023 APS Annual Convention of Psychological Science to share psychological research. This year’s
event was held from May 25 to 28.

Louisiana State University

Raymond Tucker, PhD, collaborated on the “Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) facilitates the study of complex, time-varying phenomena in daily life, such as suicidal ideation.” According to the program: The presenters described the recent EMA research examining suicidal desire variability and sexual orientation, emotional differentiation in relation to suicidal thoughts, and person-specific models of suicide risk, with implications for just-in-time suicide prevention efforts.

Tonya Vandenbrink, PhD., was a co-collaborator on “The Influence of Age and Divided Attention on Eyewitness Memory.” The collaborators abstract noted: Their study supports previous findings that children are more suggestible than adults to misleading questions. This study also found that the negative influences of divided attention on eyewitness memory are not only present in adults but also can be found in younger populations, such as preschoolers.

University of Louisiana Lafayette

Aidan Guidry, Anna Catherine Romero, BS, Prynceston Fant, and Hung-Chu Lin co-authored “Attachment Insecurity and Empathy: Comparison between Inmates and College Students.” The authors noted: When compared to college students, inmates reported significantly lower levels of empathy but higher levels of attachment anxiety. For inmates, but not college students, regression results predicting empathy indicated main effects of attachment anxiety and avoidance, suggesting the role of attachment insecurity in empathy for criminal justice involved population.

Anna Catherine Romero, BS, Jaci Philliber, Kinsey Hatfield, Sydney Guidry and Hung-Chu Lin, PhD. Contributed to “Adverse Childhood Experiences, Mindfulness, and Health Outcomes.” The abstract noted: Data from 650 emerging adults revealed a main effect of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on depression, anxiety, stress, and somatic symptoms. Separate regression analyses (with age, gender, race/ethnicity controlled) indicated that mindfulness emerged to be a protective factor for all four outcomes above and beyond ACEs, social support, and resilience.

Ashley Messina, B.S. and Theresa Wozencraft, PhD. presented “The Relation between Race-Based Traumatic Stress and Stress Appraisals.” According to the presenters: The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the relation between race-based traumatic stress (RBTS) and stress appraisals (i.e., threat, challenge, and centrality appraisals). Preliminary analyses demonstrated that the relationships between each variable were significant (p < .05) and that threat appraisals significantly predicted RBTS (p = .02).

Ayodeji Adegoke and Manyu Li, PhD., presented “Egocentric Network Analysis of Undergraduate Students’ Support Network.” From the presenters abstract: Using an egocentric network analysis approach, this study took a step further to understand the types of social support that relate to students’ academic motivation. The preliminary analyses demonstrated initial evidence that students’ support network indices were related to their intrinsic academic motivation and  academic/career success values.

Brianna Sadighian, BA, and Manyu Li, PhD., discussed “Generation Status and Social Restrictiveness As Predictors for Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Mental Health Services in Asian Americans.” According to the abstract: Though the Asian American population and rate of mental health disorders continues to increase, there is still an underutilization of services in this population. Results show that generation status and levels of social restrictiveness may predict treatment-seeking attitudes in Asian Americans.

Brooke O. Breaux, PhD, Robert B. Michael, PhD and Ayush Deshpande.  Collaborated on “Fake News: Towards an Empirical Definition.” From the abstract: College students were more likely to label a news story as “fake news” when it contained information that they disagreed with, made them unhappy, was thought to contain false information, and was thought to be written by a blogger, politician, or Facebooker whose intent was to mislead the reader.

Brooke O. Breaux, PhD., authored “Psychology Research Proposals: Benefiting from Explicit Instruction, Content Alignment, and Strategic Simplification.” According to the presenters: Within an introductory research methods course, it can be challenging for undergraduates in psychology to produce a quality research proposal. To improve outcomes, I created a sequence of three assignments for which there are explicit instructions, aligned the delivery of course topics with the assignment deadlines, and eliminated unnecessary complexity.

Hung-Chu Lin, PhD, Dianne Olivier, Roger Rholdon, Tricia Templet, Kaylee Ackel, Megan Bergeron, and Aidan Guidry and Paula Zeanah collaborated on the “Experiences of Student-Parents during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” The presenters abstract noted: Data of a sample of student parents enrolled in a mid-size public University in the South of US during the COVID-19 pandemic were compared to non-parent students. Young student-parents (aged below 25) were at the greatest risks for academic difficulties and overall negative experiences, when compared to older student-parents and non-parents.

Kiara E. Martin, BS and Valanne MacGyvers, PhD., coauthored “The Role of ACEs on Academic Achievement and Psychological Well-Being: Examining Protective Factors.” From their abstract: Abuse, violence witnessed in the home, and divorce are all considered adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and can limit a person’s potential for success. However, protective factors such as resilience, growth mindset, and campus connectedness can help individuals overcome adversity from their childhood and improve their chances of success.

Kirsi S Michael, HS and Brooke O. Breaux, PhD, presented “Are Perceptions of Criminality Biased? The Roles of Name Popularity and Socioeconomic Status.” According to the presenters abstract: Are people with unpopular first names and people with lower socioeconomic status perceived by others as more likely to have committed a crime than people with popular first names and people with higher
socioeconomic status? Such biases would potentially impact the criminal justice system and convictions in court.

Taylar Johnson, BS and Manyu Li, PhD., co-authored, “Threat to Sense of Belonging: The Buffering Effects of Social Media Influencers.” The presenters abstract noted: This study examines whether parasocial bonds with social media influencers and cultural similarity to the influencers will moderate the negative relationship between threat to sense of belonging and sense of belonging. It is hypothesized that the moderators will buffer against the negative role of threat of sense of belonging.

Ainsley Graveson contributed to “Adverse Childhood Experiences, Mindfulness, and Health Outcomes.” According to the abstract: Data from 650 emerging adults revealed a main effect of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on depression, anxiety, stress, and somatic symptoms. Separate regression analyses (with age, gender, race/ethnicity controlled) indicated that mindfulness emerged to be a protective factor for all four outcomes above and beyond ACEs, social support, and resilience.

Tulane University

Anna Wilson, Hilary Skov, Kavya Subramaniam and Sarah A.O. Gray, PhD, co-collaborated on the “Maternal Depressive Symptoms during COVID-19: Pandemic-Related and Other Stressors Confer Risk.” According to the abstract: In a sample of low-income and economically marginalized, primarily Black mothers of young children, maternal depressive symptoms increased from pre- to post-COVID, elevating to clinically significant levels. Pre-COVID depressive symptoms were the most significant predictor of pandemic depressive symptoms, but exposure to  COVID-related stressors accounted for 7.3% additional variance.

Charles Figley, PhD, was the co-chair for the presentation on “Filling Gaps in Research on Disaster Related Traumatization and Growth: Lessons from Catastrophic Category-5 Hurricanes.” From the abstract: Facing the surging impact of major disasters, trauma psychologists pointed to certain research gaps. This symposium on hurricane studies seeks to address gaps via following modalities: 1) Complex pathways to multifaceted outcomes; 2) Bayesian structural equation modeling (SEM) on prospective research; and 3) In-depth analysis concerning resilience of underserved communities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill to Improve Mental Health for Incarcerated Passes House 94 to 0

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Rep. Selders is proposing in House Bill 55 to improve treatment of incarcerated individuals with mental health issues needs, referred to as “The Mental Healing Justice for Incarcerated People Act.” The measure passed the House and was reported favorably out of the Senate Committee. It is pending Senate Floor action.

The proposed law states that legislative intent is access to high-quality mental health services, regardless of the setting, and that the state wholly supports efforts to assist incarcerated individuals suffering from severe and persistent mental illnesses, including post-incarceration syndromes, in their efforts to navigate incarceration and reentry into society.

HB 55 amends present law to make the establishment of resources and programs mandatory. The proposed law provides that the qualified mental health persons within the multi-disciplinary service team shall establish a training program to be conducted annually.

 

 

 

 

 

 

La Department Health Launches Awareness Campaign for 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

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The Louisiana Department of Health is launching a campaign to raise awareness of
the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

According to officials, the Lifeline is available 24/7 to anyone in mental health distress or who may be worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. 988 crisis counselors are trained to help reduce the intensity of a situation for the person seeking help and connect them to additional local resources, as needed, to support their wellbeing.

Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the third leading cause of death for individuals ages 15-24. In 2021, 48,183 Americans died by suicide, including 689 in Louisiana. One death by suicide occurs every 11 minutes, wrote officials.

“Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity for us to recommit to raising awareness about the importance of mental health in the lives of all Louisianans,” said Governor John Bel Edwards. “The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available to
anyone in mental health distress. If you’re depressed, going through a hard time,
thinking about suicide or just need to talk, 988 is for you. 988 is for all of us.”

As part of the 988 awareness campaign, LDH is launching an online 988  dashboard providing transparency on key metrics of crisis call data from Louisiana’s two 988 crisis centers.

According to the dashboard, among Louisiana callers self-reporting their information to 988: 59.4% are White and about 34.8% are Black. 60.6% are female and 38.9% are male. 32.2% are ages 25-40 and 18.9% are ages 18-24 and 18.1% are ages 41-59. The most common referrals were for mental health, housing and financial assistance. Orleans, East Baton Rouge and Jefferson parishes had the highest volume of calls.

The dashboard, which will be updated monthly, contains metrics on accessibility,
referral source, reason for the call, and some outcomes, but they do not contain historical summaries. Demographic data is available for only about 20% of calls, as it is not always possible to collect data during a crisis call.

Calls to 988 are confidential and any self reported data is aggregated before sharing with the public.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creed III

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A Review

by Alvin G. Burstein, PhD

After my father died, and my mother gave up trying to run the HJB, their mom and pop grocery, we moved in with my grandmother, Perl. Her home was the last white owned one in a neighborhood that had become all black. I started second grade at the local school, the only white student in my classroom, and as a talkative kid, the teacher’s pet of the all-white female faculty. Understandably, I was also the target of after-school bullying by my darker-complected classmates.

That unhappy circumstance was counter-balanced by the warmth with which many of the neighbors received me as I roamed the streets, searching for parental substitutes. This was 1939, and Joe Louis, the Brown Bomber, was in the midst of his bum-a month campaign. I shared the emotional intensity of black neighbors as they clustered around the radio, listening to the champ’s fights.

I have a vivid memory of the night when, early in the fight, Two-ton Tony Galento, sent the champ to the canvas. I shared the shock and dismay evoked in the radio audience, giddily replaced by joy when Louis quickly resumed the fight, going on to dispatch his foe.

By a kind of contagion, the memories of those evenings, clustered around a radio, listening to the radio, sparked my lifelong interest in the boxing ring, an odd contrast for a bookish intellectual. It also explains my investment in Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa series, and its latest entry, Creed III, the first one in which Stallone himself does not appear.

Adonis Creed is the son of Rocky Balboa’s opponent in the fight which propelled Rocky to the championship. Adonis has himself gone on to win the title, and, retiring, become engaged in coaching a new champion. A highly anticipated title defense is cancelled because of an injury to the challenger—an echo of the circumstances surrounding the first Balboa/Creed fight.

Adonis’s homie, Damien Anderson, released after a lengthy term in jail for the killing during an escapade in which Adonis was also involved, finds Adonis and shames him for abandoning his best friend. He argues that Adonis owes him the underdog opportunity to face the current champion—another parallel to the first movie. Adonis reluctantly agrees, and Damien wins the title, but begins to mock Adonis for his initial abandonment. Damien’s public harangues require Adonis to challenge Damien to come out of retirement for a grudge match, the centerpiece of the new film.

Perhaps as paradoxical as my interest in boxing is the circumstance that the best contemporary account of fighting is Joyce Carol Oates’ On Boxing. In what may reveal a sexist stereotype on my part, I confess to being surprised by her understanding of the unique fascination of boxing’s brutality—you play basketball, or football or baseball, but you don’t play boxing— Oates gets that the fascination is buried deeply in a recognition of our mortality. This film, like its predecessors, highlights the centrality of bearing pain for this non-sport. For preparing for it, for engaging in it. Boxing can be seen as a recognition of the degree to which life and pain are linked, thus constituting a celebration of courage and persistence.