Operation Just Cause... ...for as long as it takes
Sent in by Veterans News and Information Services
From: < ahref="mailto:mbell@csdmail.medcom.amedd.army.mil">Milton Bell
PHOENIX (May 23, 2000)- Although nearly 80 percent of people with clinical depression can be treated successfully with medications, psychotherapy or a combination of the two, current evidence indicates that nearly two thirds of those afflicted do not seek help. The reasons range from an individual's failure to recognize that he or she has a serious, potentially dangerous condition to a fear of the continuing social stigma connected with mental illness.
In light of this, an online mental health and depression outreach program is the latest addition to Central Region/Central Source, the TRICARE Central Region web site. The Magellan Behavioral Health division of Magellan Health Services, Inc., a subcontractor to TriWest Healthcare Alliance for mental health and substance abuse services in the TRICARE Central Region, administers this specific feature of the web site.
Serious depression is an important public health problem affecting more than 19 million adults in the United States. In its various forms, clinical depression can disrupt sleeping, eating, school and work activities, the ability of mothers to care for their children, and can even lead to suicide. It is estimated that 10-15 percent of all new mothers, five percent of all children and adolescents, and as many as three percent of people over 65 years of age suffer from serious depression.
Dave McIntyre, president and chief executive officer of TriWest Healthcare Alliance, says, "For this reason the Mental Health/Depression Outreach feature on the TRICARE Central Region web site is a timely and valuable tool for individuals who may be reluctant or embarrassed to seek help until they learn more about their own problem or that of a loved one."
When the TRICARE Central Region site is accessed at http://www.triwest.com or http://www.region8.tricare.osd.mil , the Magellan site may be reached by looking under the TRICARE Program heading and clicking on the button marked "Mental Health/ Depression Outreach."
From that point the pages provide beneficiaries with an overview of clinical depression, its effects and treatment. It also offers links that will enable them to assess their own conditions; learn more about the symptoms and dangers of the various kinds of depression; learn about the available treatment options and the ways to get care; and use additional hyperlinks to access resources online.
Clicking on the link marked "Self-Assessments" allows beneficiaries to complete self-assessment questionnaires with answers based on their feelings during the previous week. Answers from this assessment are neither recorded nor tracked and are not to be considered a diagnosis, but will give beneficiaries a general indication of a depressed state and lead them to seek care in a number of ways.
Among other easily accessed pages are those titled "Postpartum Depression," "The Depressed Child," "Let's Talk About Depression" (for adolescents), and "Help for Seniors." All offer ways to recognize depression in oneself, a relative or friend and provide lists of symptoms and ways to obtain help. In fact, at the bottom of each page is a link marked "Getting Help," which takes beneficiaries to a page offering various ways for them get in touch with TRICARE Central Region professionals who can help them to find the resources or treatment they need. All information obtained by these professionals is confidential, and this mental health/depression outreach module will be a good tool for people who may be uncomfortable about starting the process of seeking help face to face.
Central Region/Central Source is the result of a unique partnering initiative between the TRICARE Central Region Lead Agent Office and TriWest. The Magellan pages are the latest addition to this integrated web site, which offers comprehensive TRICARE and health care related information to all TRICARE Central Region constituencies, while allowing both organizations to continue to manage their own content.
TRICARE is a regionally managed health care program for active duty and retired members of the uniformed services, their families, and survivors. TRICARE brings together the health care resources of the Army, Navy and Air Force and supplements them with networks of civilian health care professionals to provide better access and high quality service while maintaining the capability to support military operations. The (TRICARE Central) Lead Agent Office is located in Colorado Springs, Colo., and provides government oversight for the TRICARE program in the Central Region.
TriWest Healthcare Alliance is a Phoenix-based management service organization that is contracted with the Department of Defense for the managed care support and administration of the TRICARE program in the TRICARE Central Region. The goal of TriWest's 650 employees is to provide the TRICARE beneficiaries in the 16-state region with access to cost- effective, quality health care and superior customer service.
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