Friday, May 28, 2010

2008 Injury in Virginia Report

Injuries are a leading public health problem in Virginia. In 2008, there were 3,929 injury related deaths and 42,748 injury related hospitalizations. Attached to this email you will find the Injury in Virginia, 2008 report; which provides an overview of injury deaths and hospitalizations in Virginia. A new edition was made to the report this year; a section evaluating injury death and hospitalization by insurance status and community poverty.

I also want to remind you that for more information either on injury data in your area or for other areas in Virginia you may visit VOIRS, the Virginia Online Injury Reporting System at http://www.vahealth.org/CIVP/VOIRS. This system contains data from 1999-2008 and allows you to create customized injury data reports on various mechanisms (causes) and intents of injury by geographic and demographic variables.
For more injury related reports and data please visit the Virginia Department of Health, Division of Injury and Violence Prevention’s webpage at http://www.vahealth.org/Injury/Data.

If you have any questions, need additional data, or would like me to provide a presentation on injuries to you or to groups within your community please contact me by phone at 804-864-7745 or by email at stephanie.goodman@vdh.virginia.gov.

Stories that Heal

Stories That Heal (A National Mental Health Campaign for the African American Community)

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), working in collaboration with the Ad Council and the Stay Strong Foundation, announced today the launch of a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to raise awareness of mental health problems among young adults in the African American community.

Mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, are widespread in the U.S. and often misunderstood. According to SAMHSA, in 2008 there were an estimated 9.8 million adults aged 18 or older living with serious mental illness. Among adults, the prevalence of serious mental illness is highest in the 18 to 25 age group, yet this age group is also the least likely to receive services or counseling. In 2008, 6.0 percent of African Americans ages 18-25 had serious mental illness in the past year. Overall, only 58.7 percent of Americans with serious mental illness received care within the past 12 months and the percentage of African Americans receiving services is only 44.8 percent.
Created pro bono by Grey New York through the Ad Council, the campaign aims to promote acceptance of mental health problems within the African American community by encouraging, educating and inspiring young adults to step up and talk openly about mental health problems. The television, radio, print and Web ads feature real personal stories of African Americans dealing with mental health problems, and they aim to engage those in the community to support young adults who need help. The PSAs direct audiences to visit a new website, www.storiesthatheal.samhsa.gov, where they can learn more about mental health problems and how to get involved.

What a Difference a Friend Makes

What a Difference a Friend Makes (A National Campaign for Young Adults With Mental Health Issues)
According to a national survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) there are an estimated 9.8 million adults aged 18 or older living with serious mental illness. Among adults, the prevalence of serious mental illness is highest in the 18 to 25 age group, yet this age group is also the least likely to receive services or counseling for mental health issues.
To help address this problem and as part of Mental Health Awareness Month, SAMHSA and The Advertising Council have launched a series of national public service announcements (PSAs) designed to encourage, educate and inspire young adults (18-25 years old) to step up and support friends and family they know are experiencing a mental health problem.
Created by the advertising agency Grey New York, through the Ad Council, the campaign aims to promote acceptance of mental health problems by encouraging, educating and inspiring young adults to step up and talk openly about mental health problems. The new television and Web PSAs encourage young adults to step up and help a friend through recovery. The PSAs direct audiences to visit the campaign website, www.whatadifference.samhsa.gov, where they can participate in a new discussion forum, find tools to help in the recovery process, learn about the different types of mental illnesses, read real-life stories about support and recovery, and to see how friends can make all the difference. The PSAs will air in advertising time that will be entirely donated by the media. In an effort to further the reach of the campaign online, a social media program will also kick off this week.