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Categories Insights Tags Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), Behavioral Health, BHARC, Mental Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Dr. David Sleet, Senior Associate at Bizzell Co-authors Article on Alcohol Harms in Young Adults in The Lancet

A new analysis from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, Seattle, suggests that for young adults aged 15-39, there are no health benefits to drinking alcohol, only harms. The harms they are most likely to experience are injuries.

The study, published in The Lancet July 16, 2022, (doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)00847-9), used data from the Global Burden of Diseases, a project based at the University of Washington in Seattle that tracks health trends worldwide and produces comprehensive data on the causes of illness and death in the world.

Both males and females under age 40 risked health loss from alcohol use, even when consuming small amounts of alcohol. But for those older than 40, consuming small amounts of alcohol (such as 1-2 glasses of wine daily) can provide some health benefits, yet health risks vary by age and region.

David Sleet, Ph.D., one of the co-authors of the article and a Senior Associate for Injury Prevention at Bizzell US (Bizzell), noted that “We need stronger interventions tailored towards younger individuals to reduce the substantial global health loss, particularly from injuries, attributable to alcohol use.”

The study’s authors call for alcohol consumption guidelines to be revised to emphasize that health risks of alcohol use differ by age, stressing that the level of alcohol consumption recommended by many existing guidelines is too high for young people. They also call for policies targeting males under age 40, who are most likely to use alcohol harmfully.

The study was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“I would like to congratulate Dr. Sleet and the other contributing authors on the publication of the report in The Lancet. As alcohol sales have soared during the pandemic, the long-term health risks of heavy drinking including brain and liver damage, heart disease, digestive disease, and mental health disorders have increased. I urge all Americans to fight the deadly epidemic of alcohol use and abuse, particularly among adolescents and young adults” said Anton C. Bizzell, M.D., President & CEO of Bizzell.

To date, the publication has received national media attention, with USA Today, and The Guardian covering the report.

To read the reviews, please see below:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2022/07/15/alcohol-health-risks-under-40/10067144002/
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jul/14/alcohol-is-never-good-for-people-under-40-global-study-finds

About BHARC
The Behavioral Health Advancement Resource Center (BHARC) is an authoritative source for behavioral health information, insights, technical assistance, training, and innovative tools. BHARC is a mechanism to share evidence-based behavioral health interventions and best practices. The BHARC Advisory Council consists of experts in substance use, mental health, clinical trials, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare standards and quality. Learn more about the Behavioral Health Advancement Resource Center at BHARC.org.

About Bizzell
Established in 2010, Bizzell US is U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) HUBZone certified strategy, consulting, and technology firm with a mission to improve lives and accelerate change. Bizzell US develops innovative solutions to some of the most critical issues of our time such as health care services equity, global health, workforce innovation and other urgent needs facing the world. Under the leadership and vision of founder, Anton C. Bizzell, MD, the company has grown into a thriving firm headquartered in New Carrollton, Maryland with staff and offices in various regions around the country including California, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Georgia, and globally in Africa, Asia, and Central America. Learn more about how we develop data-driven, research-informed, innovative solutions to complex-real-world challenges. Learn more at BizzellUS.com.

ARTICLE REFERENCE:
GBD 2020 Alcohol Collaborators. Population-level risks of alcohol consumption by amount, geography, age, sex, and year: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020.

Lancet   2022 Jul 16;400(10347):185-235. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)00847-9. PMID: 35843246 PMCID: PMC9289789

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Categories BHARC Tags Behavioral Health, BHARC, Health, Information Technology, Mental Health, News, Telehealth, Thought Leadership

Learning to Walk: Telehealth’s Development Signals Improved Behavioral Health Care Access

Learning to Walk: Telehealth’s Development Signals Improved Behavioral Health Care Access

June 15th, 2022 (Lanham, MD) More adults and youth are struggling with their mental health and well-being as the pandemic continues. Nearly four in ten American adults experienced anxiety or depression symptoms during the pandemic, compared to one in ten pre-pandemic (Panchal et al. 2021). Similarly, depression and anxiety among youth have nearly doubled since the pandemic and are particularly impacting youth from historically underserved populations (Office of the Surgeon General, 2021; Racine et al, 2021). Yet, access to mental health services and treatment has not kept pace with

the increased need and demand for services. In 2021, nearly 25 percent of adults did not receive treatment for mental illnesses (Mental Health America, 2021).

Telehealth is a growing sector of service delivery that is poised to address some of the gaps and barriers to mental health care. The June 2022 Behavioral Health Spotlight, published by the Behavioral Health Advancement Resource Center (BHARC), discusses tele-behavioral health’s significant expansion during the pandemic, its benefits, and important considerations for its utilization moving forward. “It is still early, but tele-behavioral health shows great promise in reducing stigma that some associate with mental health and substance disorder treatment and providing accessible mental health care capacity in hard to serve areas of the U.S.,” said William Scarbrough, BHARC Advisor and Vice President, Health Solutions at The Bizzell Group (Bizzell). “Additional rigorous evaluation is needed to address concerns regarding quality of care, privacy, and third-party data and information sharing.” BHARC is funded by Bizzell.

The BHARC Behavioral Health Spotlight is a thought leadership series highlighting various behavioral health topics that impact communities across the United States and abroad. “Telehealth’s Potential for Expanding Behavioral Healthcare Access” was written by Nancy Bateman, MSW, a Senior Public Health Advisor for Behavioral Health Services at Bizzell. It provides a current snapshot of tele-behavioral health, drawing from recent literature.

About BHARC 
The Behavioral Health Advancement Resource Center (BHARC) is an authoritative source for behavioral health information, insights, technical assistance, training, and innovative tools. BHARC is a mechanism to share evidence-based behavioral health interventions and best practices. The BHARC Advisory Council consists of experts in substance use, mental health, clinical trials, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare standards and quality.

About Bizzell 
The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) is a strategy, consulting, and technology firm that designs innovative solutions to help build healthy, secure, and sustainable communities in our nation and around the world. Bizzell leverages the combined experience of our diverse subject matter experts to develop data-driven, research-informed answers to the world’s most complex challenges—ensuring our clients achieve their vision and goals. For more information, visit: The Bizzell Group.

Categories BHARC, Insights Tags CEO Insights, COVID-19, Health, HIV/AIDS, Mental Health, Minority Health, Special Populations

Easing the Mental Toll of HIV and AIDS

Easing the Mental Toll of HIV and AIDS

Epidemics and pandemics. HIV/AIDS and COVID-19. National and global issues affecting people around the world and highlighting health inequities that impact access to health and mental health care. During the physical and mental health stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions are also living with the ongoing effects of HIV/AIDS. “Since the global epidemic began, an estimated 79.3 million people have been infected with the HIV virus and 36.3 million people have died of HIV-related illnesses,” said Anton C. Bizzell, M.D., President/CEO of The Bizzell Group.

Individuals living with HIV/AIDS often experience discrimination, stigma, persecution, isolation, and exclusion, which can lead to depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and other negative mental health effects. There is proven benefit from mental health groups, HIV/AIDS support groups, talk therapy, physical exercise, and meditation.

Several effective vaccines were developed within the first year of the emergence of COVID-19, yet forty years after it was first identified there is still no vaccine for HIV/AIDS. Although there are still healthcare inequities, through the efforts from UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS), several U.S. government agencies (including U.S. Department of State) millions have received people-centered physical and mental health HIV services in over 55 countries. HIV/AIDS remains a public health and mental health crisis. While there is significant research, education, training, and technical assistance taking place, there is much more to do in the U.S. and around the world. Everyone needs to contribute to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Read more: Easing the Mental Toll of HIV-AIDS

Categories BHARC, Insights Tags Behavioral Health, CEO Insights, COVID-19, Gratitude, Mental Health

Do Not Wait for a Holiday to Express Gratitude

Do Not Wait for a Holiday to Express Gratitude

Gratitude is a “trending notion” right now, but do people really know what it means to show, express, feel and embrace gratitude. Gratitude is a feeling of appreciation, gratefulness, or thankfulness for someone or something.  Whether it is trending or not, data shows that expressing gratitude or living a life in a grateful way has social, physical, and psychological benefits.  Believe it or not, gratitude helps you feel better, sleep better, and can even strengthen your relationships.  And it is a skill that can be developed with practice. Learning how to express gratitude can be as simple as saying please and thank you, writing thank you notes, listing your blessings, and sharing what you are thankful for with others.

Holiday seasons, anniversaries, and other momentous occasions, can stir up a lot of emotions including joy and sorrow, togetherness, and isolation. Choosing a grateful spirit and approaching life with a feeling of appreciation can lead to feelings of joy and togetherness instead of sorrow and isolation.  Now is a great time to start creating a gratitude practice so you can experience the benefits such as an improved outlook on life, reduced depression and anxiety, better physical health, and the ability to weather the storms of life such as this COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more about gratitude and its positive impact on health in Do Not Wait for a Holiday to Express Gratitude

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