Mental health counselors focused on Nebraska's high rate of binge drinking during Alcohol Awareness Month, which just wrapped up.

Alcohol abuse is often associated with other addictions. Nebraska's binge drinking rate is among the highest in the nation and the number of alcohol-related deaths is on the rise. Alcohol was blamed for at least 720 fatalities in 2020, the latest year data were available.

Aileen Brady, CEO of the Community Alliance in Omaha, said alcohol abuse and addiction affects families and friendships but can also lead to safety issues among employees who may be alcohol dependent.

"If their reactions are not as sharp, if they're not sleeping well and if they're distracted with the sense of needing to have that drink, it's going to affect our workplaces, as well," Brady explained.

Brady adds alcohol and other substance abuse disorders affect at least 65% of Nebraskans seeking mental health treatment at Community Alliance. Nationwide, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health said more than 224-million people 12 and older report having consumed alcohol during their lifetime.

Brady added it is common among alcohol addicted people or those who abuse it to assume drinking will improve their mood, which she said can happen temporarily, but long-term, has the opposite effect.

"That might last for a period of hours, and then once they stop the drinking and they are coming down off of that use of alcohol, then the depressant sets in," Brady observed.

Brady added Community Alliance continues to dispel myths about the effects of alcohol and raise awareness about the negative physical and mental health outcomes of drinking too much.


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Maryland ranks better than many states for the quality of its maternal mental-health care - but it could be doing more.

Maryland receives a "C" grade on a report card by the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. The country as a whole gets a "C-minus."

Caitlin Murphy, a research scientist at the center, said screenings are necessary to diagnose and treat maternal mental-health issues. However, fewer than one in five women who are Medicaid enrollees - and only one in ten who have private insurance - are screened for these issues, during and after pregnancy.

"It's becoming increasingly well-known that the scope of maternal mental health need in the U.S. is massive," she said. "Right now, maternal mental-health disorders do impact one in five mothers in the U.S., and currently, maternal mental-health conditions are the leading cause of maternal mortality in the U.S., as well."

One step she recommended is that Maryland require Medicaid insurers to track rates of maternal mental-health screenings. The report said only 22% of women who screened positive for depression received mental-health treatment.

Maryland helps set the curve in a couple of areas, including the number of prescribers with specific training in maternal mental health. Murphy said the state also does particularly well in an area that's new in this year's report card - providing enhanced reimbursements for group prenatal care for expectant mothers.

"And that actually creates a peer support system and built-in social supports, so that moms are able to connect with one another, not only during their pregnancy but then also postpartum," she said. "And these programs have been shown to be really effective at supporting moms' mental health."

Nineteen states received a failing grade in the report, and only seven received a better grade than Maryland.


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Virginia is ahead of many states in the quality of its maternal mental health care but one expert argued the Commonwealth has more work to do.

Virginia received a "C" grade in a report card from the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. Collectively, the country received a grade of "C" minus.

Caitlin Murphy, research scientist and consultant at the center, stressed the Commonwealth must improve its maternal mental health care. She suggested Virginia should require screenings for those covered by Medicaid.

"Screening is really not occurring at the rate it needs to for maternal mental health disorders," Murphy explained. "It's estimated right now that about 50% of maternal mental health disorders are going undiagnosed. And also, unfortunately, even when screening is occurring, treatment is not occurring at the rates that it needs to."

Screening rates for women nationally during pregnancy are 16% for women on Medicaid and 9% for women on private health insurance. Postpartum screenings were only slightly better at 17% and 11%.

The Commonwealth performs better than other states in some areas. Virginia meets the ratio of maternal mental health prescribers, such as psychiatrists, to the perinatal population. Murphy added the Commonwealth has a lot to be proud of when it comes to addressing maternal mental health, including its outpatient program for moms.

"Virginia does have a maternal mental health outpatient program for moms," Murphy noted. "States can receive credit if they're making sure that either inpatient or outpatient treatment programs are available specifically for moms suffering from maternal mental health disorders."

Nineteen states received a failing grade in the report, and only seven states received a better grade than the Commonwealth. Nearly 50% of women with postpartum depression go undiagnosed.


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A recent murder-suicide in Cozad, Nebraska, has prompted mental health professionals in the state to heighten their efforts to address a mental health crisis affecting residents of the state.

Suicide is the second-highest cause of death among Nebraska's male youth.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show suicide as the eleventh-highest cause of death among Nebraskans, and the ninth for men in particular.

The Nebraska Suicide Prevention Coalition's President Quinn Lewandowski called the numbers staggering.

"When you think about that," said Lewandowski, "that's about an average of 290 Nebraskans each year die by suicide."

The state has made online resources available for people who need help. People experiencing a mental health crisis can text or call 988 for assistance.

Lewandowski said while it is uncomfortable to talk about, helping people in the community understand the issue is critical.

"Taking a look at how we are identifying, screening folks for suicide," said Lewandowski, "how we're assessing them if they are screening positive."

Nebraska also has an education program about youth suicide warning signs, and helps people understand what they can do if they are affected by it.