Project Description

The Access New Hampshire: Living with Disability in the Granite State project is a joint research effort by a range of affiliated organizations and individuals concerned about the well-being of residents living with disabilities in New Hampshire. Its mission is to help legislators, state and local agencies, and the broader public understand the extent to which New Hampshire enables all its residents, particularly those living with some form of a disability, to live and participate in their communities. By highlighting key issues, education, health care, employment, and community supports, we hope not only to raise awareness about the barriers confronting individuals with disabilities, but also to initiate a statewide conversation about how to work together to address these challenges.

New research released May 20, 2008 on mental illness and substance use in New Hampshire

Our most recent brief focused on understanding the changing dynamics of hospital care for mental illness and substance use and their implications for supporting continuums of care in New Hampshire. Some of the questions we sought to answer include:

  • Have the frequency of hospitalizations for mental illness or substance use increased over the last 10 years?
  • How do hospitalization rates vary across the state?
  • What can we learn about individuals who repeatedly seek care for mental illness or substance use?
  • What financial charges are associated with these visits and how have these changed over time?
  • What is the connection between mental illness or substance use and physical health?

Media

To read the Access NH press release, click here
To read the Access NH article in Fosters, click here
To see the NECN broadcast on the latest Access NH report, click here
To access NH Public Radio's coverage of the report, click here
To read a related story in the Concord Monitor, click here

Downloads

Download the 2 page key findings document. (pdf) Includes major findings of the research as well as recommendations for action by legislators, service providers and advocates.

Download the policy brief. Provides legislators, service providers and advocates with an overview of the continuum of care in New Hampshire for mental illness and substance use conditions, supporting graphs and documentation for the key findings document, and discusses implications of the research.

Download the research paper. Provides information for health care researchers and others looking for a more detailed analysis of the hospital discharge data. Includes additional graphs and tables as well as a full listing of the conditions used to identify mental illness and substance use visits.

To order a hardcopy by mail, please call 603.862.4320

Presentations

Our research on mental illness and substance use hospitalizations has been presented to:

  • Veterans Mental Health Summit
  • Institute on Disabilities Consumer Advisory Council
  • New Hampshire Research Group

Proiect Staff & Contacts

Questions or comments? Please contact:

Peter Antal, Ph.D., Research Associate
Institute on Disability / UCED
Phone: 603.228.2084
Fax: 603.228.3270
Email: peter.antal@unh.edu

Melissa Mandrell, MSS, MLSP
Institute on Disability / UCED
Phone: 603.228.2084
Fax: 603.228.3270
Email: melissa.mandrell@unh.edu

For information on the first policy brief released in the series “Educational Supports for Children with Disabilities”, please click here.

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