Full Parity Research Articles

Participation without Parity in U.S. Higher Education: Gender, Fields of Study, and Institutional Selectivity

While women now earn more bachelor’s degrees than men in many parts of the world, large gender gaps persist in fields of study, and women remain underrepresented in the most prestigious institutions. This study updates and extends the literature on gender disparities in higher education by comparing the selectivity of the institutions where men and women earn their degrees and then examining the gender segregation of fields of study across different types of universities in the United States. Findings show that men continue to earn degrees at somewhat more selective institutions than women, a pattern that has shifted little over the past 27 years. Further, patterns of gender segregation by field of study continue unabated and are constant across types of institutions. Women’s increased participation in higher education has not resulted in full parity.

New policy center aims to push for full parity, address BH challenges

Mental Health WeeklyVolume 25, Issue 6 p. 1-7 Articles New policy center aims to push for full parity, address BH challenges Valerie A. Canady, Valerie A. CanadySearch for more papers by this author Valerie A. Canady, Valerie A. CanadySearch for more papers by this author First published: 09 February 2015 https://doi.org/10.1002/mhw.30069Citations: 1Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume25, Issue69 February 2015Pages 1-7 RelatedInformation

Inelastic Scattering of NO by Kr: Rotational Polarization over a Rainbow.

We use molecular beams and ion imaging to determine quantum state resolved angular distributions of NO radicals after inelastic collision with Kr. We also determine both the sense and the plane of rotation (the rotational orientation and alignment, respectively) of the scattered NO. By full selection and then detection of the quantum parity of the NO molecule, our experiment is uniquely sensitive to quantum interference. For forward-scattered NO, we report hitherto unseen changes in the plane and sense of rotation with scattering angle and show, remarkably, that the rotation of the NO molecule after collision can be near-maximally oriented for certain transitions and scattering angles. These effects are enhanced by the full parity selection in the experiment and result from the interplay between attractive and repulsive forces.

State Parity Laws and Access to Treatment for Substance Use Disorder in the United States

The passage of the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the 2010 Affordable Care Act incorporated parity for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment into federal legislation. However, prior research provides us with scant evidence as to whether federal parity legislation will hold the potential for improving access to SUD treatment. To examine the effect of state-level SUD parity laws on state-aggregate SUD treatment rates and to shed light on the impact of the recent federal SUD parity legislation. We conducted a quasi-experimental study using a 2-way (state and year) fixed-effect method. We included all known specialty SUD treatment facilities in the United States and examined treatment rates from October 1, 2000, through March 31, 2008. Our main source of data was the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services, which provides facility-level information on specialty SUD treatment. State-level SUD parity laws during the study period. State-aggregate SUD treatment rates in (1) all specialty SUD treatment facilities and (2) specialty SUD treatment facilities accepting private insurance. The implementation of any SUD parity law increased the treatment rate by 9% (P < .001) in all specialty SUD treatment facilities and by 15% (P = .02) in facilities accepting private insurance. Full parity and parity only if SUD coverage is offered increased the SUD treatment rate by 13% (P = .02) and 8% (P = .04), respectively, in all facilities and by 21% (P = .03) and 10% (P = .04), respectively, in facilities accepting private insurance. We found a positive effect of the implementation of state SUD parity legislation on access to specialty SUD treatment. Furthermore, the positive association is more pronounced in states with more comprehensive parity laws. Our findings suggest that federal parity legislation holds the potential to improve access to SUD treatment.

Pseudo-Hermitian quantum dynamics of tachyonic spin-1/2 particles

We investigate the spinor solutions, the spectrum and the symmetry properties of a matrix-valued wave equation whose plane-wave solutions satisfy the superluminal (tachyonic) dispersion relation , where E is the energy, is the spatial momentum and m is the mass of the particle. The equation reads (iγμ ∂μ − γ5 m)ψ = 0, where γ5 is the fifth current. The tachyonic equation is shown to be invariant and invariant. The tachyonic Hamiltonian breaks parity and is non-Hermitian but fulfils the pseudo-Hermitian property , where P is the parity matrix and is the full parity transformation. The energy eigenvalues and eigenvectors describe a continuous spectrum of plane-wave solutions (which correspond to real eigenvalues for ) and evanescent waves, which constitute resonances and anti-resonances with complex-conjugate pairs of resonance eigenvalues (for ). In view of additional algebraic properties of the Hamiltonian which supplement the pseudo-Hermiticity, the existence of a resonance energy eigenvalue E implies that E*, −E and −E* also constitute resonance energies of H5.This article is part of a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical devoted to ‘Quantum physics with non-Hermitian operators’.

Vermont Psychiatrists Back State's Single-Payer Insurance Plan

Vermont Psychiatrists Back State's Single-Payer Insurance Plan

Online availability upgrades for parity-based RAIDs through supplementary parity augmentations

In this article, we propose a simple but powerful online availability upgrade mechanism, S upplementary P arity A ugmentations( SPA ), to address the availability issue in parity-based RAID systems. The basic idea of SPA is to store and update the supplementary parity units on one or a few newly augmented spare disks for online RAID systems in the operational mode, thus achieving the goals of improving the reconstruction performance while tolerating multiple disk failures and latent sector errors simultaneously. By applying the exclusive OR operations appropriately among supplementary parity, full parity, and data units, SPA can reconstruct the data on the failed disks with a fraction of the original overhead that is proportional to the supplementary parity coverage, thus significantly reducing the overhead of data regeneration and decreasing recovery time in parity-based RAID systems. Our extensive trace-driven simulation study shows that SPA can significantly improve the reconstruction performance of the RAID5 and RAID5+0 systems, at an acceptable performance overhead imposed in the operational mode. Moreover, our reliability analytical modeling and sequential Monte-Carlo simulation demonstrate that SPA is consistently more than double the MTTDL of the RAID5 system and improves the reliability of the RAID5+0 system noticeably.

Have Asian American Men Achieved Labor Market Parity with White Men?

We use the 2003 National Survey of College Graduates to investigate earnings differentials between white and Asian American men. We extend prior literature by disaggregating Asian Americans by their immigration status in relation to the U.S. educational system, and by accounting for the effects of field of study and college type. Net of the latter variables and other demographic controls, native-born Asian American men have 8 percent lower earnings than do measurably comparable white men. Our findings show that Asian American men who were schooled entirely overseas have substantial earnings disadvantages, while Asian American men who obtained their highest degree in the United States but completed high school overseas have an intermediate earnings disadvantage. Net of the control variables, including region of residence, only 1.5-generation Asian American men appear to have reached full parity with whites. Most Asian American men lag at least slightly behind white men in terms of full equality in the labor market net of the measured covariates in our statistical models. No one theoretical approach seems able to explain our findings; instead, we suggest the relevance of several perspectives, including the racialized hierarchy view, the demographic heterogeneity approach, and assimilation theory.

Inside the World Bank’s Black Box Allocation System: How Well Does IDA Allocate Resources to the Neediest and Most Vulnerable Countries?

During the last few International Development Association (IDA) replenishment negotiations, several large donors have pressed for reforms to further increase the share of IDA resources provided to the neediest and most vulnerable countries. While the proposed reforms take different forms, the philosophical thrust is the same - push IDA’s focus further down the development chain. Against this backdrop, this paper explores just how well IDA’s existing performance-based allocation (PBA) system actually addresses these issues. To achieve this, I examine how IDA allocations are distributed at each successive stage of the PBA methodology based upon a number of need and vulnerability measures. Next, I apply two simple measures to gauge IDA’s performance: (1) whether per-capita allocations to the neediest and most vulnerable countries are equal to or greater than those for the best off countries and (2) whether allocations to the neediest and most vulnerable countries increase between the baseline and final allocation scenarios. Based on these criteria, IDA has a mixed track record. IDA’s performance is very modest with respect to the relative share allocated to the neediest or most vulnerable countries. Of the eight measures examined, only two illustrate parity between final allocations to the bottom and top quartile of countries. However, the litany of PBA exceptions clearly helps to redistribute resources in absolute terms. Per-capita allocations to the neediest and most vulnerable countries more than doubles between the baseline and final PBA scenarios for every need and vulnerability indicator examined. Clearly, the existing system has several built-in biases to redistribute resources to these countries. However, these exceptions fall short from ensuring full parity that some IDA donors may wish to achieve. As such, the philosophical debate among key IDA donors likely will continue for the foreseeable future.

Implementation of Mental Health Parity: Lessons From California

Implementation of Mental Health Parity: Lessons From California

Recent Changes in Medicaid Policy and Their Possible Effects on Mental Health Services

Recent Changes in Medicaid Policy and Their Possible Effects on Mental Health Services

Mental Health Parity Act of 2007: An Analysis of the Proposed Changes

ABSTRACT Mental health issues impact 54 million Americans each year and cost the United States over $100 billion dollars annually in medical costs, lost productivity, and mental health treatments. Many insurance policies do not cover mental health care costs equitably, leaving many to needlessly suffer. Lack of insurance coverage equity between mental health and physical/surgical treatments is at issue. Lawmakers have consistently disallowed full mental health parity based on fears of soaring insurance premiums and dubious diagnostic criteria. This article presents a policy analysis of the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 (S. 558), focusing on the impact of this new legislation on existing state parity laws.

Complete inclusion of parity-dependent level densities in the statistical description of astrophysical reaction rates

Microscopic calculations show a strong parity dependence of the nuclear level density at low excitation energy of a nucleus. Previously, this dependence has either been neglected or only implemented in the initial and final channels of Hauser–Feshbach calculations. We present an indirect way to account for a full parity dependence in all steps of a reaction, including the one of the compound nucleus formed in a reaction. To illustrate the impact on astrophysical reaction rates, we present rates for neutron captures in isotopic chains of Ni and Sn. Comparing with the standard assumption of equipartition of both parities, we find noticeable differences in the energy regime of astrophysical interest caused by the parity dependence of the nuclear level density found in the compound nucleus even at sizeable excitation energies.

Efficient quantum calculations of vibrational states of vinylidene in full dimensionality: A scheme with combination of methods

Full-dimensional quantum calculations of vibrational states of C(2)H(2) and C(2)D(2) are performed in the high-energy region (above 20,400 cm(-1) relative to the acetylene minimum). The theoretical scheme is a combination of several methods. To exploit the full parity and permutation symmetry, the CC-HH diatom-diatom Jacobi coordinates are chosen; phase space optimization in combination with physical considerations is used to obtain an efficient radial discrete variable representation, whereas a basis contraction scheme is applied for angular coordinates. The preconditioned inexact spectral transform method combined with an efficient preconditioner is employed to compute eigenstates within a desired spectral window. The computation is efficient. More definite assignments on vinylidene states than previous studies are acquired using the normal mode projection; in particular, a consistent analysis of the nu(1) (symmetric CH stretch) state is provided. The computed vinylidene vibrational energy levels are in general good agreement with experiment, and several vinylidene states are reported for the first time.

Insurance Expansion Won't Die, Vow Calif. Governor, Advocates

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Government NewsFull AccessInsurance Expansion Won't Die, Vow Calif. Governor, AdvocatesRich DalyRich DalySearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:7 Mar 2008https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.43.5.0004aThe California dream of comprehensive health insurance died after state senators roundly rejected a $15 billion plan backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). But mental health advocates nevertheless remain committed to keeping alive the goals of the failed proposal.The governor and Democratic leaders in the state Assembly backed the bill (ABX1 1), which would have directed large employers to fund insurance for those unable to afford it. The measure aimed to alleviate health care disparities in the most populous state and the one that also has the largest number of uninsured residents—6.5 million people.However, the health care proposal came as the state faced a $14.5 billion budget deficit. A critical state Senate committee voted against the measure in January—it was defeated by a vote of 7-1—claiming it was too costly.Schwarzenegger and proponents of increased access to health care and insurance remain committed to some type of health insurance expansion.Randall Hagar, government affairs director of the California Psychiatric Association (CPA), said psychiatrists in the state plan to push for another effort to expand health care access.“There is some energy, and a lot of us in the health care advocacy community and patient groups are worried that this will now derail [the expansion effort], and so everybody is talking about continuing to push the process,” he told Psychiatric News.A new push for expanded health care access will have to await the selection of new leaders in the California legislature after voters rejected a ballot proposition in early February to alter term limits for California politicians. Keeping the status quo will result in the retirement of many legislative leaders at the end of the current session. The change in leadership, when it comes, may help allay concerns among Senate critics of the insurance measure who complained that they were not consulted before the governor and Assembly leaders agreed to a plan and sent it to voters for approval of funding.“So some of those relationship issues also have to be worked out before people [in state government] can start negotiating again,” Hagar said.CPA's priority in any new health care expansion measure is to ensure that the needs of residents with mental illness are “fully addressed,” including the provision of insurance coverage at full parity with that provided for other medical disorders and coverage of all disorders in DSM-IV, including substance use disorders, Hagar said.The defeated measure limited parity coverage to the state's existing parity law, which the CPA considers the minimum coverage it will accept in any future effort.Sen. Darrell Steinberg (D) is slated to become the new Senate president pro tem after the current legislative session ends. Steinberg was described by the CPA as a “mental health champion” who has long supported mental health measures and children's health issues. Steinberg opposed the Schwarzenegger plan but supports another effort—as yet unspecified—to improve health care access.Information on ABX1 1 is posted at<www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset2text.htm>.▪ ISSUES NewArchived

Communication That Gets Results Continues to Be Our Focus

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article From the PresidentFull AccessCommunication That Gets Results Continues to Be Our FocusCarolyn Robinowitz, M.D.Carolyn RobinowitzSearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:4 Jan 2008https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.43.1.0003©Sylvia Johnson Photography 2007Happy New Year.It is traditional to use the end of the calendar year to sum up the previous 12 months and make New Year's resolutions. As I complete two-thirds of my presidential year, it is time to assess accomplishments and focus work for the next four months.One-year terms are brief, even with preparation in the president-elect year. Fortunately, my theme of advocacy and communication resonates with that of Nada Stotland, our presidentelect, but I recognize the limits and have emphasized ongoing capacity building and organizational performance. Consequently, I have worked internally to strengthen the function of the Board of Trustees (more about that in my next column).My focus on communication and advocacy has addressed several groups: legislators and policymakers, the media, other physicians, other health and mental health professionals, advocacy groups such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the business community, and the public at large, especially teachers and clergy (who often are the first to notice or be consulted about mental distress), and of course, psychiatrists—our communication with each other.Our interactions with policymakers have been full of promise, but still awaiting legislative action. The process for parity passage has been demanding, with wonderful support from some in Congress and the community, but also with many challenges posed by those who are opposed to psychiatric care. As this is being written, the decision is still pending. Please call your congressional delegation to thank members for supporting full parity and nondiscriminatory access or encouraging them to do so.In concert with other medical groups, we continue to address the potentially devastating impact of the 10 percent cut in the Medicare sustained growth rate, or SGR, and modification of the discriminatory Medicare 50 percent copay for mental illness treatment. We also have been working assiduously to protect patient privacy and to promote patient safety as well as provide care for returning military, and maintain funding of psychiatric research. Communication with legislators continues to be vital for our success.We continue to strengthen our involvement with the AMA, not only in legislative affairs, but also through psychiatrists' participation in AMA councils on medical services, science and public health, education, and long-range planning. APA member Jeremy Lazarus is the highly effective speaker of the AMA House of Delegates. The AMA has expanded its work on scope of practice, involving multiple specialty organizations, and Jay Scully, our medical director, has assumed considerable leadership in that arena. Jay is also president-elect of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, bringing a psychiatric perspective to its deliberations.We also have engaged in some specialty-specific work to inform other physicians and improve patient care. We have completed a joint report with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on SSRIs in pregnancy, and we have initiated communication with the American Heart Association on the role of depression as a risk factor in cardiovascular disease. In addition to developing educational and clinical efforts to assist primary care physicians in recognizing and caring for people with psychiatric disorders, we are working to enhance collaboration and strengthen membership with the major psychiatric subspecialty organizationsMedia interaction continues to improve in amount and quality. Our op-ed pieces and letters to the editor have been placed in the New York Times, as well as other national and local newspapers. APA members are more frequently quoted in radio and seen on TV. Public information Web sites such as HealthyMinds.org and DepressionIsReal.org receive many visits, as does our new medication guide on ADHD prepared in collaboration with the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and available at<parentsmedguide.org>. We have expanded media training for residents, as well as on-site training for district branches.Under the aegis of our Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, funded by the American Psychiatric Foundation, I participated in the U.S.-Canadian Forum for Mental Health Productivity, informing the business community that promoting mental health in the workplace is not only the right thing to do, but is also a good business decision that positively influences productivity and the bottom line.Obviously, much more has been done and is ongoing. For 2008, we need to continue our communication and collaboration outside of our specialty. We need your involvement to educate the public and to assure access to care. At the same time, we will work internally to inform and involve our members. Please e-mail me at [email protected] with your thoughts and suggestions. I am looking forward to seeing you at our wonderful annual meeting in Washington, D.C., May 3 to 8 and to our work together in the New Year. ▪ ISSUES NewArchived

Early Signs From Massachusetts Give Hope to MH Advocates

Early Signs From Massachusetts Give Hope to MH Advocates

Does Parity Deserve Credit for Drop in MH Costs?

Does Parity Deserve Credit for Drop in MH Costs?

N.Y. Psychiatrists Celebrate Victory In Long Battle for Parity Law

N.Y. Psychiatrists Celebrate Victory In Long Battle for Parity Law

Partnering With NAMI Strengthens Our Advocacy Efforts

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article From the PresidentFull AccessPartnering With NAMI Strengthens Our Advocacy EffortsPedro Ruiz, M.D.Pedro RuizSearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:20 Oct 2006https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.41.20.0003In this column, I would like to bring you up to date on collaborative efforts I have undertaken with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and its president, Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia, M.D., since becoming APA president. They got off to a running start with my attendance at NAMI's 2006 annual convention in Washington, D.C., this past summer.NAMI's convention attracted more than 2,000 patients, family members of patients, and mental health professionals, who enthusiastically participated in the meeting's scientific and social activities. I was quite impressed by the camaraderie, fervor, and compassion I encountered in all the people I met. Their strong commitment to NAMI's mission and vision was clearly evident in the sessions I attended.I was honored to have been invited to chair the plenary session on research titled “Long-Term Studies, the FDA, and Safety.” After I made my address, Jeffrey Lieberman, M.D., Gary Sachs, M.D., and Lawrence Greenhill, M.D., made presentations on the theme of “What Works, What Does Not Work, and How Long We Need to Wait to Find Out.” Although I learned a lot from each of these three leading researchers, I learned even more from the questions asked by patients and family members—they offered a perspective on the issues being discussed that we sometimes overlook. I wished that all the psychiatry residents with whom I work at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston would have been there with me. Future generations of psychiatrists could become more sensitive practitioners and greatly expand their understanding of what it's like to have a mental illness and face difficult treatment and access-to-care issues by viewing the experience through the lenses of patients and their families.Also during the convention, I attended the NAMI Scientific Council Meeting. Again, discussions about research priorities, ethical dilemmas related to research, and patient-oriented perspectives were discussed by mental health investigators (mostly psychiatrists), patients, mental health advocates, and NAMI staff, including Medical Director Kenneth Duckworth, M.D., and Director of Policy and Legal Affairs Ron Honberg, J.D.The time I spent outside of scientific sessions and meetings was useful as well. While perusing exhibits and attending social events, I had plenty of time to exchange information and views with long-time and newly made friends and colleagues. A topic that surfaced often in these discussions was the NAMI report titled “Grading the States 2006: A Report on America's Health Care System for Serious Mental Illness.” I was not surprised that the nation as a whole had received a “D” grade and that no state had received an “A” grade (Psychiatric News, April 21).My attendance at the NAMI convention reaffirmed a decision I had made when I became president of APA to build additional bridges and cement the relationship between APA and NAMI. To this end, I invited Dr. Vogel-Scibilia to address APA's Board of Trustees at its 2006 retreat, which took place in July, and its meeting that followed immediately afterward. At the retreat, Dr. Vogel-Scibilia focused on the need to advocate for “humane care,” which is a component of the theme I have selected for my presidency and for the 2007 annual meeting. (The complete theme is “Addressing Patient Needs: Access, Parity, and Humane Care.”) At the Board meeting, she talked about NAMI's mission and potential areas for stronger collaboration with APA based on shared objectives and common goals.Her two presentations and the discussion that followed led to further plans for collaboration; among them, a NAMI/APA summit of the organizations' top leadership, which is scheduled for December 9 in Arlington, Va. The agenda is now being developed. I am confident that the summit will lead to more efficient and effective efforts on the part of APA and NAMI to achieve universal access to health care, coverage of psychiatric treatments at full parity with medical/surgical treatments, and a reformed mental health system in which “humane care”—that is, high-quality care to which all Americans have equal access—prevails at all times. ▪ ISSUES NewArchived