Publications on Mental Health Topics

Watchdogs Cite Lax Medical And Mental Health Treatment Of ICE Detainees, by Sarah Varney, NPR, Apr 12 2019.

“Article discusses the conditions for detainees in one of the many ICE detention centers, specifically the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. It's a prison-like facility north of San Bernardino, Calif. A disability rights group says it's failing to provide adequate mental health care to detainees.  ”

Suicidal thoughts, attempts sending more U.S. kids to emergency rooms, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Apr 10 2019.

“The number of kids and teens visiting U.S. emergency rooms after considering or attempting suicide has almost doubled in recent years, according to a new study, suggesting these young patients may not be getting the mental health care they need. ”

Yoga may help ease mood disorders in Parkinson's patients, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Apr 9 2019.

“People with Parkinson’s disease may have less anxiety and depression when they practice yoga focused on mindfulness and breathing exercises, a small experiment suggests. ”

Children who live near major roads are more likely to have developmental delays, study says, by Susan Scutti, CNN, Apr 8 2019.

“Highways often cause parents to worry about their children's physical safety, yet there may be other important concerns. Young children who live near a major roadway are twice as likely to score lower on tests of communications skills than those who live farther away, new research indicates. ”

Scientists Test Whether Brain Stimulation Could Help Sharpen Aging Memory, by Jonathan Lambert, Npr, Apr 8 2019.

“A study published in Nature Neuroscience demonstrates a link between mismatched brain rhythms and declines in working memory in older adults and shows that a precise form of electrical stimulation applied to the scalp can coax these brain areas back into sync. ”

Activists call for supervised injection sites for drug users, by unknown, AP, Apr 6 2019.

“Activists are hoping to persuade Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and state lawmakers to allow drug user to shoot up at supervised injection sites in Massachusetts. ”

Major study debunks myth that moderate drinking can be healthy, by Kate Kelland, Reuters, Apr 4 2019.

“Blood pressure and stroke risk rise steadily the more alcohol people drink, and previous claims that one or two drinks a day might protect against stroke are not true, according to the results of a major genetic study. ”

Secrets of Your ADHD Brain, by William Dodson, MD, ADDitude, Mar 27 2019.

More transgender youth seeking care in U.S. military health system, by Will Boggs, MD, Reuters, Mar 26 2019.

“The number of transgender children and adolescents receiving care in the U.S. military health system rose substantially from 2010 to 2017, a new study shows. During that time, the number of children of active or retired military personnel seeking gender-affirming care more than quadrupled, researchers found. Until September 2016, gender-affirming care was not covered for the 1.7 million youth who may be eligible for military health service care based on their parents’ current or prior service. At that point, the Department of Defense enacted a policy allowing children of service members to receive full coverage for nonsurgical transgender and gender-diverse care, researchers note in JAMA Pediatrics. ”

Showing compassion, accepting cultures: Preventing suicide in the Latino community, by Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, CNN, Mar 26 2019.

“Latina teens in the United States have had higher rates of suicide attempts than Caucasian teens and Latino boys for the past 20 years, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey  ”

New Postpartum Depression Drug Could Be Hard To Access For Moms Most In Need, by Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, Mar 21 2019.

“One in nine women in the United States suffer from depression after childbirth. For some women, postpartum depression is so bad that they struggle to care for their children and may even consider or attempt suicide. [...] Depression during pregnancy and soon after childbirth can be debilitating and can even lead to hospitalization for some women. It can prevent a mother from taking care of her baby, which in turn affects the mother-child bonding, the baby's development and emotional well-being. Postpartum depression even increases an infant's risk of having depression later in life. [...] This week, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug that can help, the first drug approved specifically for postpartum depression. While researchers and clinicians are excited about the drug's potential, some foresee obstacles to making it available to women who need it the most. ”

More U.S. youth seeking help during psychiatric emergencies, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Mar 18 2019.

“The number of young people visiting U.S. emergency rooms with psychiatric problems is rising, driven largely by a surge in teens and minority youth seeking urgent help for mental illnesses, a new study suggests. ”

Misophonia: When Life's Noises Drive You Mad, by April Fulton, NPR, Mar 18 2019.

“Misophonia is characterized by intense emotion like rage or fear in response to highly specific sounds, particularly ordinary sounds that other people make. The cause is unknown. For people who suffer from it, mouth sounds are common triggers. "Chewing is almost universal. Gum chewing is almost universal. They also don't like the sound of throat clearing. Coughing, sniffing, nose blowing — a number of things," says Jaelline Jaffe, a psychotherapist in Los Angeles who specializes in misophonia. ”

Fresh Challenges To State Exclusions On Transgender Health Coverage, by Keren Landman, NPR, Mar 12 2019.

“Studies assessing the financial implications of covering transgender-related health care have demonstrated that the cost of care to insurers, including hormones and surgical therapies, is relatively small. Hormone therapy, which around 75 percent of transgender people seek, starts at $20 to $80 a month and is usually taken for the duration of a person's life after transition. Surgeries range widely in type and cost anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000 each, although many trans people don't desiresurgical treatment. Perhaps of even greater significance is the finding that providing this coverage is cost-effective. Untreated gender dysphoria leads to high rates of adverse — and expensive – outcomes, including HIV infection, depression, suicidality and drug abuse. The cost of accepting these outcomes outweighs the cost of treating their cause. ”

VA Struggles To Unlock The Reasons Behind High Suicide Rates Among Older Veterans, by Steve Walsh, NPR, Mar 11 2019.

“The VA National Suicide Data Report for 2005 to 2016, which came out in September 2018, highlights an alarming rise in suicides among veterans age 18 to 34 — 45 per 100,000 veterans. Younger veterans have the highest rate of suicide among veterans, but those 55 and older still represent the largest number of suicides. Moreover, the suicide rate for older veterans is higher than that of non-veterans. For veterans age 55 to 74 years old, the rate of suicide is 26 per 100,000, while nationally, the suicide rate in the same age group is 17.4 per 100,000. The rate ticks up even higher for veterans over 85 years old. ”