Publications on Mental Health Topics

Young people with opioid addiction not getting proper treatment, by Linda Carroll, Reuters, Sep 10 2018.

“ The vast majority of young people struggling with addiction to opioids are not receiving medications that have been recommended to treat their disease, a new study shows. Only one in four received one of the medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration - methadone, buprenorphine or naltrexone - within three months of their diagnosis, according to the report in JAMA Pediatrics. The situation was even worse for the younger people with addiction, researchers found. Just one in 21 adolescents under age 18 received one of the guideline-recommended medications, researchers found. 'This study shows that the great majority of youth are not receiving treatment recommended in evidence-based guidelines,' said the study’s lead author, Dr. Scott Hadland, a pediatrician and addiction specialist at the Grayken Center for Addiction at the Boston Medical Center. 'That’s really concerning because the data suggest that when people do receive medication they are much more likely to remain in treatment.' Remaining in treatment can be the difference between life and death, Hadland said. ”

Experts identify 10 research priorities for digital technology in mental health care, by Savannah Demko, The Lancet Psychiatry, Sep 7 2018.

““Research has shown the promise, but also the limitations, of different mental health technologies, including internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for various mental health conditions,” Chris Hollis, PhD, from the University of Nottingham Institute of Mental Health, England, and colleagues wrote in The Lancet Psychiatry. “To date, the research agenda relating to mental health digital technology has largely been influenced by the research community, technology developers, and health policy makers, with little reference to, or input from, people with mental health problems, their families and carers, or non-academic clinicians,” they continued. “However, to avoid harms, increase benefit and sustain impact, it is important that user needs and priorities drive digital technology development in mental health.” ”

Discrimination fears tied to teen drinking and smoking, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Sep 6 2018.

“Adolescents who worry about discrimination in society may be more likely to drink, smoke or experiment with drugs than teens who don’t have these concerns, a U.S. study suggests...For the study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers surveyed 2,572 high school students once in eleventh grade and again a year later to see how often they experienced stress, worry or concern regarding 'increasing hostility and discrimination of people because of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation/identity, immigrant status, religion, or disability status in society...'As kids’ scores rose higher above the average, the greater their odds of risky behavior a year later. Each one-unit standard deviation increase above the average scores in 2016 was associated with 77 percent higher odds that students used cigarettes in 2017, 13 percent higher likelihood that they used marijuana, and 11 percent greater odds that they used alcohol...the effects did appear more pronounced for students of color at the 10 Los Angeles high schools where the surveys were conducted.   ”

MRI Shows How Facial Expressions Can Help Diagnose Bipolar or Depression, by Rick Nauert, PhD, Psych Central, Sep 5 2018.

“Brain imaging technology that traces the way neurons react when a person processes facial expressions such as anger, fear, sadness, disgust and happiness can help determine if a person has bipolar disorder or depression...In people with bipolar disorder, the left side of the amygdala is less active and less connected with other parts of the brain than in people with depression. Lead researcher Dr. Mayuresh Korgaonkar from the University of Sydney believes these differences could potentially be used in the future to differentiate bipolar disorder from depressive disorders. ”

ADHD diagnoses may be rising in U.S., by Linda Carroll, Reuters, Aug 31 2018.

“The number of children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the U.S. appears to have increased dramatically, a new study finds. Between 1997 and 2016, the proportion of children diagnosed with ADHD rose from 6.1 percent to 10.2 percent, researchers reported in JAMA Network Open...Experts suggested that some of the “diagnoses” might be incorrect. 'You really have to interpret the study with caution,' said Amie Bettencourt, an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 'The authors acknowledge that they used parents’ reports of whether a doctor or health professional had told them their child had ADHD,' Bettencourt said. 'That opens a can of worms. There are a lot of conditions that include attention problems and hyperactivity as symptoms. It’s possible it’s on the rise. But it’s also possible that these could be symptoms of something else.' ”

U.S. deaths from self-injury surpass those from diabetes, by Linda Carroll, Reuters, Aug 29 2018.

“More people in the U.S. are dying from self-inflicted harm, including suicide and drug overdose, than from diabetes, a new study suggests. In 2016, for every 100,000 people, 29 deaths were due to self-injury and 25 were due to diabetes, researchers found when they looked at data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...The surge in self-injury deaths was largely driven by increases among men, whose rates of self-inflicted death had already outstripped diabetes deaths by 2002, the researchers note. Among women, diabetes deaths continued to exceed self-inflicted ones during the study period, but the gap narrowed dramatically over time. In 2000, there were four diabetes deaths among women for every self-injury death; in 2016, that ratio shrank to 1.6 diabetes deaths for every self-injury death. ”

Maternal depression can impact baby's physical and mental health, by Linda Carroll, Reuters, Aug 24 2018.

“Children with depressed mothers may end up with altered immune responses and at greater risk for psychological disorders, a new study suggests. Maternal depression may have a significant effect on the way children’s brains work, the researchers write in the journal Depression & Anxiety...Feldman and her colleagues determined that depressed moms had higher levels of cortisol and secretory immunoglobulin. Moreover, the depressed moms also displayed more negative parenting. 'Depressed mothers are less engaged, less empathetic,' Feldman said. They 'show more negative and inconsistent (mood). They are more critical and hostile and are less sensitive to the child’s non-verbal and verbal social communication.' ”

When Meds Barely Dent Depression, Nerve Stimulation May Help, by Rick Nauert, PhD, Psych Central, Aug 23 2018.

“A new national study finds that for people whose depression is resistant to drug therapy, nerve stimulation can meaningfully improve their quality of life. Although the nerve stimulation may not completely abate all of the symptoms of depression, significant improvements in mood, ability to work, social relationships, family relationships and leisure activities were cited...Conway believes an improved ability to concentrate may be key to the benefits some patients get from stimulation. 'It improves alertness, and that can reduce anxiety,' he said. 'And when a person feels more alert and more energetic and has a better capacity to carry out a daily routine, anxiety and depression levels decline.' ”

Frequent Home Moves May Increase a Child’s Risk of Psychosis, by Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times, Aug 22 2018.

“Children whose families move homes frequently may be at increased risk for serious psychiatric illness. Researchers followed 1,440,383 children from birth to age 29, including data on residential moves. They found 4,537 cases of psychosis, symptoms of which can include hallucinations and delusions. ”

Heart-healthy lifestyle in old age tied to lower dementia risk, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Aug 22 2018.

“Older adults who take care of their heart may be less likely to develop dementia than people who don’t focus on heart health, a French study suggests. Researchers focused on seven recommendations from the American Heart Association (AHA) for optimal cardiovascular health: not smoking; regularly exercising; routinely eating fish, fruits, and vegetables; avoiding excess weight; and keeping blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels within a healthy range. For an average of 8.5 years, they followed 6,626 people age 65 or older who didn’t have dementia at the start. During the study...about 11 percent, developed dementia. With each additional heart-healthy recommendation they met, people were 10 percent less likely to develop dementia, researchers found. ”

A traumatic brain injury may increase the risk of suicide, study says, by Amy Ellis Nutt, Washington Post, Aug 14 2018.

“Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and disabilityin young adults in the developed world. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24. Though the reasons for any particular suicide are often inscrutable, research published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that at least a fraction of the blame could be placed on traumatic brain injuries....'Individuals with mild TBI, with concussion, had an elevated suicide risk by 81 percent,' said Trine Madsen of the Danish Research Institute of Suicide Prevention, one of the authors of the study. 'But individuals with severe TBI had a higher suicide risk that was more than double [the risk of someone with no TBI].' ”

Treating Teen Depression Might Improve Mental Health Of Parents, Too, by Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, Aug 12 2018.

“An estimated 12.8 percent of adolescents in the U.S. experience at least one episode of major depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. According to previous studies, many of those teens' mental health is linked to depression in their parents. But new research suggests there's a flipside to that parental effect: When teens are treated for depression, their parents' mental health improves, too...When a parent sees their child struggle, it might affect their mood; when the child feels better, their spirits lift as well. Improvement in the child's mental health might also improve communication between parent and child, which might also help improve the parents' depression. The findings may help health care providers deal with the high rates of depression and suicidal thoughts among teenagers, notes Howard. ”

Families Choose Empathy Over 'Tough Love' To Rescue Loved Ones From Opioids, by Martha Bebinger, NPR, Aug 10 2018.

“It was Bea Duncan who answered the phone at 2 a.m. on a January morning. Her son Jeff had been caught using drugs in a New Hampshire sober home and was being kicked out. Bea and her husband, Doug Duncan, drove north that night nine years ago to pick Jeff up. On the ride back home, to Natick, Mass., the parents delivered an ultimatum: Their son had to go back to rehab, or leave home...Doug Duncan says many parents had told him to expect this moment. He remembers them saying their son would have to 'hit rock bottom; you're going to have to kick him out of the house...'Many drug users say, in hindsight, they've appreciated being forced into treatment. But studies show that a compassionate approach and voluntary treatment are the more effective ways to engage drug users in recovery and keep them alive. That's a critical consideration for families in this era of fentanyl, a powerful opioid that can shut down breathing in seconds. ”

Autism Can Mask the Warning Signs of Suicide, by Cheryl Platzman Weinstock and Spectrum, The Atlantic, Aug 10 2018.

“Studies over the past few years hint that suicidal ideation is more common in people with autism than in the general population, but the estimates vary so widely that some experts say they are meaningless. Still, there is some evidence that autistic people are especially vulnerable to suicide: One 2015 study that mined Sweden’s large National Patient Register found that they are 10 times as likely to die by suicide as those in the general population. (Women with autism are particularly at risk, even though men are more so in the general population.) Even when signs of suicidality are apparent, clinicians may dismiss them...Clinicians may wrongly assume that people on the spectrum don’t have complicated emotions, or they may discount their outbursts, says Paul Lipkin, the director of the Interactive Autism Network at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. ”

Psychedelic Drugs Show Promise for Treating Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, by Traci Pedersen, Psych Central, Aug 10 2018.

“New findings add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that psychedelic drugs may be effective at treating a variety of psychological disorders, including depression, social anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and could one day be prescribed to patients...'Combined with psychotherapy, some psychedelic drugs like MDMA, psilocybin and ayahuasca may improve symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder,' said Cristina L. Magalhaes, PhD, of Alliant International University Los Angeles, and co-chair of a symposium on psychedelics and psychotherapy. ”