Publications on Mental Health Topics

ER Intervention Shown to Reduce New Suicide Attempts, by Janice Wood, Psych Central, Apr 30 2017.

“A clinical trial involving nearly 1,400 suicidal patients in the emergency departments of eight hospitals found that a multifaceted intervention lowered the risk of new suicide attempts by 20 percent...emergency department (ED) patients who received the intervention, which was composed of specialized screening, safety planning guidance, and periodic follow-up phone check-ins, made 30 percent fewer total suicide attempts compared to people who received standard ED care. ”

PTSD risk may be passed down through our DNA, by MIchael Nedelman, CNN, Apr 25 2017.

“A study published today in Molecular Psychiatry sheds new light on why some people might develop PTSD and others don't. For some, the key might lie in their DNA...While the vast majority of the people in the study had experienced trauma, only a quarter of them had been diagnosed with PTSD. Using common genetic markers, the study found evidence of a genetic risk for PTSD... ”

Opioid Addicts in Primary Care 10 Times More Likely to Die, by Traci Pedersen, Psych Central, Apr 24 2017.

“A new study finds that people with opioid addiction who received medical care through a general health care system, such as a primary care practitioner or a large research hospital, were more than 10 times as likely to die during a four-year period than those without substance abuse problems....'The high rates of death among patients with opioid use disorder in a general health care system reported in this study suggest we need strategies to improve detection and treatment of this disorder in primary care settings,' said Dr. Yih-Ing Hser, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).”

The Troubling Link Between Springtime Allergies and Suicide, by Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, Apr 21 2017.

“Across decades and in various countries, suicide is much more common in the spring and early summer than other times of year...In 2005, Postolache and his collaborators found that the suicide rate among young women doubled during peak pollen season, and the rate among older women went up by more than four-fold...'Think of suicide like a pie chart,” said Erick Messias, a psychiatry professor at the University of Arkansas. Various factors, like a family history, or a job loss, or owning a gun, are each potential slices of the pie. 'The moment the pie closes, you have a suicide attempt. For some, [pollen allergies] might be a make-or-break deal that closes the gap.' ”

Just Like Burnout at Work, It’s Possible to Burn Out on Parenting, by Sarah Watts, New York Magazine, Apr 19 2017.

“Parenting is stressful. I don’t need a study to tell me that. But sometimes, it feels more than stressful — it feels like total exhaustion. It feels like burnout. And it’s not just me. In a survey of more than 2,000 parents recently published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, researchers from the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium confirmed what I definitely already knew: Much like working professionals can burn out on their jobs, so too can moms and dads experience 'parental burnout.' ”

The Link Between Opioids and Unemployment, by Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, Apr 18 2017.

“In 2015, more Americans died from drug overdoses than from car accidents and gun homicides combined...A new study suggests unemployment might be one of the factors behind that dramatic rise. The paper, published by NBER last week, finds that as the unemployment rate increases by one percentage point in a given county, the opioid-death-rate rises by 3.6 percent, and emergency-room visits rise by 7 percent. Rather than more people getting injured when jobs are scarce, the authors suspect that the increased use of painkillers is a 'physical manifestation of mental-health problems that have long been known to rise during periods of economic decline.' ”

Probiotics Show Promise in Easing Some Schizophrenia Symptoms, by Traci Pedersen, Psych Central, Apr 12 2017.

“Adding probiotics to the diets of patients with schizophrenia may help treat yeast infections and bowel problems (common conditions in schizophrenia), and in some cases, reduce positive psychiatric symptoms, such as delusions, hallucinations, and hostility, according to a small pilot study at Johns Hopkins Medicine and Sheppard Pratt Health System...'We need to rethink how we study brain disorders such as schizophrenia by looking at clues offered by a whole-body approach and identifying and understanding the basis for dysfunctions that are occurring outside the brain,' said Emily Severance, Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics and part of the Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. ”

Increased risk of fatal injury comes with an autism diagnosis, by Madeline Kennedy, Reuters, Apr 7 2017.

“Young people with autism are about three times more likely than the general population to experience deadly injuries like choking or drowning, according to a U.S. study. Parents and caregivers need to be aware of this increased risk and do what they can to reduce the chances of preventable injuries, for example by helping children with autism to learn to swim as early as possible, the study team writes in American Journal of Public Health...People with autism died significantly younger than the general population, at a mean age of 36 years old, compared to 72 in the general population. Among injury deaths specifically, autistic people died at a mean age of 29, while the mean age among those without autism was 55. ”

Scientists find common antibiotic could prevent or treat PTSD, by Kate Kelland, Reuters, Apr 4 2017.

“A common antibiotic called doxycycline can disrupt the formation of negative thoughts and fears in the brain and may prove useful in treating or preventing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to research by British and Swiss scientists...Scientists said the antibiotic works in this way because it blocks certain proteins outside nerve cells, called matrix enzymes, which our brains need to form memories. 'We have demonstrated a proof-of-principle for an entirely new treatment strategy for PTSD,' said Dominik Bach, a professor at University College London and the University of Zurich, who co-led the research team. ”

Alcohol Use Among Vets with Schizophrenia Is Limited But Troubling, by Traci Pedersen, Psych Central, Apr 3 2017.

“Although veterans with schizophrenia are much more likely to abstain from alcohol than the general population, around 15 percent still report some use and another seven percent report misuse and intoxication, according to a new study at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)...The study shows that there is no safe level of alcohol use for people with schizophrenia, suggesting that clinicians should ask patients with schizophrenia about their drinking habits and advise them about risks. ”

Autism: Why Act Early?, CDC, Apr 3 2017.

“If you’re concerned about your child’s development, don’t wait. You know your child best. Use a developmental milestones checklist, talk with your child’s doctor, and call your local early intervention program. ”

Anorexia nervosa diagnosis more common in women with celiac disease, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Apr 3 2017.

“In a nationwide study, a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa was more likely both before a celiac disease diagnosis, and afterward. In a nationwide study, a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa was more likely both before a celiac disease diagnosis, and afterward...After a celiac disease diagnosis, women were 46 percent more likely to be diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, researchers report in Pediatrics. After an anorexia diagnosis, women had twice the odds of a later diagnosis of celiac disease. ”

Opioid abuse tied to higher suicide risk in veterans, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Mar 24 2017.

“While drug and alcohol problems are associated with a higher risk of suicide among veterans, the increased danger is particularly high with opioid abuse, a U.S. study suggests...The suicide risk is particularly high when veterans misuse prescription sedatives, with more than quadrupled odds of suicide for men and more than 11 times the risk for women, the study also found. Among female veterans, opioids were also tied to a nearly eight-times-higher risk of suicide, while amphetamines and stimulants were tied to almost six times the risk. ”

How To Raise Confident Multiracial Children, Bicultural Familia , Mar 20 2017.

“While our nation is increasingly diverse, there are still factors that can leave kids feeling less than confident about their heritage and wondering where they fit in.  This can cause them to feel marginalized on both sides or like they have to identify with one ethnicity over the other. Now, through the growth of the internet, nearly unlimited resources are available to modern parents who want to educate their children in a variety of cultures.   ”

Prescriptions may hold clues to who gets hooked on opioids, study says, by Nadia Kounang, CNN, Mar 20 2017.

“The duration of a prescription may give clues into how long a person ends up using a narcotic painkiller, a new study finds...Considering that prescription opioids such as oxycodone and hydrocodone were involved in 24% of all drug overdoses in 2015, experts have said, management of prescription drug overdoses is a key element of fighting the opioid epidemic...According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, half of all young people who inject heroin started by abusing painkillers. ”