Publications on Mental Health Topics

Religious faith linked to suicidal behavior in LGBQ adults, by Anne Harding, Reuters, Apr 13 2018.

“Although religiosity is generally tied to reduced suicide risk, the opposite may be true for some young lesbian, gay and questioning adults, researchers say. Based on data from more than 21,000 U.S. college students, researchers found that greater religious feeling and engagement was tied to increased risk of suicidal thoughts and actions for participants who identified as LGBQ...Questioning youth had the highest rate of recent thoughts about suicide, at 16.4 percent, compared with 3.7 percent of heterosexuals, 6.5 percent of lesbian/gay individuals and 11.4 percent of bisexuals. ”

Irritability in childhood linked to teen suicide risk, by Cheryl Platzman Weinstock , Reuters, Apr 11 2018.

“Most children experience mood swings from time to time, but kids with chronic irritability and serious depression or anxiety are at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts in adolescence, suggests a large Canadian study. Based on records for 1,430 children followed for up to 17 years, researchers found that those who were particularly irritable and depressed or anxious between ages 6 and 12 were twice as likely as peers to think about suicide or make a suicide attempt between ages 13 and 17. ”

Using transgender youths' chosen names may lower suicide risk, by Rachel Gurevich , Reuters, Apr 10 2018.

“When a transgender youth chooses a new name, it’s important for friends, relatives and acquaintances to use that chosen name, a new study suggests.  For those who selected a different name from the one given at birth, being called by the chosen name reduced depressive symptoms and overall suicidal risk, researchers found.  The reduction in mental health risks was strongest when the chosen name was used in multiple contexts, like at home, at school, at work, and among friends. ”

Traumatic Brain Injuries Are Tied to Dementia, by Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times, Apr 10 2018.

“In the largest study of its kind, researchers have found that traumatic brain injury is associated with an increased risk of dementia. The risk of dementia was highest among people who had suffered multiple T.B.I.s. But even a single mild T.B.I. was tied to an increased risk of dementia...they found that compared with people who had never had a T.B.I., those who had had any were at a 24 percent increased risk for dementia, and those who had had five or more had nearly triple the risk. ”

Antidepressants in pregnancy tied to changes in babies' brains, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Apr 9 2018.

“Babies’ brains may develop differently when their mothers take antidepressants during pregnancy, a small U.S. study suggests. Researchers examined brain scans of 16 newborns whose mothers took medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for depression during pregnancy. They also studied 21 babies whose mothers had untreated depression during pregnancy, and 61 infants born to women without depression. Infants whose mothers took SSRIs had greater brain volume in regions of the brain that are critical for emotional processing, compared to babies whose mothers had untreated depression or were not experiencing depression, the study found. ”

To Treat Pain, PTSD And Other Ills, Some Vets Try Tai Chi, by Blake Farmer, NPR, Apr 2 2018.

“This idea of going beyond prescriptions — and especially beyond opioids — in dealing with different sorts of pain and trauma has become a focus of the VA nationally. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has given $120,000 in grant money to Guo to spread his special wheelchair tai chi curriculum.  In addition to making a vet feel better physically, the VA also hopes these alternative therapies might help ease symptoms of conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder.  Guo, a medical anthropologist at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, has modified his tai chi to work from a seated position. Even though many of the participants aren't in wheelchairs, using the mobile chairs makes it easier for them to get through a half-hour of movement. ”

Where marijuana is legal, opioid prescriptions fall, studies find, by Kate Sheridan, Stat News, Apr 2 2018.

“As more states legalize medical and recreational marijuana, doctors may be replacing opioid prescriptions with suggestions to visit a local marijuana dispensary...One of the two new studies found that people on Medicare filled 14 percent fewer prescriptions for opioids after medical marijuana laws were passed in their states. The second study found that Medicaid enrollees filled nearly 40 fewer opioid prescriptions per 1,000 people each year after their state passed any law making cannabis accessible — with greater drops seen in states that legalized both medical and recreational marijuana. ”

Impossible Perfection, by Daniel Summers, Slate, Mar 30 2018.

“Earlier this year, a survey conducted jointly by the Trevor Project, the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), and Reasons Eating Disorder Center reported a shockingly high rate of eating disorders among LGBTQ youth. Of the 1,034 respondents to the survey, all LGBTQ-identifying people between 13–24 years old, 54 percent had been diagnosed with an eating disorder, and an additional 21 percent suspected they may have one despite lacking a formal diagnosis. While these results aren’t perfectly representative, they call much-needed attention to a serious problem within our community.  ”

For ‘tween girls, social media use tied to wellbeing in teen years, by Shereen Lehman, Reuters, Mar 29 2018.

“Girls who spend the most time on social media at age 10 may be unhappier in their early teens than peers who use social media less during the ‘tween years, a UK study suggests...'Our findings suggest that young girls, those aged 10, who are more interactive with social media have lower levels of wellbeing by age 15 than their peers who interact with social media less at age 10. We did not find any similar patterns for boys, suggesting that any changes in their wellbeing may not be due to social media,' said lead author Cara Booker, a researcher at the University of Essex. ”

Parental Conflict Can Cause Lasting Emotional Damage to Kids, by Traci Pedersen, Psych Central, Mar 29 2018.

“Children who regularly witness parental conflict may be sustaining lasting harm to their emotional processing abilities, potentially becoming overvigilant, anxious and vulnerable to misreading even neutral human interactions, according to a new study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. The findings are particularly strong for children who are naturally shy and sensitive...The findings have significant implications, according to Schermerhorn, because they shed light on the impact relatively low-level adversity like parental conflict can have on children’s development. ”

Addressing Depression Symptoms May Improve Memory & Cognition, by Rick Nauert, PhD, Psych Central, Mar 28 2018.

“New research suggests that evaluation and treatment of symptoms of depressionmay improve or maintain cognitive functioning in some older patients diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers said that individuals with worse depression and mood symptoms are more likely to develop MCI and to progress from MCI to dementia...'The implication is that successfully identifying and providing effective treatment for these neuropsychiatric symptoms, including depression, may potentially improve or maintain cognitive functioning in many older adults,' explained corresponding author Robert Stern, Ph.D. ”

Scans Show Differences in Brains of Preschoolers With A.D.H.D., by Perri Klass, M.D., New York Times, Mar 26 2018.

“A new study that found significant differences in the brains of preschoolers with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may help parents understand that extremes of behavior can reflect differences in biological 'wiring.' Those who feel blamed — or blame themselves — for their small children’s behavioral issues will be likely to watch with interest as this long-term study progresses...Dr. Mahone, the director of the department of neuropsychology at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, and his colleagues did advanced brain scans on 90 4- and 5-year-old children. Of those, 52 had symptoms of A.D.H.D., and the other 38 were carefully matched controls, similar in age, gender, socioeconomic status, I.Q. and language function. The brains of the children with A.D.H.D. symptoms were significantly different than the brains of the control children, with 'really widespread changes,' Dr. Mahone said. ”

Written on the Body: Letters from Trans and Non-Binary Survivors of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, by Edited by Lexie Bean. Foreword and additional pieces by Dean Spade, Nyala Moon, Alex Valdes, Sawyer DeVuyst and Leshai Bailey., Mar 21 2018.

“Written by and for trans and non-binary survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, Written on the Body offers support, guidance and hope for those who struggle to find safety at home, in the body, and other unwelcoming places. This collection of letters written to body parts weaves together narratives of gender, identity, and abuse. It is the coming together of those who have been fragmented and often met with disbelief. The book holds the concerns and truths that many trans people share while offering space for dialogue and reclamation. ”

Childhood `toxic stress’ leads to parenting challenges later on, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Mar 21 2018.

“Parents who endured “toxic stress” during childhood may be more likely to have kids with developmental delays and have a harder time coping with their children’s health issues, new research suggests. Adverse childhood experiences, commonly called ACEs, can include witnessing parents fight or go through a divorce, having a parent with a mental illness or substance abuse problem, or suffering from sexual, physical or emotional abuse...One reason may be that mothers who experience more adversity in childhood have more health risks during pregnancy and, in turn, have babies with a greater risk of developmental problems, Madigan and colleagues report in one of three papers on the topic published this week in Pediatrics. ”

Guns tied to high suicide risk for teens with self-harm history, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Mar 20 2018.

“Teens and young adults who harm themselves without suicidal intent often kill themselves soon afterward, and the increased risk of death is greatest when guns are involved, a U.S. study suggests...Nonfatal self-harm is common among young people, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among Americans aged 15 to 24, researchers note in Pediatrics. Nearly one-third of young people who die of suicide have nonfatal self-harm events in their final three months of life. ”