Young People and Those Without a High School Degree More Likely to Suffer Untreated Mental Health Disorders

People between ages 18 and 29 and those without a high school degree are more likely to experience anxiety or depression during the pandemic and also are least likely to seek mental health treatment, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that surveyed nearly 800,000 households from August 2020 to February 2021.

Blood test for depression, bipolar disorder offers promise of personalized treatment

Worldwide, 1 in 4 people will suffer from a depressive episode in their lifetime.
While current diagnosis and treatment approaches are largely trial and error, a breakthrough study by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers sheds new light on the biological basis of mood disorders and offers a promising blood test aimed at a precision-medicine approach to treatment.

Psychedelic Science Holds Promise for Mainstream Medicine

A team of UNLV neuroscientists are uncovering how psychedelics affect brain activity. Their work, published recently in Nature: Scientific Reports, shows a strong connection in rodent models between brain activity and behaviors resulting from psychedelic treatment, a step forward in the quest to better understand their potential therapeutic effects.

A Remote, Computerized Training Program Eases Anxiety in Children

Using a computerized and completely remote training program, researchers have found a way to mitigate negative emotions in children. Results support the link between inhibitory control dysfunction and anxiety/depression. EEG results also provide evidence of frontal alpha asymmetry shifting to the left after completing an emotional version of the training. Computerized cognitive training programs can be highly beneficial for children, not just for academics, but for psychological and emotional functioning during a challenging time in their development.

Decreases in Exercise Closely Linked with Higher Rates of Depression during the Pandemic

Exercise has long-been recommended as a cognitive-behavioral therapy for patients of depression, yet new evidence from the University of California of San Diego suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic changed the nature of the relationship between physical activity and mental health.

With unfair police treatment, the tragedy is not limited to the incident itself

Research using a nationally representative sample of more than 12,000 participants shows the collateral consequences victims are likely to confront following unfair treatment by police. Those who are unjustly stopped, searched or questioned by law enforcement will likely experience a range of detrimental outcomes associated with the encounter, including depression, suicidal thoughts, drug use, and a loss of self-efficacy, according to the results.

Mental health app equally effective, half the cost

Digital mental health apps and internet-based treatments could overcome both access problems and provider shortages. But these apps have yet to be adopted in the U.S. healthcare system. One reason is that these apps need payment and reimbursement models that would enable broad adoption.

Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine recently published results to help propel policymakers to create these payment models. They proved that an app to help people with serious mental illness was just as effective as a clinic-based group intervention for half the cost.

Depressed Moms Who Breastfeed Boost Babies’ Mood, Neuroprotection and Mutual Touch

Feeding method and affectionate touch patterns in depressed and non-depressed mothers and babies as well as infant’s EEG activity showed that mother-infant affectionate touch differed as a function of mood and feeding method (breastfeeding and bottle-feeding). Infants in the depressed and bottle-fed group reduced touch toward their mothers while breastfeeding had a positive effect on both mother and baby. Infants of depressed and breastfeeding mothers showed neither behavioral nor brain development dysregulation previously found in infants of depressed mothers.

Stay-at-home orders tied to an increase in harmful alcohol consumption, study finds

Binge drinkers increased their alcohol consumption by nearly 20% during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, according to new research by public health experts at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). Their study, published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, is one of the first to analyze the association of stress caused by the pandemic and dangerous alcohol consumption.

More Young Adults Are Thinking About Suicide and Death, National Survey Finds

More than one-third of young adults in the United States report having thoughts of death and suicide, while nearly half show at least moderate symptoms of depression, according to a nationwide survey led by researchers from Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Harvard Medical School, Northeastern, Harvard and Northwestern universities.

Brain magnetic stimulation for veterans with concussion: Need is high, but evidence is limited

Studies using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a noninvasive technique, to help veterans and active-duty service members living with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other lasting consequences of concussion have shown promise. However, there’s an urgent need for studies designed to address the unique patterns of post-concussion symptoms seen in military populations, concludes a review in the November/December issue of the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation (JHTR). The official journal of the Brain Injury Association of America, JHTR is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Patients with Depression, Anxiety, and Bulimia at Heightened Risk of Unhealthy Drinking and Associated Health Issues

People experiencing depression, anxiety disorder, or bulimia are at heightened risk of unhealthy drinking, according to a new study involving more than two million patients. Unhealthy drinking is known to frequently co-occur with behavioral health conditions, potentially impeding disease management and leading to more serious problems such as alcohol use disorder (AUD) and chronic medical issues. Although one in four US adults drink beyond recommended limits, little is known about the relationship between particular psychiatric diagnoses and varying levels of alcohol consumption. The study in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research aimed to change that.

Psychedelic Treatment with Psilocybin Relieves Major Depression, Study Shows

In a small study of adults with major depression, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report that two doses of the psychedelic substance psilocybin, given with supportive psychotherapy, produced rapid and large reductions in depressive symptoms, with most participants showing improvement and half of study participants achieving remission through the four-week follow-up.

CHOP Genomic Study Reveals Role for Hypothalamus in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Using sophisticated 3D genomic mapping and integrating with public data resulting from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have found significant genetic correlations between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and stress and depression. The researchers went on to implicate new genes involved in IBD risk that are enriched in both derived hypothalamic neurons, from a part of the brain that has a vital role in controlling stress and depression, and organoids derived from colon cells, a region more commonly studied in the context of IBD.

Multiple Paths to Recovery Among Patients With Co-Occurring Alcohol Use and Mental Health Disorders

A study has revealed diverse routes to recovery among people with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders admitted for psychiatric inpatient care, while highlighting that some patients need additional support. Problem drinkers who also have a psychiatric condition — such as major depressive disorder (MDD) — often struggle to sustain long-term recovery following treatment. Mutual health groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) can provide an ongoing source of recovery support for alcohol misuse, and involvement with AA is also linked to improvement in depression. However, it was not known how depression and involvement influence drinking during and after inpatient psychiatric treatment, and how they predict recovery. The new study, reported in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, investigated long-term trajectories of alcohol use, depression, and AA involvement over time among patients with co-occurring diagnoses.

Recognizing signs of depression in teens as we head into a difficult winter

As National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month comes to a close, and health officials warn of a difficult pandemic winter ahead, it’s important for parents to know how to identify symptoms of depression in their teenagers — and what…

McLean Hospital Sponsors National Stop a Suicide Today Town Hall

October 21 is National Stop a Suicide Today. In a collaboration between Stop a Suicide Today, the American Psychiatric Association, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and McLean Hospital, have scheduled a virtual Town Hall featuring talks by leading experts on the rising suicide rate, stigma, safety, the impact of COVID-19, and more.