MedPage Today (12/4, Hlavinka) reports, “Patients with chronic or recurrent major depressive disorder [MDD] who achieved recovery had a higher chance of sustaining recovery when they stayed on maintenance antidepressant medication,” researchers concluded in “randomized phase II trial.” The study revealed that “among 292 adults who had achieved recovery with either medication treatment alone or combined with cognitive behavioral therapy…recurrence was significantly less likely among patients who stayed on maintenance therapy compared with those who were withdrawn from medication treatment, regardless of whether they achieved remission through medication alone” or “with combined treatment.”

Psychiatric News (12/4) reports, “Maintenance of antidepressant medication treatment was associated with a reduced risk of depressive recurrence, but previous treatment with cognitive-behavioral therapy was not,” the study revealed. The findings were published online Dec. 4 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Study Raises New Questions About How Best to Reduce Risk of Depression Recurrence, Psychiatric News, December 4, 2019

In the New York Times (12/3), pediatrician and author Cara Natterson, MD, writes, “One of the biggest myths about the beauty myth is that it’s female,” because “boys suffer from unrealistic beauty standards, too.” Natterson observes, “Many thoughtful researchers have offered up data about male body dysmorphia, showing that body image concerns and eating disorders alike are basically gender neutral.” For that reason, “we need to call out the disconnect between ideal health and ideal physique for boys, something we have done for females for many years now.” Boys need to be asked “about their experiences as emerging men in a culture often saturated with toxic masculinity; about their knowledge of what’s actually happening to their changing bodies; about the pressures associated with body goals.” Natterson concludes, “The key to raising boys begins with dialogue.”

Related Links:

— “The Beauty Myth for Boys, “Cara Natterson, The New York Times, December 3, 2019

Medscape (12/3, Anderson, Subscription Publication) reports, “Individuals with opioid use disorder are at high risk for overdose even after 18 months of treatment,” research indicated. In the study that “included 8996 adult Medicaid recipients who initiated buprenorphine therapy, continued on this treatment for a minimum of six months, and maintained Medicaid enrollment for at least six months after stopping their use of buprenorphine,” researchers “found that among patients who were treated with buprenorphine continuously for six to 18 months, about 5% were treated for an opioid overdose within six months of stopping the drug.” In all likelihood, “the true rate is…higher, inasmuch as the researchers were unable to take into account patients who overdosed but who did not present at the hospital for treatment.” The findings were published online Dec. 2 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Discontinuing Buprenorphine Too Soon ‘Life-Threatening’, “Pauline Anderson, Medscape, December 3, 2019

Reuters (12/2, Carroll) reports researchers found that “firearms are by far the most lethal suicide method, with nearly nine out of 10 attempts being fatal.” Andrew Conner, a medical student at Quinnipiac University and the study’s lead author, said, “A lot of the disparities we see in suicide rates – higher rates in males, older people and rural areas – can be explained by the type of methods people use. Certainly, the use of a firearm in a suicide attempt makes the likelihood of death higher than any other method.” The findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Firearms most lethal suicide method by far in the U.S., “Linda Carroll, Reuters, December 2, 2019

CNN (12/2, Rogers) reports, “High school students in states that require universal background checks on all prospective gun buyers are less likely to carry guns compared to students in states that require background checks only on sales through federally licensed firearms dealers,” research indicated. The study revealed that “on average, 5.8% of nearly 180,000 students who responded to the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey reported carrying a gun during the study period.” The findings were published online in Pediatrics.

HealthDay (12/2, Reinberg) also covers the story.

Related Links:

— “Youth in states requiring universal background checks are less likely to carry guns to school, study says, “Kristen Rogers, CNN, December 2, 2019