HealthDay (1/6, Thompson) reported, “Supervised exercise programs are associated with significant reductions in symptoms of depression among children and teenagers,” investigators concluded in the findings of a 21-study systematic review and meta-analysis “involving more than 2,400” children. The findings were published online Jan. 3 in JAMA Pediatrics. Additionally, the systematic review “revealed a greater benefit from exercise among children who had already been diagnosed with depression or another mental illness.” Anish Dube, MD, MPH, Vice Chair of the American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Children, Adolescents, and Their Families, stated that “‘in a sense, physical activity itself is similar to an intervention that we would call behavioral activation,’ in which patients engage in meaningful activities to subvert…depressive lethargy.”

Related Links:

— “Exercise, Sports: A Natural Antidepressant for Teens “Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, January 6, 2023

According to HCPlive (1/6, Walter), “research indicates motor impairment as a child could be a risk factor for” schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. For the study, “investigators used data from 437 children born in Denmark between Sept. 1, 2004 and Aug. 31, 2009 with no, one, or two parents born in Denmark with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.” The study then “assessed motor development and its association with psychotic experiences in children with familial high risk…of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder compared to a control group.” The findings were published online Jan. 4 in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Early Motor Impairment Could Forecast Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder “Kenny Walter, HCPlive, January 6, 2023

MedPage Today (1/5, George) reports, “Some health conditions associated with dementia appeared early and consistently long before diagnosis, while others became significant much later,” investigators concluded in findings published online in the Annals of Neurology. After evaluating “data for 347 people with Alzheimer’s disease, 76 people with vascular dementia, and 811 control participants without dementia,” researchers found that “for people with a subsequent diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, the earliest and most consistent associations at all time points over a 15-year span included depression, erectile dysfunction, gait abnormalities, hearing loss, and nervous and musculoskeletal symptoms.” For people “eventually diagnosed with vascular dementia, the earliest and most consistent associations across 13 years were an abnormal electrocardiogram…cardiac dysrhythmias, cerebrovascular disease, non-epithelial skin cancer, depression, and hearing loss.”

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (1/5) reports, “Aerobic physical activity may be associated with reduced depressive symptoms in children and adolescents, especially among teens over age 13,” investigators concluded in the findings of a 21-study systematic review and meta-analysis encompassing 2,441 participants. The findingswere published online Jan. 3 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Physical Activity Found Effective for Reducing Depression Symptoms in Youth, Psychiatric News, January 5, 2023

Medscape (1/5, Brooks, Subscription Publication) reports researchers have proposed “a conceptual model of personal recovery after attempted suicide” called “the COURAGE model.” The model, which was “developed by a panel of mental health professionals and individuals who have attempted suicide…has seven themes: choosing life, optimizing identity, understanding oneself, rediscovering meaning, acceptance, growing connectedness, and empowerment.” It places its focus “on nonclinical factors such as helping people find meaning and purpose in their lives.” The model was described in findings published online Nov. 17 in BJPsych Open.

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— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

According to Healio (1/5), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) “announced the results of its annual national survey on drug use and” mental “health for 2021” in a Jan. 4 press release. This report“includes selected estimates by race, ethnicity and age group, comprising the most comprehensive report on substance use and mental health indicators SAMHSA has released to date.”

MedPage Today (1/5, Monaco) reports, “Both adolescents and adults pinned some blame on the COVID-19 pandemic for negatively impacting their mental health,” with nearly “half of adolescents who experienced a major depressive episode and half of adults with a serious mental illness” saying that “the pandemic negatively affected their mental health ‘quite a bit or a lot.’”

Related Links:

— “SAMHSA releases 2021 survey on mental health, substance use “Shenaz Bagha, Healio, January 5, 2023

Healio (1/4, Herpen) reports, “For those with major depressive disorder” (MDD), “early intervention is crucial to address treatment-resistant depression” (TRD), “which may lead to higher disease burden on the patient and health care system,” investigators concluded in a study that “identified a total of 158,169 unipolar MDD episodes among 145,577 individuals between January 2012 and December 2017.” From this group of patients, “12,793 episodes (11%) qualified for consideration as TRD.” The findings were published online Dec. 14 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Intervention key for major depressive disorder to prevent treatment-resistant depression “Robert Herpen, Healio, January 4, 2023

NBC News (1/4, Dunn, Snow) reports on the growing number of “ketamine clinics, which offer the drug off-label as either an infusion or an injection for a wide variety of mental health problems.” Because ketamine “has FDA approval, any doctor can prescribe it off-label.” Smita Das, MD, PhD, MPH, Chair of the American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Addiction Psychiatry, stated, “The concern with these clinics’ popping up is that people are getting treatments that haven’t been well-proven, well-studied or following any guidelines.” Dr. Das added, “My concern is that people who need treatment will spend their money and energy in these ketamine clinics that aren’t well-proven.” To date, “only a few small studies have looked at its benefits for other mental health conditions beyond treatment-resistant depression, and the American Psychiatric Association doesn’t provide specific guidelines for its use.”

Related Links:

— “Ketamine clinics for mental health are popping up across the U.S. Does the treatment work? “Lauren Dunn and Kate Snow, NBC News, January 4, 2023

Psychiatric News (1/4) reports, “Youth who make threats of violence against others at school often have a range of psychiatric and learning disorders,” researchers concluded in a study that “included 157 youth aged five to 18 years…51.6% were receiving special education services.” Additionally, the study revealed that “many of these youth report having been bullied, and more than half have a history of traumatic family events.” The findings were published online ahead of print Jan. 2 in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Youth Who Threaten Violence at School May Have Psychiatric, Learning Problems, Psychiatric News, January 4, 2023

According to the New York Times (1/3, Barry), “children who habitually checked their social media feeds at around age 12 showed a distinct trajectory, with their sensitivity to social rewards from peers heightening over time,” while “teenagers with less engagement in social media followed the opposite path, with a declining interest in social rewards.” Researchers arrived at these conclusions after conducting “successive” functional magnetic resonance imaging “brain scans of middle schoolers between the ages of 12 and 15, a period of especially rapid brain development.” The findings were published online in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/03/health/social-media-brain-adolescents.html “Ellen Barry, The New York Times, January 3, 2023