PatientEngagementHIT (1/24, Heath) reports, “Adults over age 65 in the US have more cost-related mental healthcare access challenges than seniors in other similarly developed nations, according to a recent assessment from the Commonwealth Fund,” and older people in the US “are significantly more likely to have to forgo mental healthcare access because they can’t afford it.” This is despite the fact that “health payer coverage under Medicare promises at least some degree of mental health coverage, the report pointed out.”

Related Links:

— “US Mental Healthcare Access Trails Other Nations’ Due to Cost “Sara Heath, Patient Engagement HIT, January 24, 2022

Healio (1/24, Swain) reports, “Higher levels of anxiety were linked to increases in cardiometabolic risk biomarkers over time in men, researchers” concluded in an analysis that “included 1,561 men (mean age, 53 years at baseline; 97% white) from the Normative Aging Study who in 1975 were free from” cardiovascular disease “or cancer and completed assessments of neuroticism and worry.”

HealthDay (1/24, Mann) reports, “Men who reported higher levels of anxiety had a 10% to 13% greater chance of reaching high biological risk for heart disease, stroke or diabetes during the 40-year follow-up period, the researchers” concluded. HealthDay adds, “The study wasn’t designed to say how worry and anxiety increase risks for disease, but worriers were more likely to smoke, consume alcohol and not exercise regularly.” The findings were published Jan. 24 online ahead of print in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Related Links:

— “Anxiety elevates cardiometabolic risk over time in men “Erik Swain, Healio, January 24, 2022

Health Exec (1/21, O’Connor) reported, “Physicians working across all medical specialties are more stressed than ever, with 47% of the workforce feeling burned out, according to new survey data from Medscape.” The “figure is up from last year’s mark of 42%, with major increases among emergency settings and providers.” Emergency physicians “were followed by those working in critical care (56%), OB/GYN (53%), infectious disease (51%) and family medicine (51%).” Meanwhile, “The least burned-out specialties included public health & preventative medicine (26%), dermatology (33%), pathology (35%) and oncology (36%).”

Related Links:

— “Burnout is up compared to last year, with nearly 50% of physicians now affected “Matt O’Connor, Health Exec, January 21, 2022

CNN (1/22, LaMotte) reported growing research suggests that alcohol use has increased amid the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among women. Massachusetts General Hospital Substance Use Disorders Initiative medical director Dr. Sarah Wakeman said, “The data we have shows that drinking is definitely up since the start of the pandemic – around a 14% increase in the number of drinking days per month.” Dr. Wakeman added, “There’s actually been a 41% increase in heavy drinking days among women since onset of the pandemic.”

Related Links:

— “The pandemic may have created a nation of problem drinkers — and many are women “Sandee LaMotte, CNN, January 22, 2022

MedPage Today (1/21, Monaco) reported, “A ‘substantial increase’ in physicians in Canada sought mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic,” investigators concluded. After examining data on “nearly 35,000 practicing physicians in Ontario,” the study team found that “the overall annual number of outpatient mental health and substance use visits increased by 27% per 1,000 physicians – from 816.8 pre-pandemic to 1,037.5 during the pandemic.” In other words, “this equated to a 13% increase in the rate of mental health and substance use visits per physician during the pandemic…an increase that appeared driven by those who had no prior mental health or substance use history.” The findings were published online Jan. 21 in JAMA Network Open.

Psychiatric News (1/21) reported, “Psychiatrists had the highest rate of visits (3,441.5 visits per 1,000 physicians) and surgeons had the lowest rates of visits (370.9 visits per 1,000 physicians),” with “visits related to anxiety and adjustment reactions” having the overall “largest increases during the pandemic.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

PatientEngagementHIT (1/20, Rodriguez) reports, “Through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS will release $13 million in grants for organizations in rural areas to expand behavioral healthcare access.” The awards “will increase services that address health disparities in rural America, such as trauma-informed treatment for substance use disorder.” Eligible applicants “include all public or private entities…, federally recognized tribes, tribal organizations, and community- and faith-based organizations.”

Related Links:

— “HRSA Slots $13M to Expand Rural Behavioral Healthcare Access “Sarai Rodriguez, Patient Engagement HIT, January 20, 2022

Modern Healthcare (1/20, Goldman, Subscription Publication) reports HHS has chosen the 45 “grantees for $103 million to address healthcare worker burnout and improve employees’ mental health and well-being, the department announced Thursday.” The grants “will fund projects including hiring resiliency trainers to support healthcare staff, establishing health system-wide wellness programs and devising initiatives to overcome the stigma associated with healthcare workers seeking mental health treatment.” Fierce Healthcare (1/20, King) reports the program “will give $28.6 million to 10 grantees to help healthcare organizations create or expand mental health and well-being programs. Another $68.2 million will go towards 34 grantees to create evidence-based training development in health and nursing training activities.

Related Links:

— “HHS awards grants to tackle health worker burnout, well-being “Maya Goldman, Modern Healthcare, January 20, 2022

Healio (1/20, Gramigna) reports, “Prolonged exposure had a slight advantage over cognitive processing therapy for PTSD symptoms, although both treatments offered meaningful improvements, according to results of a randomized clinical trial.” Because of this, “clinicians should consider patient preferences regarding these interventions, researchers noted.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Patient preferences important when considering PTSD treatments, study suggests “Joe Gramigna, Healio, January 20, 2022

HealthDay (1/19, Preidt) reports that “nearly half of U.S. adults” gained weight “during the first year of the pandemic, making a national obesity crisis even worse,” according to a study published in Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Reviews. Investigators “surveyed more than 3,400 adults and found that 48% said they gained weight during the first 12 months of the pandemic.” Furthermore, the investigators “found that people were more likely to have gained weight if they were overweight before the pandemic…, had children at home…, had depression or anxiety…, or checked body weight within the last six months.”

Related Links:

— “Nearly Half of Americans Gained Weight in Pandemic’s First Year “Robert Preidt, HealthDay , January 19, 2022

PatientEngagementHIT (1/19, Heath) says a report from “patient experience consulting and surveying firm” NRC Health “outlined a future for 2022 defined by still subpar preventive care access and a need for better mental health offerings.” Despite the gains in “access to care in 2021, the NRC Health authors stated that preventive care is still sorely lacking, while the industry confronts a mounting mental health crisis.” While telehealth proved effective at the pandemic’s onset, the report “advised healthcare organizations to critically consider the services and populations for whom telehealth is truly effective,” noting decreased usage for the service among “ophthalmology, dermatology, and orthopedic surgery.”

Related Links:

— “Preventive Care Access, Mental Health Left Wanting Ahead of 2022 ” Sara Heath, Patient Engagement HIT, January 19, 2022