Psychiatric News (12/22) reports, “More than 1 in 4 respondents to an APA poll said that improving their mental health is on their minds for 2022.” According to the poll [pdf], “just over one-third of respondents (37%) said they are anxious about their mental health going into the new year,” and “among those making resolutions focused on mental health, 53% will meditate, 37% plan to see a therapist, 35% will take a break from social media, 32% will journal, 26% will use a mental health app, and 20% plan to see a psychiatrist specifically.” These “findings are from APA’s Healthy Minds Monthly, a poll conducted by Morning Consult.” APA President Vivian Pender, M.D., said, “The new calendar year for many symbolizes a time for renewal, for trying new things, and, for some, new beginnings.” She added, “To see 1 in 4 Americans focusing on their mental health in this moment is important and encouraging. What is worrisome, although not unexpected, is the level of variation among demographic groups on their overall level of mental health, and we as psychiatrists need to understand those trends.”

Related Links:

— “1 in 4 Americans Wants to Improve Their Mental Health in 2022, Psychiatric News, December 22, 2021

The New York Times (12/22, Hartocollis) reports, “Colleges across the country are facing a mental health crisis, driven in part by the pandemic.” Students “are anxious, socially isolated, depressed – and overwhelming mental health centers,” after nearly “two years of remote schooling, restricted gatherings and constant testing.” Furthermore, the rate of suicides has increased at some universities. University administrations are worried that a second coronavirus surge and set of lockdowns due to the Omicron variant will exacerbate the problem.

Related Links:

— “Another Surge in the Virus Has Colleges Fearing a Mental Health Crisis “Anemona Hartocollis, The New York Times, December 22, 2021

Kaiser Health News (12/21, Szabo) reports, “The pandemic has created a hostile environment for pregnant people and their babies.” Pregnant women infected with COVID-19 “are five times as likely as uninfected pregnant people to require intensive care and 22 times as likely to die.” Furthermore, “babies of covid-infected moms are 60% more likely to be born very prematurely, which increases the danger of infant mortality and long-term disabilities such as cerebral palsy, asthma and hearing loss, as well as a child’s risk of adult disease, including depression, anxiety, heart disease and kidney disease.”

Related Links:

— “Pandemic Poses Short- and Long-Term Risks to Babies, Especially Boys ” Liz Szabo, Kaiser Health News, December 21, 2021

HealthDay (12/21) reports, “Public stigma toward depression seems to have decreased, according to a study.” The findings were published online Dec. 21 in JAMA Network Open.

Psychiatric News (12/21) reports, “To better understand the nature and magnitude of public stigma over two decades for major mental illnesses, the researchers analyzed data from the 1996, 2006, and 2018 U.S. National Stigma Studies, which are part of the General Social Survey,” and “the participants were randomly assigned to one vignette describing a fictitious person with behaviors meeting DSM-4 criteria for schizophrenia, major depression, or alcohol dependence or a control.”

Related Links:

— “Public Stigma Toward Depression Decreased From 2006 to 2018, HealthDay, December 21, 2021

Some people are consuming high doses of loperamide in an attempt to self-manage opioid withdrawal or to achieve a euphoric high. Taking high doses puts these individuals at risk for severe or fatal cardiac events. Help prevent loperamide misuse by educating at-risk patients about the risks of misusing loperamide or taking more than the directed dose. Download the patient fact sheet to share with patients and colleagues and find resources for providers at LoperamideSafety.org.

Related Links:

— “Understanding Loperamide Abuse

The AP (12/20, Alonso-Zaldivar) reports, “People in crisis and those trying to help them will have a new phone number – 988 – to reach the national suicide prevention network starting in July,” now that “federal health officials” from the Department of Health and Human Services on Dec. 20 “announced more than $280 million to smooth the transition from the current 10-digit number to three digits.” In addition to voice calls, the 988 number will “handle text and chat.” People using 988 “will be able to reach trained counselors who belong to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network.”

The Hill (12/20, Coleman) reports, “Before July, Americans needing help should call the current National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.”

Related Links:

— “988 suicide phone hotline getting $282M to ease July launch “Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP, December 20, 2021

Healio (12/17, DeFino) reported, “Sleep disturbance in psychiatrically vulnerable youth may be linked to negative emotional responses to social media,” researchers concluded in a study that “assessed 243 adolescents aged 11 to 18 years who were admitted to an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit between February 2020 and January 2021 and examined their relationships with social media, clinical outcomes and sleep disturbances.” The findings were published in the December issue of the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

Related Links:

— “Social media linked to sleep disturbance in psychiatrically vulnerable youth “Anthony DeFino, Healio, December 17, 2021

Psychiatric News (12/17) reported, “A history of childhood trauma, including abuse and neglect, is common among patients who experience first-episode psychosis [FEP],” investigators concluded after examining “data from 100 hospitalized patients with first-episode psychosis and 94 volunteers with no history of first-episode psychosis in the PROFEP study.” The study revealed that approximately “61% of patients with first-episode psychosis reported having experienced childhood trauma compared with roughly 17% of people who did not have first-episode psychosis,” with “the most frequent childhood trauma” being “emotional abuse.” The findings were published Dec. 15 online ahead of print in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

Related Links:

— “Childhood Trauma Linked to First-Episode Psychosis, Psychiatric News, December 17, 2021

Healio (12/17, Salvaryn) reported, “Psychotherapy may work better than medication in reducing the level of long-term depressive symptoms,” investigators concluded “in a follow-up of three randomized controlled trials” of 298 “patients treated for major depression,” looking “at outcomes at five years to determine whether the patient’s original treatment influenced the course of illness and whether baseline features or clinical characteristics influenced long-term outcomes of the depression.” The findings were published online ahead of print in the January issue of the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

Related Links:

— “Psychotherapy may be superior to medication when treating long-term depression “Georgia I Salvaryn, Healio, December 17, 2021

HealthDay (12/16) reports that “increased physical activity, including a low amount of light-intensity physical activity (LPA), is associated with a reduced risk for dementia among older adults, according to” researchers who carried out a “retrospective cohort study involving 62,286 participants aged 65 years or older without preexisting dementia” and “found that 3,757 participants (6.0 percent) developed dementia during a median follow-up of 42 months, for an overall incidence of 21.6 per 1,000 person-years.” The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Physical Activity Linked to Reduced Dementia Risk in Seniors, HealthDay, December 16, 2021