HealthDay (5/20, Norton) reports “researchers found that older adults with healthy habits had a lower risk of developing dementia, versus the less health-conscious – even if a parent or sibling had suffered from the brain disease.” In the study, the researchers focused on six healthy habits: healthy eating, regular exercise, not smoking, drinking only in moderation, getting enough sleep, and avoiding obesity. The findings were scheduled to be presented at the American Heart Association online meeting.

Related Links:

— “Healthy Living Helps Prevent Dementia, Even If It Runs in the Family “Amy Norton, HealthDay, May 20, 2021

Healio (5/20, Ernst) reports researchers found “patients with a higher household income received a dementia diagnosis earlier than individuals with a lower household income, indicating a ‘social inequality’ in dementia evaluations.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Higher income leads to earlier dementia diagnosis, less severe disease at diagnosis “Julia Ernst, Healio, May 20, 2021

Psychiatric News (5/20) reports, “Managed care organizations must use medical necessity criteria and assessment tools developed by nonprofit mental health and substance use disorder specialty organizations when making coverage-related determinations,” was what the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and “seven other medical organizations told the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in a friend-of-the-court brief [PDF] filed yesterday in the case David Wit, et. al., v. United Behavioral Health (UBH).” That “brief is informed by a 2020 APA Position Statement on Level of Care Criteria for Acute Psychiatric Treatment.” In a press release, APA President Vivian Pender, MD, stated, “Standards of care should be based on the best treatment for patients, not the bottom line.” APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, MD, MPA, said, “APA calls upon courts, legislatures, and insurance commissioners to require insurance companies to deliver the care for which patients and employers have paid based upon evidence-based, objective, and patient-centered guidelines, rather than company profits.”

Related Links:

— “Court Ruling in Wit v. UBH Should be Upheld, Urges APA, Psychiatric News, May 20, 2021

According to Psychiatric News (5/19), on May 18, “the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)…announced plans to establish a Behavioral Health Coordinating Council focused on collaboration and strategic planning across the department.” That “council will ‘ensure that millions of Americans receive prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery services for mental illness and substance use disorders,’ an APA news release stated.” For its part, “APA applauded the Biden-Harris administration for creating the council, which will be composed of senior leadership from across HHS.” In the news release, APA President Vivian Pender, MD, said, “In the wake of the pandemic an unprecedented, and as of yet untold, number of Americans are faced with mental health and substance use disorders, particularly in communities impacted by structural racism.” Dr. Pender added, “With the creation of this Council and this investment in mental health, the administration is taking a huge step forward.”

Related Links:

— “HHS to Establish Behavioral Health Coordinating Council, Distribute $3 Billion in MH, SUD Funding, Psychiatric News, May 19, 2021

Healio (5/19) reports, “Delivery of a psychological intervention during a patient’s antidepressant tapering may be an alternative long-term antidepressant use for treating recurrent depression,” researchers concluded in a four-trial meta-analysis encompassing 714 participants. The findings were published online May 19 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Psychological intervention during tapering an alternative to long-term antidepressant use “Joe Gramigna, Healio, May 19, 2021

Healio (5/18, Gramigna) reports, “School-aged children with autism spectrum disorder [ASD] and/or” attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) “were capable of face covering across activities during the COVID-19 pandemic,” investigators concluded after assessing “face covering behavior among 104 children aged 5 to 13 years (mean age, 8.9 years; 81% male) who took part in a summer treatment program at the University of Washington Autism Center in July 2020.” The findings of the “cohort study” were published online May 17 in a research letter in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Children with autism, ADHD capable of face covering during COVID-19 pandemic “Joe Gramigna, Healio, May 18, 2021

Modern Healthcare (5/18, Brady, Subscription Publication) reports SAMHSA “will give states and territories $3 billion in block grants to support behavioral health.” Half of the funding “will help states and territories provide comprehensive community-based mental health services and improve existing services for people with severe mental health conditions,” and the other half “will go toward substance use disorder prevention and treatment.”

Related Links:

— “Modern Healthcare (Requires Subscription)

Healio (5/18, Gramigna) reports, “Stigmatization surrounding alcohol use disorder is high compared with most other mental health conditions,” researchers posited in a systematic review that “updated findings of a prior systematic review conducted in 2011 that evaluated attitudes toward individuals with alcohol use disorder.” The findings were published online May 10 in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

“We identified 20,561 records, of which 24 met the inclusion criteria, reporting results from 16 unique studies conducted in 9 different countries. Compared to substance‐unrelated mental disorders, persons with AUD were generally less likely to be considered mentally ill, while they were perceived as being more dangerous and responsible for their condition. Further, the public desire for social distance was consistently higher for people with AUD. We found no consistent differences in the public stigma toward persons with AUD in comparison with other substance use disorders.

Related Links:

— “Alcohol use disorder has more stigma surrounding it than do other mental health conditions “Joe Gramigna, Healio, May 18, 2021

Clinical Psychiatry News (5/17, Anderson) reports researchers conducted a literature review and an expert survey and concluded that “medications typically used to treat opioid use disorder may also be effective for the growing public health problem of” kratom use disorder. During an interview, Dr. Saeed Ahmed, medical director of West Ridge Center at Rutland Regional Medical Center in Rutland, Vermont, said that based on his research, buprenorphine, methadone, and naloxone are effective for the treatment of patients with kratom use disorder. The findings were presented at the APA’s virtual annual meeting.

Related Links:

— “Opioid addiction meds may curb growing problem of kratom dependence “Pauline Anderson, Clinical Psychiatry News, May 17, 2021

HealthDay (5/17, Reinberg) reports researchers surveyed “203 pediatricians who screened more than 59,400 infants or toddlers [for autism] at their 12-, 18- and 24-month check-ups” and found that “only 39% of toddlers who had failed a screening looking for autism signs were then referred to additional expert evaluation.” Karen Pierce, the study’s lead researcher, said in a press release, “The lack of referral follow-through was because pediatricians thought that the results of the screen were wrong.” However, Pierce added that “if a parent noted that they were concerned, the referral rate increased to 70%.” The findings were published in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Parents’ Input Key When Screening Toddlers for Autism “Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, May 17, 2021