Category Archives: In The News

COVID-19 Long-Haulers Struggle To Find Mental Healthcare

Bloomberg (5/6, Wheeler) reports, “Dealing with Covid-19’s physical after-effects are challenging enough, but the virus is also taking a toll on the mental health of survivors with lingering symptoms, who call themselves long haulers.” A new “study reported in The Lancet Psychiatry journal found a third of Covid-19 survivors were diagnosed with a neurological or psychiatric condition in the six months after being infected; 17.4% had an anxiety disorder.” COVID-19 “survivors with physical conditions like heart or lung problems are often able to find in-network specialists with minimum hassle, particularly if their primary care doctor is part of a large health network.” However, “with mental health, however, it’s often a struggle to get help at all.” Health experts say it demonstrates “how the U.S. health-care system is ill-equipped to meet the growing demand for mental health treatment.”

Related Links:

— “‘Pretty Damn Awful’: Covid Long-Haulers Find Mental Care Elusive “Lydia Wheeler, Bloomberg, May 6, 2021

COVID-19 Pandemic Has Made Mental Health A Higher Priority At Many US Schools

Reuters (5/6, Caspani, Beier) reports “Educators across the country agreed students’ mental wellbeing became a bigger priority after the pandemic forced schools to shut down or operate with a mix of remote and in-person learning.” Teachers saw that “some students struggled to focus, and isolation, worry and depression took a toll on many.” Earlier this year, a Reuters survey of school districts in the US “serving more than 2.2 million students found that a majority reported multiple indicators of increased mental health stresses among students.”

Related Links:

— “U.S. schools turn focus to mental health of students reeling from pandemic “Maria Caspani, Hannah Beier, Reuters, May 6, 2021

Nearly Half Of Women More Stressed During Pandemic, Survey Reveals

The Hill (5/5, Schnell) reports that a new survey, “conducted by CVS Health and Morning Consult, found that 46 percent of women are experiencing significantly more or somewhat more stress compared to this time last year.” Results show “that fears and concerns regarding the effects of COVID-19 are a prime source of the stress felt by women.” The findings demonstrate that “the COVID-19 pandemic has universally amplified levels of stress and anxiety among women, with moms and caregivers most deeply affected,” CVS said in a press release.

Related Links:

— “Nearly half of women say they’re more stressed amid pandemic: survey “Mychael Schnell, The Hill, May 5, 2021

Researchers Say Calls To Major Child Abuse Hotline Increased In The Early Months Of The Pandemic

CNN (5/5, Mascarenhas, Marples) reports researchers found “calls to a major child abuse hotline increased in the early months of the pandemic,” exacerbating “worries that hidden child abuse may have been a consequence of school closings and lockdown measures due to the novel coronavirus.” The findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Child abuse hotline calls and texts rose during the pandemic. Here’s how to help “Lauren Mascarenhas and Megan Marples, CNN, May 5, 2021

US Surgeon General Says US “Still Not Doing Enough” To Address Growing Mental Health Crisis

The Hill (5/5, Coleman) reports US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said the US is “still not doing enough” to address the growing mental health crisis. Murthy spoke during The Hill’s “Future of Healthcare: Bold Bets in Health” event and said he was “deeply concerned” about mental health in the US before the pandemic started.

Related Links:

— “Surgeon general: US ‘still not doing enough’ to address growing mental health crisis “Justine Coleman , , May 5, 2021

Eating Problems May Be More Common In People With Autism, Particularly Among Girls And Women, Small Study Indicates

HealthDay (5/4, Murez) reports research indicates that “autistic traits” may predict “eating problems,” with “the link…more pronounced particularly among girls or women.” Included in the study were “nearly 200 identical and fraternal twins between the ages of 15 and 33, including 28 individuals diagnosed with autism, who were all part of the Roots of Autism and ADHD Twin Study in Sweden.” The findings were presented at the International Society for Autism Research virtual annual meeting.

Related Links:

— “Eating Issues Common in People With Autism, and Girls Are More Susceptible “Cara Murez, HealthDay, May 4, 2021

Early Portion Of COVID-19 Pandemic Appears To Have Led To “Dramatic Changes” In Psychiatric Care, Researchers Say

Healio (5/4, Gramigna) reports, “The early portion of the COVID-19 pandemic led to ‘dramatic changes’ in psychiatric care, which were primarily linked to the rapid transition to telehealth care,” investigators concluded after analyzing “electronic health records data included in a large, community-based health care system between March 9 to May 31 in 2019 (n = 94,720) and for the same timeframe in 2020.” The findings were published online March 3 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
“ Compared to 2019, psychiatric visits increased significantly (P < .0001) in 2020, with the majority being telephone/video-based (+264%). Psychiatric care volume increased overall (7%), with the greatest increases in addiction (+42%), behavioral health in primary care (+17%), and adult psychiatry (+5%) clinics. While patients seeking care with preexisting psychiatric diagnoses were mainly stable (−2%), new patients declined (−42%). Visits for substance use (+51%), adjustment (+15%), anxiety (+12%), bipolar (+9%), and psychotic (+6%) disorder diagnoses, and for patients aged 18–25 years (+4%) and 26–39 years (+4%), increased. Child/adolescent and older adult patient visits decreased (−22.7% and −5.5%, respectively), and fewer patients identifying as White (−3.8%) or male (−5.0) or with depression (−3%) or disorders of childhood (−2%) sought care.” Related Links:

— “Early phase of COVID-19 pandemic led to ‘dramatic changes’ in psychiatric care “Joe Gramigna, Healio, May 4, 2021

Adult Behavioral Profiles Tied To Childhood Emotional Abuse Also Present Proximal To The Trauma Rather Than Only Occurring Later In Life, Researchers Say

HCPlive (5/2, Iopoce) reported researchers have “examined whether personality disorders and personality changes can happen in the short-term and are detectable during early adolescence, or if they develop later in life.” For the study, “investigators analyzed data collected from” 763 “adolescent inpatients in suburban New York, who completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire.” The study revealed that “adult behavioral profiles linked to childhood emotional abuse are also present proximal to the trauma, rather than only occurring later in life.” The findings were presented at the American Psychiatric Association virtual annual meeting.

Related Links:

— “Personality Disorders Present in Children Following Emotional Abuse “Connor Iapoce, HCPlive, May 2, 2021

Structural Racism In The US Appears To Have Significant Effect On Psychosis Risk At Individual And Neighborhood Levels, Review Paper Indicates

Healio (5/3, Gramigna) reports, “Structural racism in the United States has had a significant effect on psychosis risk at the individual and neighborhood levels, according to results of a review paper published” online May 3 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association, and discussed during a press briefing at the American Psychiatric Association’s virtual annual meeting. The review “assessed possible risk factors for and effects of structural racism in the U.S. in three areas, which were neighborhood disparities; trauma/stress experienced on individual and collective levels; and pregnancy-related complications,” revealing that “inequitable access to health care, healthy foods, education and employment opportunities and safe housing perpetuated disparities in U.S. neighborhoods for Black and Latino individuals.”

Related Links:

— “Structural racism a ‘critical public health threat,’ increases psychosis risk “Joe Gramigna, Healio, May 3, 2021

New Poll Reveals Sustained COVID-19 Concern, Anxiety Among Americans

Medscape (5/3, Brooks, Subscription Publication) reports, “Concern and anxiety around COVID-19 remains high among Americans, with more people reporting mental health effects from the pandemic this year than last, and parents concerned about the mental health of their children,” findings from “a new poll by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) show.” Even though “the overall level of anxiety has decreased from last year’s APA poll, ‘the degree to which anxiety still reigns is concerning,’ APA President Jeffrey Geller, MD, MPH, told Medscape Medical News.” Results of this “latest poll were presented at the virtual American Psychiatric Association 2021 virtual Annual Meeting and are “based on an online survey conducted March 26 to April 5 among a sample of 1000 adults age 18 years or older.

HealthDay (5/3, Preidt) reports, “Among parents, concerns about their children were significant.” Dr. Geller said, “This poll shows that even as vaccines become more widespread, Americans are still worried about the mental state of their children.” Dr. Geller added, “This is a call to action for policymakers, who need to remember that in our COVID-19 recovery, there’s no health without mental health.”

Psychiatric News (5/3) quotes APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, MD, MPA, who stated, “While most people, including most children, will likely adapt and recover well as we emerge from the pandemic, we know from previous research that for some, the mental health impacts of this trauma and distress will continue to have repercussions into the future.” Dr. Levin added, “We need to be prepared to help those who need it in the coming months and years.”

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)