Healio (10/29, Gramigna) reported, “Untreated perinatal anxiety disorders and related stress or depression among mothers pose risks to offspring, according to a” virtual presentation given at the Psych Congress by Kimberly Brandt, DO, PMH-C, “a perinatal psychiatrist at the University of Missouri School of Medicine.” In her presentation, Dr. Brandt “said the benefits of treating these disorders outweigh potential risks.” That is because “untreated anxiety and depression, or both, can cause increased risk for early labor, decreased birth weight, increased reactivity to stress and some fetal brain structural changes,” Dr. Brandt said.

Related Links:

— “Benefits of treating perinatal anxiety disorders ‘greatly outweigh’ risks “Joe Gramigna, Healio,October 29, 2021

MedPage Today (10/27, Basen) reports, “Most healthcare workers experience violence in emergency departments (EDs), but they seldomly report it to anyone, according to Mayo Clinic researchers.” MedPage Today adds, “Over 6 months prior to being surveyed, 72% of healthcare workers and other ED staff said they had personally experienced violence (71% verbal abuse and 31% physical assault), Sarayna McGuire, MD…reported in a series of three studies at the American College of Emergency Physicians annual meeting.”

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (10/28) reports, “Women’s symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may vary with their menstrual cycle, which could have implications for diagnosis and treatment, researchers say.” The “study included 40 women between 18 and 33 years of age who had PTSD after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, such as sexual violence or a serious injury.” The findings [pdf] were published online in the journal Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy.

MedPage Today (10/28, Grant) reports that according to researchers, “lower estradiol was associated with a higher number of total trauma symptoms (rs = -0.36, P=0.023), more re-experiencing symptoms (rs = -0.32, P=0.046), and more avoidance symptoms (rs = -0.40, P=0.010) that were also more severe (rs = -0.34, P=0.034).” Furthermore, “These findings were consistent with past research, which found links between lower estradiol levels and a heightened activation of the brain’s limbic areas, greater fear responses, and the presence of intrusive memories.”

Related Links:

— “PTSD Symptoms May Vary Throughout Menstrual Cycle: Study ” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, October 28, 2021

The Washington Post (10/27, Bernstein) reports, “Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra outlined the Biden administration’s strategy for curbing drug overdoses Wednesday, committing more federal support for harm reduction techniques such as distribution of clean syringes and test strips used to check street drugs for hidden fentanyl.” This “four-part strategy also includes measures to prevent drug addiction, in part by continuing to reduce the inappropriate prescribing of opioids; expand medication-based treatment, which research has shown to be the most effective approach; and improve support for people recovering from substance use disorder.”

The Hill (10/27, Coleman) says this new “strategy comes as HHS released a report finding more than 840,000 people died from drug overdoses in the U.S. between 1999 and 2019, including about 93,000 last year during the COVID-19 pandemic when overdose fatalities rose.” In this report, “HHS labels confronting these overdose deaths as ‘a top priority’ for the department.”

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Healio (10/27, Gramigna) reports, “Combat exposure appeared linked to increased risk for suicide attempt among military personnel,” but “mental disorders, such as PTSD and/or depression, fully mediated this link,” investigators concluded in a study that analyzed “data of 12,218 Danish army military personnel who returned from deployment in international missions between 1998 and 2016 and who completed a questionnaire after deployment” in which “participants self-reported data on perceived exposure to danger.” The findings were published online Oct. 12 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Suicide attempt more common in military personnel with combat exposure “Joe Gramigna, Healio, October 27, 2021

Psychiatric News (10/27) reports, “People who frequently use cannabis and/or those with cannabis use disorder are more likely to report having been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder than those with no past-year cannabis use,” researchers concluded “based on data collected from more than 79,000 people during two waves of NIAAA’s National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions…conducted 10 years apart.” The study also revealed evidence suggesting “psychotic disorders in the adult U.S. population rose from 2001-2002 to 2012-2013.” The findings were published online Oct. 14 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Frequent Use of Cannabis Linked to Psychotic Disorders, Report Finds, Psychiatric News, October 27, 2021

According to the Washington Post (10/27, Portnoy), on Oct. 14, the CDC “added ‘mental health conditions’ to a long list of mostly physical conditions that make someone likely to be hospitalized, need a ventilator or die of the coronavirus, including cancer, diabetes and obesity.” What this means is that “it is important for people with ‘mood disorders, including depression, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders’ to get vaccinated – with initial doses and boosters – and take preventive measures, such as masking, social distancing and hand-washing, according to the CDC.” The Post adds, “Two comprehensive meta-analyses published” online in JAMA Psychiatry “confirmed that people with serious mental illness are more at risk for severe illness from COVID-19.” Click here and here to see those meta-analyses.

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

According to the Wall Street Journal (10/26, Petersen, Subscription Publication), people are now turning to marijuana to treat depression and anxiety despite the lack of scientific evidence. The American Psychiatric Association in 2019 declared evidence is lacking that marijuana can treat any psychiatric disorder.

Related Links:

— “People Are Using Marijuana to Treat Anxiety and Depression, but the Science Is Murky “Andrea Petersen, The Wall Street Journal, October 26, 2021

Psychiatric News (10/26) reports research “describes how the number of children and adolescents admitted for eating disorders at a children’s hospital in Michigan rose steadily during the first 12 months of the” COVID-19 pandemic. Investigators “performed a chart review of youth aged 10 to 23 years admitted to C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich., between March 1, 2017, and March 31, 2021, for medical complications of restrictive eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, atypical anorexia nervosa, and avoidant or restrictive food intake disorder,” then “compared data on youth admitted to the hospital from March 2017 through March 2020 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) with data on youth admitted to the hospital from April 2020 through March 2021 (during the COVID-19 pandemic).” The findings were published in the October issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Hospitalizations of Youth With Eating Disorders Rose During Pandemic, Report Shows, Psychiatric News, October 26, 2021

According to USA Today (10/26, Miller), cities across the US “have been testing programs in recent years to send mental health professionals instead of police to some emergency calls.” Now, “a survey of 911 call centers suggests the people answering the phone may not have the resources to handle those crises.” On Oct. 26, the Pew Charitable Trusts published a survey of “more than three dozen emergency call centers,” finding that “few have staff trained to handle behavioral health crises.” In fact, “most centers also did not have access to mental health professionals who can help with the calls or first responders in the field trained to handle such crises.”

The Hill (10/26, Beals) also covers the story.

Related Links:

— “911 operators need more training to handle mental health crisis calls. Here’s why it matters “Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY, October 26, 2021