The New York Times (10/25, Brody) reports “experts say acne has become an increasingly prevalent problem among adult women in recent years.” In some cases, acne “that began in adolescence persisted well past their teen years, but others developed acne for the first time as adults.” The Times adds, “In a study of 50 adult women with moderate to severe acne recently published in JAMA Dermatology,” researchers highlighted “the toll the condition can take on mental and emotional well-being. The women often experienced problems with depression, anxiety and social isolation.”

Related Links:

— “The Emotional Toll of Adult Acne ” Jane E. Brody, The New York Times, October 25, 2021

MedPage Today (10/25, Frieden) reports, “As the pandemic continues, clinicians should be on the lookout for patients at risk of” dying by homicide-suicide, according to comments made by Elias Ghossoub, MD, during the annual meeting of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. Ghossoub conducted a literature review and “recommended that…healthcare professionals in the emergency department and in primary care offices should screen adults for depression, suicidality, or substance use disorder.”

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Healio (10/25, Gramigna) reports “attachment style should be evaluated among adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder, according to” researchers who “analyzed data of 135 patients with OCD and 135 matched controls who completed the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire-46 and the ASQ.” According to Healio, “Higher need of approval most strongly predicted OCD diagnosis compared with the other attachment facets, even more so than obsessive beliefs.” The results were published online in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

Related Links:

— “Need of approval predicts OCD diagnosis “Joe Gramigna, Healio, October 25, 2021

TCTMD (10/25, O’Riordan) reports, “Older adults prescribed a stimulant are at a higher risk for adverse cardiovascular events early, but that risk drops off with long-term use,” investigators concluded in a “propensity-matched analysis” that “included 6,457 older adults exposed to stimulants with 24,853 adults who were not prescribed a stimulant during the study period.” The findings were published online Oct. 25 in JAMA Network Open.

Psychiatric News (10/25) reports, “Older adults prescribed stimulant medications appear to be at an elevated risk of cardiovascular problems in the first 30 days after beginning the treatment,” investigators concluded in a study that “used hospital and prescription databases to assess the cardiovascular outcomes of 6,457 Ontario residents aged 66 years and older who received a new prescription for a stimulant (for example, amphetamine, methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine, or dextroamphetamine) between January 1, 2002, and March 31, 2015.” Next, “these adults were matched with a control group of 24,853 similarly aged adults who did not take any stimulants during this time.”

Related Links:

— “Stimulants Linked to Early Risk of CV Events in Elderly “Michael O’Riordan, TCTMD, October 25, 2021

CNN (10/22, Howard) reported, “Cognitive impairment – described as brain fog – can persist for months in Covid-19 patients, even for some who were not hospitalized, according to a new study.” The research “found that nearly a quarter of Covid-19 patients in a Mount Sinai Health System registry experienced some issues with their memory – and although hospitalized patients were more likely to have such brain fog after a coronavirus infection, some outpatients had cognitive impairment too.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Brain fog in Covid-19 patients can persist for months, even in those who were not hospitalized, study finds ” Jacqueline Howard, CNN, October 22, 2021

Healio (10/22, Gramigna) reported, “Clinical high risk for psychosis syndrome appeared linked to impairment in reciprocal social behavior [RSB],” researchers concluded in a study that “investigated RSB deficits and clinical and social functioning correlates among 45 individuals who met criteria for a CHR syndrome and 47 healthy controls.” The findings of the “cross-sectional study” were published online ahead of print in the December issue of the journal Psychiatry Research.

Related Links:

— “Psychosis syndrome may impair reciprocal social behavior “Joe Gramigna, Healio, October 22, 2021

Healio (10/22) reported, “Children and adults with autism spectrum disorder had significantly increased risk for self-harm and suicidality, according to results of a systematic review and meta-analysis.” The findingswere published in JAMA Network Open

Related Links:

— “Autism significantly increases risk for self-harm, suicidality
“Joe Gramigna, Healio, October 22, 2021

According to Kaiser Health News (10/24, Miller), across the US, “the shortage of” psychiatric “beds and mental health workers has collided with an increasing, pandemic-driven demand for mental health treatment.” Robert Trestman, PhD, MD, chairperson of the American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Healthcare Systems and Financing, stated, “ERs have been flooded with patients needing psychiatric care.” He added, “The current crisis is unprecedented in the extent, severity and sweep of its national impact.” The article focused in particular on state psychiatric hospitals in Georgia, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia.

Related Links:

— “Understaffed state psychiatric facilities leave mental health patients in limbo “Andy Miller, Kaiser Health News, October 24, 2021

In “The Health 202” blog, the Washington Post (10/21, Roubein) reports the American Psychiatric Association and about two dozen other health groups “sent a letter to Congress urging Democrats to keep a national paid leave program.” The organizations “argue that many people are unable to take time off work to receive addiction treatment. A paid leave program, they write, would help remove that critical roadblock.”

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Healio (10/20, Gramigna) reports, “Frequent nonmedical cannabis use and cannabis use disorder appeared linked to self-reported psychotic disorders,” researchers concluded in a study that “included data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC).” Specifically, the study team “analyzed data of 43,093 participants of NESARC between 2001 and 2002 and 36,309 participants of NESARC-III between 2012 and 2013.” The findings were published online Oct. 14 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Cannabis use may increase risk for self-reported psychotic disorders “Joe Gramigna, Healio, October 20, 2021