NPR (10/2, Noguchi) reported, “Many health care workers surveyed say they feel burnt out,” and this has “a direct impact on patient care.” The pandemic “has left many doctors, nurses, medical assistants, respiratory therapists and others on the front lines of care exhausted and overwhelmed, fueling greater levels of burnout that were already high.” The availability “of vaccines against the coronavirus sparked hope of a return to normal – only to be dashed by the latest surge of cases, driven primarily by people who aren’t vaccinated.”

Related Links:

— “Health workers know what good care is. Pandemic burnout is getting in the way “Yuki Noguchi, NPR , October 2, 2021

Psychiatric News (10/1) reported, “Patients with bipolar disorder who have a high genetic risk for the condition or for schizophrenia may have a higher risk of hospitalization compared with those who have a lower genetic risk for either of these conditions,” researchers concluded after analyzing “the polygenic risk scores of 954 patients who had bipolar disorder for at least five years to determine if the patients’ genetic risk of bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, or schizophrenia was associated with severe bipolar disorder.” The findings were published online Sept. 28 in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Related Links:

— “Genetic Risk of Some Mental Illnesses Tied to Increased Hospitalizations in Bipolar Disorder, Psychiatric News, October 1, 2021

HealthDay (10/1) reported, “Besides the long-established benefits of breastfeeding for baby and mom, a new study reports one more: Nursing could help chase the blues away.” Breastfeeding “is linked to a lower risk for postpartum depression…and nursing for a longer time may further ease depression symptoms, according to the findings,” which were published in the journal Public Health Nursing.

Related Links:

— “Breastfeeding Longer May Lower Postpartum Depression Risk “Cara Murez, HealthDay, October 1, 2021

HealthDay (9/30, Reinberg) reports, “For those who smoke or drink, it’s only a small step to marijuana, researchers” concluded in a study suggesting that “legal consumption of alcohol and tobacco may directly increase the level of illicit drug use.” The findings were published online Sept. 29 in the journal Addiction. HealthDay does not disclose the number of participants in the study.

Related Links:

— “Smoking, Drinking Gateway to Pot, Study Finds “Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, September 30, 2021

The New York Times (9/30, Caron) reports, “For about one in 20 people in the northern half of the United States, cooling temperatures and shorter, darker days may signal the onset of seasonal affective disorder, or SAD,” which “is believed to run in families and is more common among women.” The article explains measures people can take to control SAD, such as bright-light therapy and walking outdoors for about 20 minutes to half an hour each day.

Related Links:

— “How to Fend Off Winter Depression “Christina Caron, The New York Times, September 30, 2021

Healio (9/30, VanDewater) reports, “In randomized clinical trials, participants with treatment-resistant major depression [TRD] experienced a large placebo effect across all treatment modalities,” investigators concluded after analyzing data from “50 studies of 3,228 participants (mean age, 45.8 years; 54.8% women) with TRD.” The findings of the systematic review and meta-analysis were published online Sept. 24 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Placebo effect large in treatment-resistant depression “Kalie VanDewater, Healio, September 30, 2021

The AP (9/29, Hollingsworth, Schulte) reports, “More than a year after US health care workers on the front lines against COVID-19 were saluted as heroes with nightly clapping from windows and balconies, some are being issued panic buttons in case of assault and ditching their scrubs before going out in public for fear of harassment.” Across the United States, “doctors and nurses are dealing with hostility, threats and violence from patients angry over safety rules designed to keep the scourge from spreading.” Some healthcare professionals “have been accused of killing patients by grieving family members who don’t believe COVID-19 is real.” Healthcare systems across the country are taking protective measures to deal with the “increase in violence where they work.”

Related Links:

— “Health workers once saluted as heroes now get threats ” Heather Hollingsworth And Grant Schulte, AP, September 29, 2021

Healio (9/29, VanDewater) reports, “Following cancer diagnosis, there was a higher incidence of nonfatal self-injury than suicide, according to a population-based, retrospective cohort study.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Nonfatal self-injury more common than suicide after cancer diagnosis “Kalie VanDewater, Healio, September 29, 2021

Healio (9/29, VanDewater) reports, “People from historically underrepresented groups with depression symptoms more often expressed wanting a” clinician “who shared or understood their culture,” investigators concluded after collecting and then analyzing “questionnaire information from 3,910 adults (median age, 52 years; 60.9% women) who participated in the 2017 U.S. National Health Interview Survey,” then examining “responses to cultural competency, anxiety and depression questions.” The findings of the “retrospective, population-based, cross-sectional study” were published online Sept. 23 in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Depressed patients’ desire for culturally competent providers differs by race, ethnicity “Kalie VanDewater, Healio, September 29, 2021

MedPage Today (9/29, Grant) reports, “Adults who continued to take their prescribed antidepressants were less likely to have a relapse of a depressive episode,” investigators concluded in a “nearly” 500-patient “double-blind, randomized trial” that assigned “patients on antidepressants to either placebo (discontinuation) or continued treatment (maintenance).” At the 52-week mark, researchers found that “the primary outcome – relapse of depression – occurred in 56% of patients in the discontinuation group and 39% of patients in the maintenance group.” The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Also covering the study are HealthDay (9/29, Norton) and Healio (9/29, Miller).

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)