HealthDay (7/13, Preidt) reports that during the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., “more than twice as many young people as is normal were hospitalized with eating disorders,” with the “highest rates of admissions per month” occurring “between nine and 12 months after the start of the pandemic,” according to data published in Pediatrics. Study researchers wrote, “These findings emphasize how profoundly the pandemic has affected young people, who experienced school closures, canceled extracurricular activities, and social isolation. Their entire worlds were turned upside down overnight.”

Related Links:

— “Hospitalizations for Teens With Eating Disorders Rose Sharply During Pandemic ” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, July 13, 2021

HealthDay (7/12, Murez) reports researchers have “identified higher risks in nervous system, respiratory, musculoskeletal and metabolic diseases among individuals who have” attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). For the study, investigators “identified more than four million full-sibling and maternal half-sibling pairs born between 1932 and 1995 through Swedish registers,” and these “participants were followed between 1973 and 2013.” The study revealed that “most strongly associated with” AD/HD “were alcohol-related liver disease, sleep disorders, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), epilepsy, fatty liver disease and obesity.” In addition, AD/HD was also associated with “a slightly increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease and dementia.” The findings were published online July 6 in The Lancet Psychiatry. HealthDay adds, “The American Psychiatric Association has more on” AD/HD.

Related Links:

— “Adults With ADHD May Face Higher Odds for Physical Illnesses: Study “Cara Murez, HealthDay, July 12, 2021

Healio (7/9, Gramigna) reported, “Several factors increased risk for stimulant treatment discontinuation and switch to nonstimulants among people with” attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), researchers concluded after analyzing “analyzing genetic and national register data of 9,133 individuals with” AD/HD. These factors “included having higher polygenic liability for mood and/or psychotic disorders, delayed ADHD diagnosis and psychiatric comorbidities.” The findings were published online June 22 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication for the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Researchers identify factors that influence stimulant discontinuation, switch in ADHD “Joe Gramigna, Healio, July 9, 2021

Healthcare IT News (7/8, Jercich) reports research published online in the Journal of Medical Internet Research reveals that “virtual visits facilitate healthcare access and relationship-building, contributing to satisfying relationship-centered care, a crucial aspect of contemporary patient experiences.” Investigators arrived at that conclusion after surveying “426 adult patients with a virtual visit between June and July 2017 – notably, before the COVID-19 pandemic more broadly normalized telemedicine.” The study revealed that “the average overall satisfaction score was 4.4 out of 5, with about 82% of respondents saying their virtual visit was as good as an in-person visit with a clinician,” and “more than half of the respondents agreed that their virtual visit was better than an in-person one.”

Related Links:

— “Patients are just as satisfied with virtual visits, Cleveland Clinic study finds “Kat Jercich, Healthcare IT News, July 8, 2021

The New York Times (7/8, Abelson) reports research from Harvard, Northeastern, Northwestern, and Rutgers universities shows that levels of social isolation increased sharply last summer “even as the public health crisis in the United States began to abate,” suggesting “recovery from the pandemic may take a long time and could affect people’s view of their relationships over time.” The researchers found feelings of social isolation increased “even though they were seeing more people,” perhaps because “people may have felt they had fewer people to lean on because they remained physically distant from a broad network of acquaintances and friends,” according to sociology professor Mario Small. According to the Times, “The researchers also point to a strong association between social isolation, particularly for those people who said they lacked people they could turn to for emotional support, and moderate or severe depression.”

Related Links:

— “Social isolation in the U.S. rose even as the Covid crisis began to subside, new research shows “Reed Abelson, The New York Times, July 8, 2021

HealthDay (7/8, Mann) reports, “Teens and adults with autism may be less likely than others to use drugs and alcohol, but new research finds those who do are nearly nine times more likely to use these substances to mask symptoms, including those related to autism,” investigators concluded after asking some “1,200 people with autism and about 1,200 without autism how often they used drugs or alcohol via an anonymous online survey.” Of this group, “more than 900 participants gave more detailed responses about why they turned to drugs and alcohol.” The findings were published online in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Autism & Drinking, Drug Abuse Can Be Dangerous Mix “Denise Mann, HealthDay, July 8, 2021

Healio (7/8, Gramigna) reports, “Longer time since trauma was associated with larger symptom reductions among patients with PTSD,” researchers concluded in a study that “196 veterans with combat-related PTSD according to DSM-IV-TR criteria that last three months or longer, with recruitment between 2012 and 2016 from four sites that participated in the 24-week PROlonGed ExpoSure and Sertraline clinical trial.” The findings were published online June 15 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Longer time since trauma linked to larger symptom reductions in PTSD “Joe Gramigna, Healio, July 8, 2021

Modern Healthcare (7/7, Devereaux, Subscription Publication) reports, “Telehealth usage continues to decline as Americans return to medical facilities,” data indicate. The FAIR Health Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker found that “in April, telehealth utilization fell 12.5%, a trend mirrored by a gradual shift back to in-person visits at hospitals and other healthcare settings.” What’s more, “mental health conditions are the top diagnoses treated via telehealth, according to FAIR Health,” rising from “57% of all mental health claims in March to 58.6% in April.”

Related Links:

— “Telehealth use falls for third straight month, in-person appointments increase “Mari Devereaux, Modern Healthcare , July 7, 2021

MedPage Today (7/7, Grant) reports, “Children who have difficulty developing age-appropriate emotion regulation skills may be at a higher risk of developing broad anorexia nervosa during adolescence,” researchers concluded “in an analysis of data from the Millennium Cohort Study.” The 15,896-participant study revealed that “lower emotion regulation skills at the age of three were not associated with greater odds of reporting symptoms of broad anorexia at a later age,” but youngsters “who had no improvements in their emotion regulation skills by age seven had statistically higher odds of developing anorexia at age 14.” The findings were published online July 7 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (7/7, Mozes) reports that not only “is it possible to become addicted to gaming on the internet,” but also such an addiction “may trigger sleep difficulties, depression, anxiety and, in some cases, even suicidal thoughts,” investigators concluded in a study involving “phone interviews conducted among nearly 3,000 American college students between 2007 and 2015.” Those interviews “revealed that roughly one in 20 had ‘internet gaming disorder.’” The findings were published online June 6 ahead of print in the August issue of the journal Psychiatry Research. HealthDay adds that in 2013, the American Psychiatric Association included “internet gaming disorder as an official diagnosis in its updated diagnostic manual.” Click here to learn more about the disorder from the APA.

Related Links:

— “1 in 20 College Students Has ‘Internet Gaming Disorder,’ Study Finds “Alan Mozes, HealthDay, July 7, 2021