As part of its “#AskReuters Twitter chat series,” Reuters (9/17, Lockwood) “gathered a group of experts to share their tips on coping with isolation, caregiving and more” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the experts quoted was Howard Liu, MD, MBA, “chair of University of Nebraska Medical Center’s department of psychiatry and spokesperson for the American Psychiatric Association,” who said, “Role modeling is so important for kids, and that includes role modeling vulnerability as parents.” Dr. Liu advised parents, “When we are grieving, don’t hide. It’s OK for kids to see your tears. When we are down, it’s OK to let them know you are seeing a therapist or psychiatrist.”

Related Links:

— “Tips for managing mental health during COVID-19 “Beatrix Lockwood, Reuters, September 17, 2020

Healthcare Finance News (9/16, Lagasse) reports that “in 2020, virtual care is expected to account for more than 20% of all medical visits in the U.S., which in turn is projected to drive $29 billion in total healthcare services,” according to Doximity’s 2020 State of Telemedicine Report. The report “also found that up to $106 billion of current U.S. healthcare spend could be virtualized by 2023.”

Related Links:

— “Telehealth is expected to drive $29 billion in healthcare services in 2020 “Jeff Lagasse,Healthcare Finance News, September 16, 2020

Pulmonology Advisor (9/16, May) reports a review study suggests that “long-acting naltrexone is a promising approach for opioid use disorder (OUD), but its use has clinical implications in critically ill patients who are receiving sedation and analgesia.” The review study was published in Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

Related Links:

— “Managing Sedation, Analgesia in Critically Ill Patients Receiving Naltrexone “Brandon May, Pulmonology Advisor, September 16, 2020

Psychiatric News (9/16) reports, “Physicians experience higher rates of psychological distress and suicidal ideation than the general population, but the experience of age may act as a buffer for older physicians,” investigators concluded in a 10,038-physician study that also revealed that “work-life conflict declined as physicians grew older.” The findings were published online Sept. 12 in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Older Physicians Experience Less Work-Related Stress, Psychological Distress Than Younger Colleagues, Psychiatric News, September 16, 2020

Healio (9/15, Gramigna) reports, “Increasing death rates related to drug poisonings, suicide and alcohol varied significantly based on demographics and geography,” investigators concluded after analyzing “national vital statistics data of U.S. residents aged 20 to 64 years from January 2000 to December 2017.” For example, the study team “observed a significant cluster of drug poisoning deaths among the Northeast through Appalachia; however, rates of alcohol-induced and suicide deaths appeared higher in the West,” whereas “for rural areas, only suicide death rates were highest.” The findings of the “serial cross-sectional study” were published online in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “‘Deaths of despair’ have increased along demographic, geographic lines “Joe Gramigna, Healio, September 15, 2020

MedPage Today (9/15, Hlavinka) reports researchers analyzed EHRs and found that people with substance use disorders, especially opioid use disorder, are at higher risk for COVID-19. The findings were published in Molecular Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Healio (9/15, Gramigna) reports, “Suicide rates appeared to increase among United States military service members after transition to civilian life,” investigators concluded after conducting “a retrospective population-based cohort study in which they collected military service and demographic data of 1,868,970 service members who were included in the VA/Department of Defense Identity Repository.” In particular, the study team focused on people “who served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps or Navy after Sept. 11, 2001, and who separated from active status between January 2010 and December 2017.” The findings were published online in JAMA Network Open.

Psychiatric News (9/15) reports, “Suicide rates among veterans peaked six to 12 months after they left the military, and those at higher risk included veterans who were younger, were male, had a shorter length of service, were not married, or were separated from the Marine Corps or Army,” the study revealed.

Related Links:

— “Military service member suicide rates increase after separation and vary by demographics “Joe Gramigna, Healio, September 15, 2020

Healio (9/13, Gramigna) reports “substance use is increasing among elderly patients, a population also presenting with increasing needs related to comorbid psychiatric disorders, according to” a presentation given by Olivera Bogunovic, MD, medical director of ambulatory services at Harvard Medical School’s McLean Hospital, at the Psych Congress 2020 Virtual Experience conference. Dr. Bogunovic discussed problems with alcohol, certain medications, and illicit drugs.

Related Links:

— “Older patients at increased risk for substance use, comorbid psychiatric disorders “Joe Gramigna, Healio, September 13, 2020

Psychiatric News (9/11) reported, “E-cigarette use, also known as vaping, may be associated with an increased risk of sleep deprivation in young adults aged 18 to 24 years even after they quit,” investigators concluded after analyzing “data from 18,945 young adults who participated in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System…in 2017 and 2018.” The findings were published online in the journal Addictive Behaviors.

Related Links:

— “E-Cigarette Use Tied to Sleep Deprivation in Young Adults Psychiatric News, September 11, 2020

The AP (9/11, Mumphrey, Kelleher) reported “the coronavirus pandemic has taken a harsh toll on the mental health of young Americans, according to” the latest COVID Response Tracking Study conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. According to the poll, 56% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 “say they have at least sometimes felt isolated in the past month, compared with about 4 in 10 older Americans.” In addition, 25% “of young adults rate their mental health as fair or poor, compared with 13% of older adults, while 56% of older adults say their mental health is excellent or very good, compared with just 39% of young adults.”

Forbes (9/11, Durkee) reports that back in April, a poll from the APA “found that 36% of Americans believed the pandemic had taken a ‘serious toll’ on their mental health, while an August survey from the Commonwealth Fund found that approximately one-third of Americans reported negative mental health issues – far more than in the other countries surveyed.”

Related Links:

— “Poll: Pandemic takes toll on mental health of young adults “Cheyanne Mumphrey and Jennifer Sinco Kellehe, AP, September 11, 2020