MedPage Today (11/13, George) reports researchers found in “a longitudinal community study” that “illiteracy was linked to a higher risk of prevalent and incident dementia, but not to more rapid cognitive decline.” The findings were published in Neurology.

HealthDay (11/13, Mozes) reports the researchers found that illiterate seniors “were two to three times more likely to develop dementia” than their literate peers.

Related Links:

— “Illiteracy Tied to Dementia Risk, “Judy George, MedPage Today, November 13, 2019

Reuters (11/13, Rapaport) reports, “Many people experience worsening depression symptoms over their final year of life,” researchers concluded after examining “data on 3,274 adults who participated in the nationwide Health and Retirement Study and died within one year of the assessment.” The findings were published online Nov. 5 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Related Links:

— “Depression symptoms increase over last year of life, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, November 13, 2019

Kaiser Health News (11/12, Reese) reports, “ERs throughout California are reporting a sharp increase in adolescents and young adults seeking care for a mental health crisis.” In 2018, the state’s “ERs treated 84,584 young patients ages 13 to 21 who had a primary diagnosis involving mental health,” which “is up from 59,705 in 2012, a 42% increase, according to data provided by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.” The article adds that the increase “in youth mental health visits corresponds with a recent survey” by the American Psychological Association “that found that members of ‘Generation Z’ – defined in the survey as people born since 1997 – are more likely than other generations to report their mental health as fair or poor.” This “trend corresponds with another alarming development, as well: a marked increase in suicides among teens and young adults.”

Related Links:

— “More Adolescents Seek Medical Care For Mental Health Issues, “Phillip Reese, Kaiser Health News, November 12, 2019

Healio (11/12) reports, “Both subthreshold and threshold PTSD are associated with binge-eating symptoms in men and women,” researchers concluded after analyzing “data from 36,309 noninstitutionalized U.S. civilians aged 18 years and older from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III.” The findings were published online Oct. 22 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “PTSD associated with binge eating symptoms in men and women, Healio, November 12, 2019

NPR (11/11, Aubrey) reports on a review study published in JAMA Internal Medicine that examined the efficacy of “mind-body interventions” on chronic pain. The researchers reviewed “60 studies that included about 6,400 participants” that “evaluated a range of strategies, including meditation, guided imagery, hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy.” Eric Garland, a professor at the University of Utah and one of the study’s authors, said, “Mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy and clinical hypnosis appear to be the most useful for reducing pain.”

Related Links:

— “Meditation Reduced The Opioid Dose She Needs To Ease Chronic Pain By 75%, “Allison Aubrey, NPR, November 11, 2019

The Wall Street Journal (11/11, Petersen, Subscription Publication) reports that study abroad programs are emerging as one of the most difficult areas for universities to manage, as more students struggle with mental health issues. To address the issue, schools are working with host families to identify problems and helping set up accommodations that students are accustomed to so they can adjust to new environments more easily.

Related Links:

— “Junior Year Abroad, With Help From Your Therapist, “Andrea Petersen, The Wall Street Journal, November 11, 2019

The Washington Post (11/8, Wan) reports, “Leading medical authorities argue the United States could reduce” its “skyrocketing” suicide “rates with a relatively simple solution by screening for suicide in health clinics and” emergency departments (EDs). According to the Post, “Universal screening entails asking everyone visiting a primary care clinic or” ED “whether they are having suicidal thoughts, and if so, following up with brief interventions such as telephone counseling and referrals for additional treatment.”

Related Links:

— “A few simple questions could help doctors stem the suicide epidemic, “William Wan, The Washington Post, November 8, 2019

In a greater than 1,700-word piece, the New York Times (11/11, Carey) reports on the increasing rates of “cutting and other forms of self-injury…among adolescents.” Currently, “there are very few dedicated research centers for self-harm, and even fewer clinics specializing in treatment,” and “because self-injury is considered a ‘symptom,’ and not a stand-alone diagnosis like depression, the testing of treatments has been haphazard and therapists have little evidence to draw on.” Some experts posit that “people who become dependent on self-harm often come to treasure it as their one reliable comfort.” Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) appears to be “the one treatment that appears to be most effective for breaking the habit of self-harm,” according to an 800-participant study published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Getting a Handle on Self-Harm, “Benedict Carey, The New York Times, November 11, 2019

According to experts, a “culture shift toward openness, from the C-suite on down,” is the most effective employee assistance program, Reuters (11/8, Pinsker) reported. “That translates to peer counseling, colleagues sharing their experiences and open dialogue.” Reuters added that “many companies also turn to web-based mindfulness apps,” which “are helpful to those without access to in-person counseling.”

Related Links:

— “Culture change is the cutting edge of mental health benefits at work, “Beth Pinsker, Reuters , November 8, 2019

HealthDay (11/10, Preidt) reports the results of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s September poll indicate that almost 90% of adults in the US “lose sleep to binge watch TV.” The same poll found that adults ranked sleep as their top priority below family, but in addition to binge-watching TV, adults also reported losing sleep to play video games, read, and watch sports.

Related Links:

— “TV Binges, Video Games, Books and Sports Taking Toll on Sleep, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, November 10, 2019