CQ Roll Call (8/5, Raman) reports there has been an increase in deaths by suicide in many communities across the US. Prior to the pandemic, “the nation’s suicide rate reached historic highs…with rates at the highest levels since World War II.” Back in April, a viewpoint piece published in JAMA Psychiatry described the prior trend of rising suicide rates and the coronavirus pandemic as a “perfect storm.” APA President Jeffrey Geller said, “We have people now who don’t know how to feed their family who have not had that thought for a very long time. That’s different than the last recession. There are masses of people who are quite worried today because they don’t know what is going to happen to their benefits. That kind of anxiety exacerbates fragility.”

Related Links:

— “Pandemic’s effect on already rising suicide rates heightens worry, “Sandhya Raman, CQ Roll Call, August 5, 2020

Healio (8/4, Gramigna) reports, “Individuals with dementia-related psychosis commonly experience visual hallucinations, auditory hallucinations and distortion of senses,” researchers concluded in a study that examined available data “for 26 participants living with self-reported dementia-related psychosis and 186 care partners who answered on behalf of patients.” The findings were presented at the virtual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2020.

Related Links:

— “Hallucinations, distorted senses common symptoms of dementia-related psychosis, “Joe Gramigna, Healio, August 4, 2020

CNN (8/4, Hunt) reports, “Some researchers had thought insufficient levels of vitamin D may play a role in depression but the findings of a large study of more than 18,000 US adults ages 50 years or older published” Aug. 4 in JAMA “has found no evidence of that impact.” For the study, “half of the adults, who had no clinically relevant depressive symptoms at the start of the study, took vitamin D3 (one of two types of Vitamin D supplements) in the amount of 2000IU per day, more than the current recommended amount in the United States,” while the “other half took a placebo.” Investigators tracked participants “for 5.3 years on average.”

Also providing similar coverage are MedPage Today (8/4, Hlavinka), HealthDay (8/4, Reinberg), and Psychiatric News (8/4).

Related Links:

— “Vitamin D doesn’t prevent depression in older adults, large study finds, “Katie Hunt, CNN, August 4, 2020

The New York Times (8/3, Kolata) reports researchers found “the risk for a person to develop dementia over a lifetime is now 13 percent lower than it was in 2010” in the US and Europe. Researchers observed the decrease “despite the lack of effective treatments or preventive strategies.” The findings were published in Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Dementia on the Retreat in the U.S. and Europe, “Gina Kolata, The New York Times, August 3, 2020

Medscape (8/3, Brooks, Subscription Publication) reports researchers found “depression and anxiety in patients with COVID-19 may reflect penetration of the novel coronavirus into the central nervous system (CNS).” The findings were published in The Laryngoscope.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

Reuters (8/3, Parodi) reports, “COVID-19 survivors suffer higher rates of psychiatric disorders including post-traumatic stress (PTSD), anxiety, insomnia and depression, according to a study conducted by San Raffaele hospital in Milan on Monday.” The Milan “survey showed that more than half of the 402 patients monitored after being treated for the virus experienced at least one of these disorders in proportion to the severity of the inflammation during the disease.” The report was published in Brain, Behavior and Immunity.

Related Links:

— “Some COVID-19 survivors suffer psychiatric disorders, Italian study says, “Emilio Parodi, Reuters, August 3, 2020

Healio (7/31, Gramigna) reported, “A behavioral pain management intervention was associated with improved pain-related outcomes among individuals with substance use disorders and chronic pain,” investigators concluded in a study that randomized “to treatment 264 men, with 133 to ImPAT [Improving Pain During Addiction Treatment] and 131 to SPC [supportive psychoeducational control], and 246 women, with 122 to ImPAT and 124 to SPC, with the goal of recruiting approximately equal numbers of men and women to examine results by sex.” The findings were published online July 29 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Behavioral pain management effective for substance use disorders, chronic pain, “Joe Gramigna, Healio, July 31, 2020

Psychiatric News (7/30) reports APA President Jeffrey Geller, MD, MPH, said in a statement, “We are mourning the loss of a leader who meant so much to the Black community and to all Americans who strive for equity and justice. For more than a half century, Rep. John Lewis showed what walking the walk truly means in promoting civil rights, even putting his own life at risk in service of the cause. His lesson to us is to continue that work through speaking up, taking tangible actions, exhibiting humility, and practicing perseverance.”

Related Links:

— “APA Mourns Loss of Rep. John Lewis, Praises Trailblazing Legacy, Psychiatric News, July 30, 2020

CNN (7/30, LaMotte) reports researchers found in three studies that “a lack of access to high-quality education at an early age; being overweight during early adulthood; or having high blood pressure, diabetes and two or more heart health risk factors in the teen years, 20s and midlife were significantly connected to cognitive issues and dementia in later life.” The findings were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2020.

MedPage Today (7/30, George) reports the research suggests that “about 40% of dementia cases may be prevented or delayed by modifying 12 risk factors.”

Newsweek (7/30, Gander) and HealthDay (7/30, Mozes) also cover the research.

Related Links:

— “Poor health in teens and 20s raises risk of dementia later, studies say, “Sandee LaMotte, CNN, July 30, 2020

Medscape (7/30, Yasgur, Subscription Publication) reports researchers found “since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a dramatic increase in depression, anxiety, psychosis, and suicidality.” Medscape adds, “The new data, released by Mental Health America, came from individuals who completed a voluntary online mental health screen.”

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)