Clinical Endocrinology News (11/12, Splete) reports, “All patients with postpartum depression should be screened for thyroid dysfunction, as postpartum thyroiditis is often missed and misdiagnosed, according to” a presentation given by Christine Kessler, CNS, ANP, at the Metabolic & Endocrine Disease Summit by Global Academy for Medical Education. Kessler explained that “postpartum thyroiditis (PPT) is ‘an inflammatory, autoimmune thyroid condition’” that “can involve high or low thyroid-stimulating hormone and may occur during the first postpartum year in women who were euthyroid prior to pregnancy.” Patients who present “with PPT in the hyperthyroid phase display symptoms including insomnia, anxiety, irritability, heat intolerance, fatigue, and palpitations, Ms. Kessler said,” and “these women ‘are often told they have postpartum depression; they aren’t sleeping well, and they feel like they are failing as a mom.’”

Related Links:

— “Don’t miss postpartum thyroiditis “Heidi Splete, Clinical Endocrinology News, November 12, 2020

The New York Times (11/12, Goldberg) reports, “The social isolation of the pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of many Americans.” However, “the impact has been especially severe on teenagers, who rely on their friends to navigate the maze and pressures of high school life.” Dr. Gabrielle Shapiro, chair of the APA’s Council on Children, Adolescents, and Their Families, is concerned that teenagers whose parents dismiss mental health symptoms are not able to confide in teachers or school counselors during the pandemic. In response, Dr. Shapiro “recommended that schools put in place lessons to teach students how to share their emotions.”

Related Links:

— “Teens in Covid Isolation: ‘I Felt Like I Was Suffocating’ “Emma Goldberg, The New York Times, November 12, 2020

NBC News (11/12, Arkin) reports, “From the middle of March to October, the proportion of” emergency department (ED) “visits related to children’s mental health rose dramatically for school-aged children and adolescents compared to the previous year, according to” a CDC report. The report’s authors wrote that the “findings provide initial insight into children’s mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight the importance of continued monitoring of children’s mental health throughout the pandemic, ensuring access to care during public health crises, and improving healthy coping strategies and resiliency among children and families.”

The Hill (11/12, Budryk) also covers the story.

Related Links:

— “Covid stress taking a toll on children’s mental health, CDC finds “Daniel Arkin, NBC News, November 12, 2020

The Washington Post (11/11, Fears, Achenbach, Martin) reports, “The number of new daily coronavirus cases in the United States jumped from 104,000 a week earlier to more than 145,000 on Wednesday, an all-time high.” Almost every metric “is trending in the wrong direction, prompting states to add new restrictions and hospitals to prepare for a potentially dark future.” Dave Dillon, a spokesman for the Missouri Hospital Association, said: “We’re at a fairly critical juncture.”

Related Links:

— “As coronavirus soars, hospitals hope to avoid an agonizing choice: Who gets care and who goes home “Darryl Fears, Joel Achenbach, The Washington Post, November 11, 2020

MedPage Today (11/11, Monaco) reports, “The alopecia treatment finasteride (Propecia) was tied to suicidality in male users,” investigators concluded. After examining data on some “3,200 users,” investigators found “2,926 reports of psychological adverse events – defined as cases of depression and anxiety – associated with the use of finasteride,” which “equated to a more than four times higher chance of experiencing depression and anxiety while using finasteride.” What’s more, researchers “found a 63% higher odds of experiencing suicidality…with a more than four times higher chance of experiencing suicidal ideation.” The findings were published online Nov. 11 in JAMA Dermatology.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

The New York Times (11/10, Rabin) reports, “People with intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders are three times more likely to die if they have Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, compared with others with the diagnosis, according to a large analysis of insurance claims data.” The analysis “included claims filed by 467,773 privately insured patients” and “was evaluated only by an academic reviewer and has not been published in a scientific journal.”

Related Links:

— “Developmental Disabilities Heighten Risk of Covid Death “Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times, November 10, 2020

HealthDay (11/10, Norton) reports, “Instead of being a safe alternative to smoking, vaping may serve as an enticing gateway to the cigarette habit for some teens,” researchers concluded in a study that “included more than 8,660 U.S. adolescents ages 12 to 17 who were surveyed between 2014 and 2016.” The study revealed that among teens “with no intention to smoke traditional cigarettes, almost 10% of e-cigarette users went on to try cigarettes, versus about 2% of other teens.” The findings were published online in the journal Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Vaping Lures Teens to Smoking: Study “Amy Norton, HealthDay, November 10, 2020

The AP (11/10) reports New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a pilot program that will dispatch mental healthcare professionals rather than police officers in response to certain calls to 911. The program will be “rolled out next year in two neighborhoods” and is based on existing programs that have been in place in other cities, such as Eugene, Oregon, for decades.

Reuters (11/10, Layne) reports de Blasio said, “For the first time in our city’s history, health responders will be the default responders for a person in crisis, making sure those struggling with mental illness receive the help they need.” New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray “said in the statement that the responders would have the expertise to deal with a range of situations, including suicide attempts, drug abuse and physical problems which can mask mental health issues.

Related Links:

— “Mental health workers to take lead in some NYC 911 calls, AP, November 10, 2020

Healio (11/9, Gramigna) reports on research indicating that “childhood abuse and neglect appear to have significant effects on brain structure and function, as well as on the epigenome.” Included in the category are “physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, household mental illness left untreated, household substance use and abuse, incarceration of a household member, parental separation or divorce and domestic abuse in the household.” The study also shows that “almost 62% of children in the United States experience one or more adverse childhood experiences…and nearly 25% experience three or more.” Effects on brain structure include “reduced gray matter volume in the hippocampus and amygdala” as well as “greater activation of the amygdala, globus pallidus/parahippocampal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, cerebellum and thalamus.” The findings were presented at the NEI Max virtual conference.

Related Links:

— “Childhood abuse, neglect may significantly alter brain structure, function “Joe Gramigna, Healio, November 9, 2020

MedPage Today (11/9, Hlavinka) reports, “The FDA gave marketing authorization to an Apple Watch app that detects and disrupts nightmares for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or nightmare disorder, the agency announced” Nov. 6. The agency “granted NightWare breakthrough device designation and reviewed it through an expedited process intended for low to moderate risk devices.”

Medscape (11/9, Brooks, Subscription Publication) also covers the story.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)