Kaiser Health News (10/11, Graham) reported, “as older adults become reliant on computers, cellphones and tablets,” cognitive impairment and dementia may make technology “difficult to use and, in some cases, problematic.” For example, patients may have difficulty remembering passwords or using smartphone applications. Moreover, “people with frontotemporal dementia, which affects a person’s judgment, self-awareness and ability to assess risk,” may be particularly vulnerable to digital threats. Meanwhile, families may have difficulty monitoring or controlling a loved one’s online activities because “appropriating someone’s passwords and using them to check email or online bank or brokerage accounts” without their consent is illegal.

Related Links:

— “With cognitive impairment, older adults struggle with — and face risks from — smartphones, computers., ” Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News, October 11, 2019

Reuters (10/14, Carroll) reports an analysis by Canadian researchers at Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute within Unity Health Toronto of over 163 studies involving nearly 25,000 patients suggests that “symptoms of aggression and agitation in dementia patients may respond better to non-drug therapies such as massage, touch therapy and outdoor activities.” Investigators “found that outdoor activities were more effective than antipsychotic medications for treating physically aggressive patients.” Also, in terms of “verbal aggression, massage and touch therapy were more effective than the patients’ usual care.” The findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— “To ease dementia agitation, drugs may not be best option, “Linda Carroll, Reuters, October 14, 2019

On its “Morning Edition” program and in its “Shots” blog, NPR (10/10, Hamilton) reports scientists are “worried about vaping’s effect on teenage brains,” which could present “potential problems” that “include attention disorders…impulse control issues and susceptibility to substance abuse.” Current “research on young animals shows that nicotine can interfere with processes that are critical to memory, learning, focus, impulse control and brain development.” Frances Leslie, professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of California at Irvine, “says the problem is that nicotine mimics acetylcholine, an important chemical messenger in the brain,” fooling “brain cells that have something called a nicotinic receptor.” Leslie explained that “unfortunately…’those parts of the brain that are actively maturing during adolescence are being actively controlled by nicotinic receptors.’”

Related Links:

— “How Vaping Nicotine Can Affect A Teenage Brain, “Jon Hamilton, NPR, October 10, 2019

MD Magazine (10/10, Campbell) reports research indicated that “nearly one in five cardiac rehabilitation patients suffered from depression.” The 5,908-patient study highlights “the need for monitoring depression and anxiety symptoms on entry and during cardiac rehabilitation to assist with improving adherence.” The findings were published online Oct. 9 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

Related Links:

— “Depression, Anxiety Can Derail Cardiac Rehabilitation, “Patrick Campbell, MD Magazine, October 10, 2019

Psychiatric News (10/10) reports, “Whether patients with major depressive disorder [MDD] show improvement (or lack thereof) at the end of their second week on an antidepressant medication may predict whether they will ultimately achieve remission at the end of 12 weeks,” researchers concluded after conducting “a secondary analysis of data from the Veterans Affairs Augmentation and Switching Treatments for Improving Depression Outcomes…study, which involved 1,552 veterans aged 18 and older whose” MDD “was unresponsive to at least one course of antidepressant treatment.” The findings were published online Oct. 3 in the journal Psychiatric Research & Clinical Practice, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Changes in Depressive Symptoms at Two-Week Treatment Mark May Predict 12-Week Remission Outcomes, Psychiatric News, October 10, 2019

Reuters (10/9, Carroll) reports a new study finds that few federal dollars “are available for research into ways to prevent firearm injuries even though they are the second-leading cause of death among U.S. children and teens and the leading cause of death among high schoolers.” Researchers looked at government databases, including “the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) database to identify and quantify the leading causes of mortality in young people, and the Federal Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORTER), a searchable database of scientific research awards from federal agencies.” The study was published in Health Affairs.

Related Links:

— “Second leading cause of death in children, firearms attract few U.S. research dollars, “Linda Carroll, Reuters , October 9, 2019

CNN (10/9, Lamotte) reports, “Not only did eating a healthy diet for three weeks improve depressive symptoms in college-aged young adults, but those who continued the diet for three months kept their improved outlook on life,” research indicated.

Medscape (10/9, Anderson, Subscription Publication) reports, “The analysis included 76 normal weight university students with a mean age of about 20 years.” Study “participants had a score of 7 or more on the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 Depression subscale (DASS-21-D), which corresponds with moderate depression symptoms, and a score of more than 57 on the Dietary Fat and Sugar Screener (DFS), which suggests a poor diet.” The findings were published online Oct. 9 in PLOS One. HealthDay (10/9, Heubeck) also covers the story.

Related Links:

— “Healthy diet improves depression in young adults, study says, “Sandee LaMotte, CNN, October 9, 2019

The ABC News (10/9) website reports, “Suicide is the 10th-leading cause of death across the U.S. population, but is second-most among” college students. Completely “independent of college, statistics reveal a spike in suicidality between the ages of 15 and 25.” Students in higher education “today also face challenges that are particular to their generation, such as greater financial stress and an increasingly digital world that replaces face-to-face connection and may contribute to sensations of loneliness and isolation.” At the same time, “college counseling services face a particular challenge in developing protocols that can effectively triage and recognize students at higher risk.”

Related Links:

— “Rising suicide rates at college campuses prompt concerns over mental health care, “Eden David, ABC News , October 9, 2019

CNBC (10/8, Stieg) reports on a survey from nonprofit Mind Share Partners, which examined “the effects that mental health issues can have on employees” by having “1,500 people ages 16 and older who are employed at a company with at least 11 employees” answer “questions online about their mental health.” The survey found that “60% of people have experienced symptoms of mental health issues in the past year.” Furthermore, survey data indicated that “half of millennial (defined in this survey as 23-38 years old) and 75% of Gen-Zer (18-22 years old) respondents have quit a job partially due to mental health reasons.” The findingswere published in Harvard Business Review.

Related Links:

— “Half of millennials and 75% of Gen-Zers have quit jobs for mental health reasons, “Cory Stieg, CNBC, October 8, 2019

HealthDay (10/8, Reinberg) reports, “Eating disorders…may trigger suicide attempts, three new studies” indicate. In the first study, which included “data on more than 36,000 adults,” investigators “found that only half of those with eating disorders seek help, that some are less likely than others to seek help, and that people with eating disorders are five to six times more likely to try suicide.” The findings were published in the August issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings. A second study, published online June 25 “in the journal BMC Medicine…found that adults with eating disorders have” a “five- to sixfold higher risk of suicide attempts, compared with people without eating disorders.” The third study, which involved “207 people with binge-eating disorder,” revealed that “more than half of the participants placed a high value on their weight or body shape.” The findings were published online July 2 in the journal Obesity.

Related Links:

— “Eating Disorders Linked to Suicide Risk, “Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, October 8, 2019