Healio (11/9, Monostra) reports, “A cohort of adults with schizophrenia in Israel had a higher rate of hypothyroidism after diagnosis than controls without schizophrenia, although no difference was found before diagnosis between the two groups,” investigators concluded in “a retrospective study of 1,252 adults with schizophrenia who were aged 18 to 64 years at diagnosis, and 3,576 controls selected from the Clalit Health Services database in Israel from 2002 to 2015.” The study authors concluded that “hypothyroidism may have a different cause in patients with schizophrenia, either disease- or treatment-related, compared to hypothyroidism in the general population.” The findings were published in the November issue of the journal Psychiatry Research.

Related Links:

— “Rate of hypothyroidism higher in adults after schizophrenia diagnosis “Michael Monostra, Healio, November 9, 2020

Healio (11/6, Miller) reported, “Almost one in five physicians have experienced suicidal ideation in their lifetimes,” investigators concluded in a 35-study, 70,368-physician systematic review and meta-analysis. The findings were published online Oct. 6 in the journal Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior.

Related Links:

— “17% of physicians have experienced suicidal ideation “Janel Miller, Healio, November 6, 2020

In a HealthDay (11/4, Reinberg) article advising people on how to deal with post-election anxiety and stress, “mental health experts…are urging healthier ways” than drinking “to cope with the anxiety of a country on the edge.” Instead, people should maintain their normal routines and not allow themselves “to fixate on the constant stream of news emanating from the TV and social media.” APA President-Elect Dr. Vivian Pender said, “We’re looking at the small minute-by-minute picture. And it’s good sometimes to rise above that and step back or refocus on something else.”

Related Links:

— “Coping With the Stress of This Election “Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, November 4, 2020

Healio (11/4, Gramigna) reports, “Individuals who were recently diagnosed with a mental disorder were at increased risk for [SARS-CoV-2] infection, especially African Americans and women,” investigators concluded after analyzing data from electronic health records on “61 million adults from 360 hospitals and 317,000” clinicians “across the U.S. up to July 29, 2020.” The findings were published online Oct. 7 in the journal World Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “People with mental disorder diagnosis at increased risk for COVID-19 infection “Joe Gramigna, Healio, November 4, 2020

USA Today (11/4, Cannon) reports voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota all voted to legalize recreational marijuana, meaning 15 states have now legalized it. Meanwhile, Mississippi and South Dakota legalized medical marijuana. Oregon voters “further relaxed drug laws, becoming the first state to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.”

Related Links:

— “These states legalized recreational marijuana on Election Day “Jay Cannon, USA TODAY, November 4, 2020

Healio (11/3, Gramigna) reports, “Statin use did not appear associated with suicidality, anxiety disorders or seizures,” investigators concluded after examining Swedish registry data on “1,149,384 individuals who were dispensed statins and aged 15 years or older between 2006 and 2013.” The findings of the “total-population cohort study” were published in the November issue of The Lancet Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Statin treatment not associated with adverse neuropsychiatric outcomes “Joe Gramigna, Healio, November 3, 2020

HealthDay (11/3, Preidt) reports, “The more symptoms of depression people have, the higher their risk of stroke,” investigators concluded in a study that “included more than 9,500 Black people and more than 14,500 white people across the United States who were 45 and older and had no history of stroke.” The findings were published online Oct. 6 in the journal Neurology: Clinical Practice.

Related Links:

— “Depression Has Strong Ties to Stroke, Study Finds “Robert Preidt, HealthDay , November 3, 2020

The New York Times (11/3, Bakalar) reports investigators “found no association between engagement in leisure activities at age 56 and the incidence of dementia over the following 18 years.” They arrived at that conclusion after studying “8,280 people, average age 56, who were free of dementia at the start of the analysis,” tracking “their involvement in 13 leisure activities – listening to music, gardening, attending cultural events, playing cards, using a home computer and others,” and then controlling for confounding factors. The findings were published online in the journal Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Pursuing Leisure Activities May Not Protect Against Dementia “Nicholas Bakalar, The New York Times, November 3, 2020

Healio (11/2, Forand) reports, “Psoriasis has a substantial psychological burden that affects quality of life for many patients,” investigators concluded in “a meta-analysis of 98 studies.” The meta-analysis “found nearly 30% of patients with psoriasis experienced depression symptoms, and 10% of those were on antidepressants.” When “compared with the general population, those with psoriasis showed a higher rate of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation,” the meta-analysis revealed. The findings were presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology virtual congress.

Related Links:

— “Psoriasis increases psychological burden, depression “Rebecca L. Forand, Healio, October 2, 2020

Healio (11/2, Miller) reports, “A ‘revolution’ in legal access to cannabis over the past 20 years has raised concerns about its overuse,” investigators concluded in a clinical care article published online Nov. 3 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Article author Robin Williams, MD, MBE, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, discussed the article’s contents with Healio Primary Care. Dr. Williams talked about “important takeaways” focusing “on the effects of cannabis use, intoxication and withdrawal, as well as the causes of cannabis use disorder and evidence-based pharmacologic and psychosocial treatments.”

Related Links:

— “Cannabis ‘revolution’ requires closer look at its benefits, dangers “Janel Miller, Healio, October 2, 2020