CNN (2/21, Cheng) reports, “Maternal mental illness is the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the US, according to a new evidence review, but national initiatives developed to combat the issue often fail to prioritize mental health.” The “maternal mortality rate in the US is two- to threefold greater than in other high-income countries, and it has only increased in recent years, according to the review.” The research, published in JAMA Psychiatry, “examined 30 recent studies and 15 historical references to highlight the underrecognized contribution of mental illness to maternal mortality.”

Related Links:

— “Maternal mental health conditions drive climbing death rate in US, research says,”Mira Cheng, CNN, February 21, 2024

CNN (2/20, McPhillips ) reports, “The mortality rate among renters who faced eviction was twice as high as expected during the first two years of the pandemic, according to a study published on Tuesday in JAMA” that focused “on eviction filing trends in 36 court systems that cover about 400 counties.” Also, the general population “experienced excess mortality during this time, but the risk started higher for renters and rose exponentially for those threatened with eviction.” CNN adds, “From January 2020 through August 2021, the risk of death for renters facing eviction was 2.6 times greater than it was in the general population, the study found.”

Related Links:

— “Mortality surged for renters facing eviction during the pandemic, study finds,” Deidre McPhillips, CNN, February 20, 2024

HCPlive (2/20, Derman) reports, “Crisis response planning reduces the suicide risk for PTSD among US military veterans, according to a new study.” In the study, “participants receiving crisis response planning had significantly greater and quicker reductions in the severity of suicidal ideation.” The findingswere published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders.

Related Links:

— “Crisis Response Planning Can Reduce Suicide Risk for PTSD Among Veterans,”Chelsie Derman, HCPlive, February 20, 2024

HealthDay (2/20, Foster ) reports, “Immigration has become a contentious topic in America, but new research shows the heated debate on the issue may be stressing out Hispanics across the country, whether they are citizens or not.” Researchers analyzed data from 2011 to 2018 and “discovered that, over time, there has” been “an increase in psychological distress among all Hispanics as U.S. immigration policies came under fire.” The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Related Links:

— “Political Changes Are Stressing Hispanic Americans: Study,”Robin Foster, HealthDay, February 20, 2024

HealthDay (2/20, Mundell ) reports, “Anorexia isn’t solely a disease that strikes women and girls, Canadian experts say, so they want to raise awareness that the illness can also be serious for boys and men.” Roughly “0.3% of males will receive a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, with some types of boys and men at higher risk.” These types include “gay, bisexual, trans, and queer people,” the researchers “said, as well as guys ‘involved in body- and strength-focused sports like cycling, running and wrestling.’” The experts’ article was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Related Links:

— “Anorexia Can Hit Boys and Men, Too,”Ernie Mundell, HealthDay, February 20, 2024

HealthDay (2/20, Mundell ) reports, “Americans addicted to opioids who need the anti-addiction med buprenorphine are far more likely to find it if they live in a predominantly white neighborhood, new research finds.” The study found that “compared to largely white urban areas, the most ethnically/racially diverse urban zip codes were between 45% to 55% less likely to have prescribers able to provide buprenorphine.” Meanwhile, “that gap rose to between 62% to 79% for rural parts of the United States.” The findings were published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.

Related Links:

— “It’s Tougher for Non-White Americans to Get Opioid Addiction Drug,”Ernie Mundell, HealthDay, February 20, 2024

Healio (2/16, Herpen) reported, “Deficits in processing speed negatively affects memory in individuals with acquired brain injury, strongly suggesting lack of memory recall is associated with poor processing and information acquisition, data show.” The research “included 63 individuals aged 18 to 70 years,” all of whom “were living with a chronic” acquired brain injury, “were at least 1 year post-injury and had no diagnosis of alcohol or substance use disorders, schizophrenia or bipolar diagnosis and no current use of benzodiazepines or other psychostimulants.” The findings were published in Brain Injury.

Related Links:

— “Processing deficits negatively impact memory in adults with acquired brain injury,”Robert Herpen, Healio, February 16, 2024

HealthDay (2/19, Thompson ) reports, “Increased access to prescription opioids has driven up U.S. suicide rates by making it easier to women to end their lives, a new study claims.” The research “also blames a shrinking federal safety net during tough economic times for rising suicide rates.” This study, in which researchers analyzed “nearly 600,000 suicide deaths in the United States between 1990 and 2017,” was published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

Related Links:

— “Access to Opioids Could Be Boosting Suicide Rates,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, February 19, 2024

Healio (2/16, Feller ) reports, “More than three-quarters of people with mild COVID-19 reported experiencing insomnia after recovery, and it was more common among those with anxiety or depression, according to the results of a survey.” Investigators came to this conclusion after conducting “a cross-sectional online survey of 1,056 people in Vietnam who had lab-confirmed COVID-19 in the previous 6 months and were not hospitalized.” The findings were published in Frontiers in Public Health.

Related Links:

— “COVID-19 increases insomnia risk in people with anxiety, depression,”Stephen Feller, Healio , February 20, 2024

The New York Times (2/19, Caron ) reports on the negative impact that sleep difficulties can have on a person’s mood. According to the Times, “Conditions like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder can make it harder to sleep, which can then exacerbate the symptoms of mental illness, which in turn makes it harder to sleep well.” Meanwhile, “certain medications, including psychiatric drugs like antidepressants, can also cause insomnia. If a medication is to blame, talk to your doctor about switching to a different one, taking it earlier in the day or lowering the dose, said Dr. Ramaswamy Viswanathan, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University and the incoming president of the American Psychiatric Association.”

Related Links:

— “The New York Times (requires login and subscription)