Healio (5/31, Weldon) reported, “Preteens whose parents were incarcerated or arrested were more likely to experience suicidal ideation, according to research published in Pediatrics.” In the study, “researchers examined data from 10,532 children who participated in the ABCD study and found that 6.5%…reported parental incarceration and 12% reported parental arrest.” Of those, “4.7% reported suicidal ideation. The researchers calculated that children whose parents had been incarcerated had an RR of suicidal ideation of 1.74 (95% CI, 1.32-2.31). Children whose parents had been arrested had an RR of suicidal ideation of 1.89 (95% CI, 1.53-2.37) and an RR of suicide attempt of 2.69 (95% CI, 1.7-4.25).”

Related Links:

— “Parents’ incarceration may put kids at higher risk for suicidal thoughts,”Rose Weldon, Healio, May 31, 2024

Healio [mailview.bulletinhealthcare.com] (5/30, Weldon) reports, “Teenagers who use cannabis have a much higher risk for developing a psychotic disorder compared with their nonusing peers, according to research published in Psychological Medicine.” In the study [mailview.bulletinhealthcare.com], “researchers found that, compared with no cannabis use, cannabis use was significantly associated with psychotic disorders during adolescence (adjusted HR = 11.2; 95% CI, 4.6-27.3), but not during young adulthood (aHR = 1.3; 95% CI, 0.6-2.6). When the researchers restricted outcomes to hospitalizations and ED visits, the strength of the association increased markedly during adolescence (aHR = 26.7; 95% CI, 7.7-92.8) but again did not change meaningfully during young adulthood (aHR = 1.8; 95% CI, 0.6-5.4).”

Related Links:

— “Study suggests strong link between teen cannabis use, psychotic disorders,”Rose Weldon, Healio, May 30, 2024

The New York Times [mailview.bulletinhealthcare.com] (5/30, Barry ) reports, “Post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses among college students more than doubled between 2017 and 2022, climbing most sharply as the coronavirus pandemic shut down campuses and upended young adults’ lives, according to new research published on Thursday.” PTSD prevalence “rose to 7.5 percent from 3.4 percent during that period, according to the findings [mailview.bulletinhealthcare.com],” which were published in JAMA Network Open.

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

Psychiatric News (5/29) reports, “Individuals having a mental health crisis who were transported to a hospital by a ‘psychiatric ambulance’ required fewer restraints or other coercive measures compared with individuals transported by the police, according to a report in Psychiatric Services.” This option is an alternative to law enforcement transporting patients, as police “usually receive limited training in managing psychiatric disorders and in responding to individuals experiencing psychiatric symptoms or crises, which may increase the risk for preventable escalation and the use of restrictive measures,” researchers wrote.

Related Links:

— “Study Finds ‘Psychiatric Ambulance’ Provides Safe and Uncoercive Transport of Individuals in Crisis, Psychiatric News , May 29, 2024

Reuters (5/29, Rumney) reports, “Nicotine alternatives used in vapes being launched in the U.S. and abroad, such as 6-methyl nicotine, may be more potent and addictive than nicotine itself, though the scientific data remains incomplete, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and independent researchers.” These substances “are not subject to U.S. tobacco and vaping regulations that are designed to control traditional nicotine, a highly addictive drug,” meaning “manufacturers can sell vapes containing synthetic nicotine analogues such as 6-methyl nicotine in the United States without seeking authorization from the FDA – a process that can be costly, time-consuming and is often unsuccessful.”

Related Links:

— “Exclusive: Nicotine-like chemicals in U.S. vapes may be more potent than nicotine, FDA says,”Emma Rumney, Reuters , May 29, 2024

KFF Health News (5/28, Graham) reports, “Caring for older adults with dementia is stressful, especially when they become physically or verbally aggressive, wander away from home, develop paranoia or hallucinations, engage in inappropriate or repetitive behaviors, or refuse to let caregivers help them.” Now, however, “help is available from a first-of-its-kind website created by prominent experts in this field.” The site “offers free training in a comprehensive approach to managing neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia – a method known as DICE – based on several decades of scientific research as well as extensive clinical practice.”

Related Links:

— “New Help for Dealing With Aggression in People With Dementia,”Judith Graham , KFF Health News, May 28, 2024

Psychiatric News (5/28) says, “In contrast to the overall rise in U.S. suicide rates since 2000, the suicide rate among people diagnosed with cancer has been dropping since 1989, according a report in Translational Psychiatry.” In the general population, “average suicide rates increased 1.7% a year since 2000, researchers reported. By contrast, average cancer-related suicide deaths declined gradually between 1989 and 2013, followed by a sharper decline between 2013 and 2017, during which the rate dropped 27% a year on average.”

Related Links:

— “Psychosocial Care Credited for Declining Suicide Rate Among Patients With Cancer,Psychiatric News , May 28, 2024

HCP Live (5/28, Derman) reports, “In a recent study, major depressive disorder (MDD) was the most observed comorbidity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), followed by somatoform disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).” In the study, researchers wrote, “It was surprising that almost 80% of participants reported some degree of psychological distress in the form of major depression, somatoform disorders, and generalized anxiety disorder, which is one and half times more than reported in the literature.” The findings were published in Reumatologia.

Related Links:

— “Major Depressive Disorder Is the Most Observed Psychiatric Comorbidity in RA,”Chelsie Derman, HCP Live, May 28, 2024

Healio (5/26, Byrne ) reported, “Health care institutions and their staffs must take action to ensure bereavement care shifts from ‘an afterthought to a public health priority,’ according to a position paperpublished in The Lancet Public Health.” Bereavement care “often is considered part of palliative care; however, there often is a lack of continuity of care for bereaved individuals after a person dies in palliative or end-of-life care settings, the paper’s authors contend.” The gap in care “can leave bereaved individuals with feelings of abandonment and lack of access to support services, as well as increased risk for morbidity and mortality.” Healio interviewed paper co-author Wendy G. Lichtenthal, PhD.

Related Links:

— “Bereavement care, often an ‘afterthought,’ should be public health priority,”Jennifer Byrne, Healio , May 26, 2024

The Washington Post (5/27, Docter-Loeb) reports, “When asked, 75 percent of survey respondents said they felt mental health conditions are identified and treated worse than physical health issues, according to a new survey from West Health and Gallup.” The poll “also gauged mental health conditions among participants. Of the respondents: 51 percent reported experiencing depression, anxiety or another mental health condition in the previous 12 months.”

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)