Healio (9/4, Demko) reports, “Preexisting mood, anxiety and somatoform disorders were linked to an increased risk for bilateral oophorectomy over a 20-year period, even after confirmation of a nonmalignant diagnosis,” researchers concluded after identifying “1,653 cases and 1,653 age-matched controls after reviewing medical records in a population-based records-linkage system,” then calculating “the risk for mood disorders, bipolar disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, somatoform disorders, personality disorders, dissociative disorders and adjustment disorders” after adjusting for confounding factors. The findings were published online Aug. 30 in the journal Menopause.

Related Links:

— “Psychiatric disorders tied to unnecessary oophorectomy, “Savannah Demko, Healio, September 4, 2019

MedPage Today (9/3, George) reports, “Treating delirium with antipsychotic medications and using haloperidol (Haldol) to prevent it showed little or no benefit over placebo, a pair of systematic reviews published” online Sept. 3 in the Annals of Internal Medicine found. In fact, “across 16 randomized controlled trials and 10 observational studies, haloperidol and second-generation (a.k.a. ‘atypical’) antipsychotics to treat delirium did not differ from placebo for outcomes including sedation status, delirium duration, hospital length of stay, or mortality,” one review found. In addition, “in a separate review of 14 delirium prevention trials,” investigators found that “haloperidol did not decrease in delirium incidence or duration, hospital length of stay, or mortality relative to placebo or other comparators.”

Related Links:

— “Little Benefit for Haldol, Antipsychotics to Treat or Prevent Delirium, “Judy George, MedPage Today, September 3, 2019

Healio (9/3, Demko) reports, “Children of incarcerated parents were more likely to develop a substance use disorder and anxiety disorder as adults,” researchers concluded. The findings of the 1,420-participant, longitudinal study were published online Aug. 23 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Parental incarceration linked to adult psychiatric outcomes in offspring, “Savannah Demko, Healio, September 3, 2019

The AP (8/30, Choi) reported that “when it comes to addressing the topic” of weight loss “with children, pediatricians and dietitians say there are best practices to consider.” According to experts, “the key is to approach the subject with kindness and caring, and avoid blaming any of the child’s behaviors.” In addition, youngsters should “understand that any changes would be intended to make them feel better, and not about how they look.” The AP added, “Any adjustments to meals and activities should involve the entire family, so children don’t feel singled out.” Parents should also frame changes “in a positive light.” Stephen Pont, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Dell Medical School, said, “Guilt and blame are not good motivators for change.”

Related Links:

— “As with adults, no easy way to address weight with children, “Candice Choi, AP, August 30, 2019

Psychiatric News (8/30) reported, “The more seasons that NFL players spend playing in the league, the greater their risk of cognitive problems and depression,” researchers concluded after analyzing “responses of 3,506 former NFL players (average age 53 years) to a survey sent by mail or email.” The findings were published online Aug. 30 in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

Related Links:

— “More Seasons of NFL Play May Be Associated With Increased Risk of Cognitive Problems, Depression, Psychiatric News, August 30, 2019

Reuters (8/29, Joseph) reports, “Suicidal thinking, severe depression and rates of self-injury among U.S. college students more than doubled over less than a decade,” research indicated. After examining “data from two large annual surveys of college undergraduates covering the years 2007-2018, researchers found a broad worsening of mental health indicators including depression overall, anxiety, low flourishing and suicidal planning and attempts, particularly in the second half of the study period.” The findings were published online July 3 in the Journal of Adolescent Health

Related Links:

— “Depression, anxiety rising among U.S. college students, “Saumya Joseph, Reuters, August 29, 2019

Psychiatric News (8/29) reports, “Roughly 30% of people who participate in studies of in-person psychosocial treatment programs for substance use disorders (SUDs) drop out,” researchers concluded in a 151-study meta-analysis that encompassed “a total of 26,243 participants.” The findings were published online Aug. 27 in the journal Addiction.

Related Links:

— “1 of 3 Study Participants Found to Drop Out of SUD Treatment Studies, , August 29, 2019

Healio (8/29, Demko) reports, “Individuals whose childhood” attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) “persists into adulthood appear to be at increased risk for motor vehicle crashes,” researchers concluded after examining “the risk for motor vehicle crashes…in 441 adults with” AD/HD and “239 controls without” the disorder. The findings were published online Aug. 22 in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Adult ADHD persistence may increase car crash risk, “Savannah Demko, Healio, August 29, 2019

STAT (8/28, Robbins) reports the FDA “has been quietly pressuring a handful of companies to stop reporting results to patients about how their genes may interact with specific drugs.” The agency is concerned that “amid a boom in genetic testing that aims to predict a person’s response to medication,…unsupported claims about gene-drug links could be dangerous, if they spur patients to start, stop, or switch medications in ways that aren’t appropriate.” The article highlights several examples of companies that have fallen under the FDA’s new scrutiny of pharmacogenetic testing.

Related Links:

— “FDA warns testing companies: Don’t tell patients how their DNA influences response to specific drugs, “Rebecca Robbins, STAT, August 28, 2019

The Wall Street Journal (8/28, Petersen, Subscription Publication) reports physicians are increasingly concerned that patients taking antidepressants may be subjecting themselves to unnecessary side effects and risks over the long term. Research indicated that people taking such medications were at a 14 percent higher risk of strokes and heart attacks, and a 33 percent higher risk of death.

Related Links:

— “New Concerns Emerge About Long-Term Antidepressant Use, “Andrea Petersen, The Wall Street Journal, August 28, 2019