Medwire News (8/22, McDermid) reported, “Patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) have an increased risk of later developing certain psychiatric disorders,” according to a study published online in the Journal of Headache and Pain. The findings of the study, which involved “3273 TN patients” and 13,092 people without the condition, revealed that TN “patients to be at risk of developing depression, anxiety and sleep disorders, but not bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.”

Related Links:

— “Psychiatric disorders may follow trigeminal neuralgia,” Eleanor McDermid, Medwire News, August 21, 2015.

Reuters (8/21, Pierson) reports that the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled unanimously that the New York State Psychiatric Association has standing to sue UnitedHealth Group for treating mental health claims differently than other health claims and claims administrators may be liable for coverage decisions under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

Modern Healthcare (8/21, Schencker, Subscription Publication) reported that in an Aug. 20 ruling, “a panel of judges for the 2nd US Court of Appeals decided…that UnitedHealth Group, as a third-party administrator for an employee health plan, is not exempt from ERISA, which regulates traditional pensions and other employer-provided benefits.” The panel also ruled that “under ERISA, the administrator must follow the mental health parity law.” The ruling may “lead to more patients and [healthcare professionals] challenging plan administrators who try to limit access to mental health services, some say.”

Related Links:

— “Psychiatric group’s ERISA case against UnitedHealth revived,” Brendan Pierson, Reuters, August 21, 2015.

HealthDay (8/21, Reinberg) reports that taking care of “a spouse who has had a stroke can hurt your mental and physical health,” according to a study published online Aug. 20 in the journal Science. After assessing some “250 caregiving partners of stroke survivors,” researchers also found that caregivers’ “vitality and social life…suffered, not only in the first years after stroke, but over many years.”

Related Links:

— “When Your Spouse Has a Stroke, Your Health May Suffer, Too,” Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, August 20, 2015.

The St. Louis (MO) Post-Dispatch (8/21, Munz) reports that “emotional issues are cited as a leading reason students struggle during college,” and the college years are also the time “when severe psychiatric orders — such as bipolar and schizophrenia — typically manifest, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.” The Jed Foundation, which works “to promote emotional health and prevent suicide among college students,” suggests that “a parent’s goal should be to encourage their child to seek help before problems become debilitating.” Before kids head off to college, parents should “discuss ways” to manage stress and mental health issues.

Related Links:

— “How parents can protect the mental health of a college-bound child,” Michele Munz, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 21, 2015.

USA Today (8/21, Hoyer) reports that USA Today analysts, using data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, found “one in six positions — nearly 41,000 — for critical intake workers, doctors, nurses and assistants were unfilled as of mid July,” at Veterans Affairs hospitals. For nine of the VA’s hospitals, the number of vacancies is as high as one in three. In particular, vacancy rates are highest “for psychologists. In 13 regional health care systems, 40 to 64% of psychologist positions are” not currently filled.

Related Links:

— “Half of critical positions open at some VA hospitals,” Meghan Hoyer, USA Today, August 20, 2015.

HealthDay (8/21, Haelle) reports, “People with psoriasis may be twice as likely to experience depression as those without the common skin condition, regardless of its severity,” according to a study slated for presentation at a dermatology meeting. Researchers arrived at the study’s conclusion after analyzing “the responses of more than 12,000 US adults in the 2009-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by” the CDC.

Related Links:

— “Psoriasis Linked to Higher Risk of Depression,” Tara Haelle, HealthDay, August 20, 2015.

CNN (8/20, Gallman) reports that according to David Spiegel, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, hypnotherapy is “literally the oldest Western conception of a psychotherapy.” For over 40 years, Spiegel “has been conducting studies about the benefits of hypnosis” and “said there is no doubt that hypnosis works as an effective therapeutic technique to manage pain and kick bad habits.”

Related Links:

— “Not just for TV: Hypnosis legit part of comprehensive treatment plan,” Stephanie Gallman, CNN, August 18, 2015.

The San Antonio Business Journal (8/19, Saporito, Subscription Publication) reports that “an initiative by a San Antonio lawyer has led to the production of a new video from the State Bar of Texas to inspire lawyers struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues to seek help.” The video “uses personal stories from Texas attorneys to show how the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program, or TLAP, can change lives.”

Related Links:

— “New video reaches out to lawyers with substance abuse, mental health issues,” Susan Saporito, San Antonio Business Journal, August 18, 2015.

The Telegraph (UK) (8/19, Knapton) reports that researchers in the UK who “studied 2,000 teenagers to see if their social groups could influence how they felt about life” discovered that “having mentally stable, happy friends helped to improve the mood of those who were depressed.” Interestingly, “depressed people did not seem to have an impact on the state of mind of those around them,” the study revealed. The findings appeared in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Related Links:

— “Depression is not contagious but an upbeat mood is, say scientists,” Sarah Knapton, The Telegraph, August 19, 2015.

The Detroit Free Press (8/18) reports that the “American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimates one in seven women experience depression during pregnancy or within 12 months of delivery.” Yet despite increasing awareness “of postpartum depression or ‘the baby blues,’ anxiety and depression during pregnancy remain underreported, with no standard screening procedures in place, experts say.” Less than “20% of women diagnosed during postpartum had self-reported symptoms, according to” ACOG. In a May report, ACOG recommended that women be screened for depression “at least once.”

Related Links:

— “Depression doesn’t always wait until the baby comes,” Alison Bowen, Detroit Free Press, August 18, 2015.