mHealth Intelligence (10/31, Vaidya) reports, “Receiving care from medical practices with higher telehealth use is associated with an increase in mental health visits among Medicare patients with serious mental illness, according to a” study published in JAMA Health Forum. In the study, researchers found that “compared to the number of mental health visits observed among practices with the lowest telehealth use, patients who received care at middle telehealth use practices had 1.11 more mental health visits per year, and patients who received care at the highest telehealth use practices had 1.94 more visits per year.”

Related Links:

— “High Telehealth Use Linked to More Visits for Serious Mental Illness,” Anuja Vaidya, mHealth Intelligence, October 31, 2023

CNN (10/31, McPhillips) reports, “The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has received millions of calls, texts and online messages since its launch in the summer of 2022, but a…study suggests that the mental health resource is far from reaching its full potential.” According to a study published in JAMA Network Open, “only a quarter of people said they would likely turn to 988 in the future if they or a loved one were experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidality – and less than a third of people with severe psychological distress who had already tried the lifeline were likely to use it again.”

Related Links:

— “Millions use 988 mental health crisis line, but more training, resources could better reach people in need, researchers say,”Deidre McPhillips, CNN, October 31, 2023

Healio (10/30, Capaldo) reports, “Mounting evidence suggests that herpes simplex virus 1 may be associated with an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, according to a systematic review of published studies.” The review of 21 studies found “an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease when HSV-1 is present in the brain vs. controls…according to a meta-analysis with a 4,353-person sample size.” The findings were published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.

Related Links:

— “Herpes simplex virus 1 may be associated with increased risk for Alzheimer’s, dementia,”Gabrielle Capaldo, Healio, October 30, 2023

HealthDay (10/30, Murez) reports, “American parents fear their teens’ internet use could expose them to cyberbullying, harmful content and set them up for addiction, a…study shows.” In a survey published in JAMA Network Open, “more than 22% were concerned their children might be dependent on the internet. Twice as many were worried about internet addiction as were concerned about addiction to substances like drugs or alcohol.”

Related Links:

— “1 in 5 U.S. Parents Worry Their Teen Is Addicted to the Internet,”Cara Murez, HealthDay , October 30, 2023

USA Today (10/30, Rodriguez) reports that researchers have “found that people who experienced one or more traumatic events during childhood were 48% more likely to develop headache disorders as an adult.” Researchers found that “the body holds trauma that can manifest into physical symptoms.” The findings were published in Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Suffering from headaches or migraines? Childhood trauma could be causing them,”Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, October 30, 2023

Psychiatric News (10/27) reported that research “suggests that when therapists feel institutional support for the evidence-based treatments they provide, they report less burnout and greater job satisfaction.” Investigators came to this conclusion after analyzing “data from the VHA’s national 2018 Mental Health Provider Survey.” The findings were published in Psychiatric Services.

Related Links:

— “Reducing Burnout in VA Therapists: Study Points to Role of Institutional Support, Psychiatric News , October 27, 2023

The Washington Post (10/29) reports, “For decades, Medicare has covered only mental health services provided by psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers and psychiatric nurses.” However, “with rising demand and many people willing to pay privately for care, 45 percent of psychiatrists and 54 percent of psychologists don’t participate in Medicare.” In response, “beginning in January, Medicare for the first time will allow marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors to provide services.” This group “of more than 400,000 professionals makes up more than 40 percent of the licensed mental health workforce and is especially critical in rural areas.” Advocates additionally “note the importance of expanded Medicare coverage for telehealth, including mental health care,” that has become more widely available due to expanded coverage during the pandemic. The American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Healthcare Systems and Financing Chair Robert Trestman, PhD, MD, “called on lawmakers and regulators to maintain those expansions and continue to reimburse mental health telehealth visits at the same rate as in-person visits, another pandemic innovation.”

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

HCP Live (10/27, Derman) reported, “Treatment rates for depression, anxiety, ADHD, and behavior disorders among children and adolescents are low—and rates differ by age, income level, and region, according to a new international study.” Investigators came to these conclusions after analyzing data from “40 studies, published between 1988 – 2021, that conducted diagnostic interviews.” The research was published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Mental Disorders Treatment Rates Remain Low Among Children and Adolescents,”Chelsie Derman, HCP Live, October 27, 2023

HealthDay (10/26, Norton) reports, “Millions of older Americans may be unaware they have memory and thinking impairments – mostly because their doctors aren’t diagnosing them, new research suggests.” Investigators found, “after analyzing Medicare data covering 40 million older Americans…that only a small percentage of expected cases of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were actually diagnosed.” According to HealthDay, “The upshot was that more than 7 million cases went undetected.” The research was published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Related Links:

— “7 Million Americans Have Mild Cognitive Impairment and Don’t Know It,”Amy Norton, HealthDay , October 26, 2023

Psychiatric News (10/26) reports that “at this year’s American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s…annual meeting,” experts debated whether child and adolescent psychiatrists should urge “families to institute blanket bans on screens in bedrooms,” given that “numerous studies have established a strong link between evening screen time and poor sleep quality.”

Related Links:

— “Should Psychiatrists Advocate Banning Screens From Kids’ Bedrooms?, Psychiatric News , October 26, 2023