Medwire (1/5, Robertson) reported, “Diabetes is associated with a significantly increased risk for depressive symptoms,” according to a meta-analysis published online Dec. 26 in the journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. “The findings come from an analysis of 16 longitudinal observational studies that included 497,223 individuals who were followed up for a mean of 5.8 years for incidence of depression associated with diabetes.” The researchers found, “after combining the results of all the studies, and after adjustment for a number of confounders, diabetes was associated with a significantly increased risk for incident depression, at a hazard ratio of 1.25.”

Related Links:

— “Diabetes as a risk factor for depression, “Sally Robertson, Medwire News, January 4, 2013.

USA Today (1/4, Healy) reports, “Mental health problems of expectant fathers have found to be associated with emotional and behavioral problems in their kids as toddlers,” according to a study published online in the journal Pediatrics.

MedPage Today (1/7, Petrochko) reports that the study of 31,663 children “found paternal psychological distress was associated with a small but positive risk of a child developing behavioral difficulties (P=0.02), emotional difficulties (P<0.001), and impaired social functioning at age 36 months (P=0.007)," researchers reported. "Higher levels of emotional distress in expectant fathers were associated with higher levels of emotional and behavioral problems in children," the study found. Among the organizations supporting the study were the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Related Links:

— “Expectant dads’ mental health linked to kids’ behavior, “Michelle Healy, USA Today, January 7, 2013.

HealthDay (1/4, Preidt) reports that, according to the 2006-2007 Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey published in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health, “Compared with unmarried women, married women are less likely to experience domestic abuse, substance abuse or postpartum depression around the time of pregnancy.” The 6,400-woman study found that while “10 percent of married women experienced at least one of the problems…the rates were 20 percent for women who lived with a partner but were not married, 35 percent for single women who had never married, and 67 percent for women who became separated or divorced in the year before they gave birth.” The survey found that the longer a woman and her partner cohabitated, the less likely these problems became.

Related Links:

— “Married Women More Likely to Have Positive Pregnancies: Study,”Robert Preidt, HealthDay, January 3, 2013.

CQ (1/4, Ethridge, Subscription Publication) reports that yesterday, “a group of House Democrats called on three Cabinet secretaries…to release a delayed final rule to provide equal insurance coverage for mental health services.” Thirty-two “Democrats, led by Ted Deutch of Florida and Tim Ryan of Ohio, said that last month’s deadly shootings at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school bring ‘newfound urgency’ to ensuring access to mental health care.” For that reason, “they requested the issuance of final rules set in a 2008 mental health law (PL 110-343 (1/4, Subscription Publication)) that would require insurers to offer mental health benefits coverage comparable to other medical benefits.” In February 2010, only an interim final rule was released.

On its front page, the New York Times (1/4, A1, Flegenheimer, Subscription Publication) reports on the psychological toll taken on New York City subway train operators when people jump or are pushed in front of their trains, situations which almost always result in fatalities or hideous injury. Official policy is to give train operators three days off following a fatality, but “many workers involved in fatal hits can take months to return if they go on compensated leave while recovering from trauma or other psychological conditions.” Others may choose to transfer to other jobs or even retire rather than come back to their old job. “Howard Rombom, a psychologist based on Long Island who specializes in fatal subway cases, said an initial hurdle for operators was recognizing they were not at fault.” Support groups and desensitization therapy may help alleviate some operator stress.

Related Links:

— “Subway Deaths Haunt Those at Trains’ Controls,”Matt Flegenheimer, The New York Times, January 3, 2013.

The Racine (WI) Journal Times (1/3) reports, “Reports of child abuse and neglect have dropped nationwide for the fifth consecutive year and abuse-related child fatalities also are at a five-year low,” according to the latest annual report from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families. The report, “released last month, estimates that there were 681,000 cases of child abuse or neglect across the nation in the 2011 fiscal year.” The piece quotes George Shelton, the HHS acting secretary for children and families. Shelton, who praised the progress made, said that “what this report tells me is that we still have 681,000 children out there who need our help.”

Related Links:

— “COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER: Reports of child abuse and neglect have dropped nationwide for 5th straight year, The Journal Times, January 2, 2013.

HealthDay (1/3, Dotinga) reports, “People diagnosed with mental illness are more likely than others to be victims of domestic violence,” according to a review recently published in the journal PLoS One. After examining data gathered from 41 studies across the globe, researchers found that “women with symptoms of depression were 2.5 times more likely to have experienced domestic violence over their lifetimes than those in the general population, while those with anxiety disorders were more than 3.5 times more likely to have suffered domestic abuse. The extra risk grew to seven times more likely among those with post-traumatic stress disorder.”

Related Links:

— “Mental Disorders Linked With Domestic Violence, Study Says,”Randy Dotinga, HealthDay, January 2, 2013.

The CBS Evening News (12/29, story 13, 2:30, Jarvis) reported, “For many American veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, this is the toughest time of year.” CBS (Miller) reported retired Army Capt. Emily Stair “says she saw a lot of carnage while serving as a physical therapist in Iraq. Although she appeared upbeat, once out of Iraq she fell into a deep depression and thought about suicide.” Miller explained, “In March of 2009, she spent more than a week undergoing psychiatric evaluation at an Army hospital in Germany.”

In an analysis piece, the National Journal (12/28, Mershon, Subscription Publication) reported, “About one in four adults suffers from a diagnosable mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, but millions of those who report needing mental health services don’t receive care because of its cost or its negative stigma.” What’s more, states “have cut about $5 billion from public mental health spending in the past four years, at the same time that 10 percent more people have sought services, according to Joel Miller, a senior policy director at the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors.” The question now is whether mental health services will improve under the Affordable Care Act. “While most experts agree that supply will eventually catch up with demand, the infrastructure to support substantially more individuals seeking mental health services will take time to develop.”

Related Links:

— “Will ‘Obamacare’ Fill the Gaps in Our Mental Health System?, “Erin Mershon, National Journal, December 28, 2012.

In a column focused on how to help families whose members are in need of mental health services, Steve Lopez wrote in the Los Angeles Times (12/31, Lopez), “If you have concerns about a loved one, contact your physician or your county mental health department. If you don’t get immediate help, call (800) 950-NAMI (6264) or go to http://www.nami.org, a great resource for information on symptoms and treatments of all mental disorders, as well as a link to the” nearest National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) chapter.

Related Links:

— “A lifeline for parents concerned about a child’s mental health, “Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, December 30, 2012.