In a greater than 1,400-word article, The Atlantic (9/7, Todd) reports that “crisis living rooms,” which offer “talk therapy” and trained case managers’ help to mental health patients in crisis may help keep such patients out of emergency departments.

Related Links:

— “A New Place to Calm Mental Distress,” LEAH TODD, The Atlantic, September 7, 2016.

HealthDay (9/7, Preidt) reports, “Stroke survivors face an increased risk of developing depression,” researchers found after analyzing “national databases in Denmark to compare depression risk among stroke survivors and people with no history of stroke.” Investigators found that “in the first three months after having a stroke, survivors’ risk of depression was eight times higher than among people with no history of stroke.”

According to Healio (9/7, Oldt), the findings were published online Sept. 7 in JAMA Psychiatry. An accompanying editorial observed the “study indicates the need for a reappraisal of the importance of the stroke lesion in triggering depression in the context of background predisposing factors.”

Related Links:

— “Stroke Survivors Often Struggle With Depression,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, September 7, 2016.

The Wall Street Journal (9/7, Radnofsky, Subscription Publication) reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health Interview Survey found that the number of uninsured people in the US remained historically low in early 2016, with only 8.6% of respondents living without healthcare coverage.

The AP (9/7, Alonso-Zaldivar) reports the uninsured rate “has been cut by nearly half under Obama’s law.” The survey “estimated that 27.3 million people remained uninsured in the first three months of this year, about 21 million fewer than in 2010, when Obama signed the Affordable Care Act.”

Related Links:

— “Percentage of Uninsured Historically Low,” LOUISE RADNOFSKY, Wall Street Journal, September 7, 2016. [SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED]

The ABC News (9/6, Mehta) website reports, “Interactions with physicians have dramatically changed since the introduction of electronic health records (EHRs), with the switch from paper intended to increase physician interactions with patients.” Now researchers have found that physicians “may spend nearly half their time documenting and performing administrative tasks rather than having face-to-face time with patients.”

STAT (9/6, Bush) reports, “Electronic health records slow doctors down and distract them from meaningful face time caring for patients,” researchers found in a “time and motion study published” in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Doctors May Spend Nearly Half Their Time on ‘Paperwork,’ Study Says,” DR. SHAILJA MEHTA, ABC News, September 6, 2016.

MedPage Today (9/6, Swift) reports that research suggests “adults with arthritis” may have “significantly higher odds of suicide attempts.” Investigators found, “in an analysis that adjusted for sociodemographics, childhood adversities, lifetime mental health, and chronic pain, the odds ratio for suicide attempts among adults with arthritis was 1.46 (95% CI 1.15-1.85).” The data indicated that, “compared with people without arthritis, the prevalence of ever attempting suicide was higher for both male patients (3.9% versus 2%) and female patients (5.3% versus 3.2%).” The findings of the large study were published in the September issue of Rheumatology International.

Related Links:

— “Higher Odds of Suicide Attempts in Adults With Arthritis,” Diana Swift, MedPage Today, September 6, 2016.