According to Reuters (2/1, Rapaport), a study published online Feb. 1 in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that many adolescents who receive a diagnosis of depression may not be getting proper follow-up assessment, therapy or medication.

HealthDay (2/1, Preidt) reports that after tracking “the care of more than 4,600 teens with depression symptoms,” researchers found that “36 percent of the teens received no treatment at all within three months of their diagnosis, and more than two-thirds (68 percent) did not have any follow-up assessment.” In addition, “40 percent of those teens who were prescribed antidepressants did not undergo documented follow-up care, the researchers reported.”

Related Links:

— “Many depressed teens don’t get needed treatment,” Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, February 1, 2016.

The New York Times (2/1, A12, Carey, Subscription Publication) reported, “A new approach to treating early schizophrenia, which includes family counseling, results in improvements in quality of life [QoL] that make it worth the added expense,” a study published online Jan. 31 in Schizophrenia Bulletin suggests. The study “included 183 people who received typical care and 223 who got…more comprehensive services.” The study, a cost analysis based on the National Institute of Mental Health’s RAISE (Recovery After Initial Schizophrenia Episode) trial data, “was an important test of the new care program’s value.”

The study concluded that “coordinated specialty care for young people with first-episode psychosis may be more cost-effective than typical community care,” Psychiatric News (2/2) reports. In fact, “when converted to monetized Quality Adjusted Life Years…benefits exceeded costs, especially at future generic drug prices.”

Related Links:

— “New Plan to Treat Schizophrenia Is Worth Added Cost, Study Says,” Benedict Carey, New York Times, February 1, 2016.

The Washington Post (1/31, Nutt) “Health & Science” blog reported that loneliness “is increasingly seen today as a serious public health hazard.” Researchers are finding that “social isolation changes the human genome in profound, long-lasting ways,” resulting in damage “comparable to the injuries to health from smoking and, even worse, from diabetes and obesity.”

Related Links:

— “Loneliness grows from individual ache to public health hazard,” Amy Ellis Nutt, Washington Post, January 31, 2016.

The Military Times (1/29, Kime) reported that in a notice to be published today in the Federal Register, “the Defense Department will propose several changes to mental health services to better align the military health program with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” The Pentagon is proposing to eliminate “limits on inpatient services” and to allow “Tricare to cover hormone therapy for transgender individuals.”

Related Links:

— “Gender dysphoria treatment included in proposed mental health services overhaul,” Patricia Kime, Military Times, February 1, 2016.

In its “Shots” blog, NPR (1/27, Rancano) reports that a study published online Jan. 27 in the journal Pediatrics found, among three-year-olds, 50 percent fewer children showed signs of hyperactivity after receiving pediatric care in which a professional “filmed each mother and child reading or playing together for a few minutes” and then “talked to the mother about the positive things she did with her child.” NPR adds that “improving a child’s ability to focus, regulate behavior and cooperate with other kids can help a child learn.” The study also touted the benefits of “using pediatric checkups as a way to engage parents.”

Related Links:

— “Teaching Parenting Skills At Doctor Visits Helps Children’s Behavior,” Vanessa Racaño, National Public Radio, January 27, 2016.