In a nearly 1,800-word article, STAT (7/21, Graham) reports that in June, the Association of American Medical Colleges “convened a meeting to address an escalating crisis of depression, burnout, and suicide among physicians” and medical students. Ideas presented include “encouraging medical students to join clubs so they feel less isolated; ensuring that counseling is more accessible and private; and more actively tracking the mental health of students” and physicians.

Meanwhile, in an opinion piece for STAT (7/21), psychiatrist Joan M. Anzia, MD, of Northwestern Medicine and director of the residency program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, writes that some “300 to 400” US physicians commit suicide annually, with the “great majority of these deaths” attributed to “untreated depression.”

Dr. Anzia calls for destigmatizing efforts to seek help, providing “physicians with prompt and targeted mental health assessments, support, and treatment when they’re feeling burned out or depressed,” and working “to prevent burnout and depression by removing barriers such as intensely busy work schedules, the cost of mental health treatment, and the difficulty of finding resources during nonwork hours, which are often few and far between.”

Related Links:

— “Why are doctors plagued by depression and suicide? A crisis comes into focus,” JUDITH GRAHAM, STAT, July 21, 2016.

Reuters (7/21, Doyle) reports that research published in Stroke suggests “having heart disease risk factors” prior to “suffering a stroke may influence a person’s risk for a second stroke or dementia years later.” Investigators studied approximately 1,200 individuals older than 45 who had experienced a first stroke and nearly 5,000 individuals who had not had a stroke. After one “year of recovery, stroke survivors were about three times as likely as others to have another stroke and twice as likely to develop dementia.” The researchers found that “for stroke survivors, having high blood pressure, diabetes, low levels of good cholesterol or smoking earlier in life accounted for almost 40 percent of the risk for second strokes and 10 percent of risk for post-stroke dementia.”

Related Links:

— “Pre-stroke lifestyle tied to long term risk of more strokes, dementia,” Kathryn Doyle, Reuters, July 21, 2016.

USA Today (7/20, Perez) reports that according to a new poll of 537 parents surveyed by i9 Sports, 100 percent of parents said they are “affected in some way by concussions” of their children. Moreover, 62.3 percent of respondents said they felt “tackle football under age 12 is unsafe” and 55.7 percent think “there isn’t enough concern about the risk of concussions in youth sports.” The survey’s results reflect those shown in another “released by the UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion on Wednesday that polled 1,000 American adults.”

The Washington Post (7/20, Boren) also reports, adding that “a steady stream of information from new studies, coupled with reports of high-profile athletes who have suffered from the effects of concussions, appears to be having an effect on attitudes.”

Related Links:

— “Survey: 100% of parents ‘affected in some way by concussions’,” A.J. Perez, USA Today, July 20, 2016.

According to US News & World Report (7/20, Leonard), “researchers who have studied the psychological effects of terrorism say that while atrocities can influence the way people think and make decisions and can damage their mental health, in most cases these effects tend not to linger.” Approximately “30 percent of people who survive disasters develop post-traumatic stress disorder within a month, according to the American Psychiatric Association.” But, even though “victims are unlikely to forget what happened, half will recover within three months.”

Related Links:

— “What Does Terrorism Do to the Mind?,” Kimberly Leonard, US News & World Report, July 20, 2016.

HealthDay (7/20, Dallas) reports that research indicates “sleep disorders are six times more likely among American military veterans than in the general population.” Investigators found that “veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) seem to have the highest rates.” Researchers came to this conclusion after studying “more than 9.7 million veterans treated by the Veterans Health Administration system between 2000 and 2010.” The findings were published in Sleep.

Related Links:

— “Sleep Disorders 6 Times Higher Among Veterans,” Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay, July 20, 2016.