In a 2,414-word article, the AP (8/17, Watson) reports on a little known mental health condition affecting war veterans who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. Moral injury “produces extreme guilt and shame from something done or witnessed that goes against ones values or may even be a crime.” The article notes that mental health professionals are beginning to argue that moral injury may be the “reason why veterans are not improving with PTSD treatments.” The AP notes that “no one knows how many veterans suffer from it” and “debate persists over whether moral injury is a part of PTSD or its own separate condition.”

Related Links:

— “SOLDIER’S JOURNEY TO HEAL SPOTLIGHTS `SOUL WOUNDS’ OF WAR,” Julie Watson, Associated Press, August 17, 2015.

USA Today (8/17, Ungar) reports that suicide attempts “are alarmingly common among transgender individuals,” as 41% “try to kill themselves at some point in their lives, compared with 4.6% of the general public,” according to a study by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Williams Institute, which analyzed results from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. USA Today notes that “more than a dozen other surveys of transgender people worldwide since 2001 have found similarly high rates.” Research suggests that “those who are harassed, bullied, victimized, discriminated against or rejected by family and friends are more likely to attempt suicide.”

Related Links:

— “Transgender people face alarmingly high risk of suicide,” Laura Ungar, USA Today, August 16, 2015.

MedPage Today (8/14, Walsh) reports that research suggests that “women with multiple symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a markedly elevated risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis [RA].” Investigators found that “the presence of four or more symptoms of PTSD was associated with a 76% increased risk of incident rheumatoid arthritis compared with no history or symptoms of trauma.” Additionally, “compared with women who reported no trauma and no symptoms of PTSD, those who had trauma exposure but no symptoms of PTSD had a 25% increased risk…and those having one to three PTSD symptoms had a 31% increased risk.” The findings were published online in Arthritis Care & Research.

Related Links:

— “PTSD and RA: Is There a Smoking Gun?,” Nancy Walsh, MedPage Today, August 13, 2015.

The Kaiser Health News (8/14, Gold) reports that despite California’s “proactive stance…in enforcing” mental health parity laws, it is still “proving difficult to ensure mental patients truly have equal access to treatment,” as demonstrated by difficulties encountered by Kaiser Permanente patients that resulted in fines against the health maintenance organization and actions taken by the California Department of Managed Health Care (DHMC). Problems achieving mental health parity are not just restricted to Kaiser, however. Last year, the DMHC found that “of 26 managed care insurers…zero were able to prove that they were fully in compliance.” Randall Hagar, director of government relations for the California Psychiatric Association, said that “after many years of ‘abysmal’ enforcement, ‘now we have regulators who seem to be enthusiastic.’” Still, problems remain, because “access to care…is also an issue of capacity.” There are simply not enough mental health professionals to serve everyone who needs help.

Related Links:

— “Achieving Mental Health Parity: Slow Going Even In ‘Pace Car’ State,” Jenny Gold, Kaiser Health News, August 13, 2015.

The New York Times (8/12, Reynolds) “Well” blog reported that a study published last month in PLoS One suggests that “overall, ‘a small dose of exercise’ may be sufficient to improve many aspects of thinking and more sweat may not provide noticeably more cognitive benefit,” although it will improve aerobic fitness. The study of “101 sedentary older adults, at least 65 years of age,” revealed that “briskly walking for 20 or 25 minutes several times a week” appeared to be enough to help keep “brains sharp as the years pass.”

Related Links:

— “The Right Dose of Exercise for the Aging Brain,” Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times, August 12, 2015.