The Los Angeles Times (1/4, Morin) “Science Now” blog reported that while “a history of depression among expectant mothers remains the greatest single risk factor for postpartum depression, a new study finds that fear of childbirth may also predispose some women to the condition.” Investigators, in a study “published Friday in the journal BMJ Open…concluded that fear of childbirth increases the risk of postpartum depression about threefold in women without a history of depression, and fivefold in women with known depressive disease.”

Related Links:

— “Fear of childbirth linked to postpartum depression, study finds, “Monte Morin, Los Angeles Times, January 3, 2014.

Research suggesting that Medicaid expansion may not lead to a reduction in emergency department (ED) use was covered on one of last night’s national news broadcasts, in print in several newspapers, including in two front-page stories, and on several websites. Nearly all sources point out that the findings appear to refute the contention, often espoused by supporters of the Affordable Care Act, that expanding Medicaid would reduce ED use. The CBS Evening News (1/2, story 5, 2:00, Dubois) reported, “A new report out today calls into question one of the main goals of the” ACA: “to get people to stop using the” ED “as their primary care doctor by making more of them eligible for Medicaid.”

In a front-page story, the New York Times (1/3, A1, Tavernise, Subscription Publication) reports that the research, “published in the journal Science, compared thousands of low-income people in the Portland,” Oregon “area who were randomly selected in a 2008 lottery to get Medicaid coverage with people who entered the lottery but remained uninsured.” Individuals “who gained coverage made 40 percent more visits to the” ED “than their uninsured counterparts.” The researchers found that “the pattern was so strong that it held true across most demographic groups, times of day, and types of visits, including for conditions that were treatable in primary care settings.”

Related Links:

— “Emergency Visits Seen Increasing With Health Law, “Sabrina Tavernise, The New York Times, January 02, 2014.

US News & World Report (12/31, Firth) reports that research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences suggests that “our bodily responses to specific emotions may…be distinct.”

The Los Angeles Times (12/31, Healy) “Science Now” blog reports that researchers found “that across five different experiments ranging in size from 32 to 305 subjects, participants linked seven different emotions with the same somato-sensory experiences with such consistency, it could not be a matter of chance.” The study indicated that “the pairings they made were consistent whether they were asked to react to emotionally suggestive words or to read short stories and view films that conjured strong emotional responses.”

National Public Radio (12/31, Doucleff) “Shots” blog wrote participants “reported that happiness and love sparked activity across nearly the entire body, while depression had the opposite effect: It dampened feelings in the arms, legs and head.” The study found that “danger and fear triggered strong sensations in the chest area, the volunteers said.” Meanwhile, “anger was one of the few emotions that activated the arms.”

Related Links:

— “Emotions move us in the same places, study says, “Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times, December 30, 2013.

The AP (12/31) reports that yesterday, Michigan’s Lt. Gov. Brian Calley (R), “signed legislation…that allows for the expansion of the state’s mental health court program.” One of four related measures “authorizes circuit and district courts to create mental health courts,” as well as “authorizes the family division of a circuit court to institute a mental health court for juveniles.” The other bills determine the criteria for mental health court eligibility and require that people go along with what the courts order them to do.

HealthDay (12/31, Dallas) reports that according to a study published online Dec. 30 in JAMA Neurology, hypothyroidism appears not to be associated with “mild dementia or impaired brain function.” Researchers arrived at this conclusion after examining “more than 1,900 people, including those with mild and more severe cases of hypothyroidism.” The participants ranged in age from 70 to 89.

Related Links:

— “Underactive Thyroid Not Linked to Memory Problems, “Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay, December 30, 2013.