The New Republic (11/15) reports that treating chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) “and undoing the damage of individual concussions is exactly what a small but increasingly sought-out group of doctors is telling vulnerable ex-players they can do.” For many in “the medical establishment, these doctors and their unproven procedures show that football’s brain-injury crisis has entered its snake-oil phase.” In an article in the Washington Post, American Psychiatric Association president Jeffrey Lieberman, MD, “went so far as to label one practitioner’s methods as ‘the modern equivalent of phrenology.’”

Related Links:

— “These Fringe Doctors Say They Can Cure NFL Concussion Victims, “Jason Schwartz, The New Republic, November 17, 2013.

In continuing coverage, Medscape (11/15, Brauser) reports reaction to the final rule (pdf) released last week “on the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act has been mainly positive.” For example, Paul Summergrad, MD, president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), stated, “We think this is an important set of steps going forward and think there are many things there that will benefit patients and their doctors.” But, Henry Harbin, MD, who is “a member of the APA Workgroup on Health Reform and Parity, added that although the final rule is a positive step, more work needs to be done, especially because guidelines about Medicaid plans have not yet been determined.”

HealthDay (11/15, Gray) reports, “The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) estimates that about one in four US youths meets the criteria for having a” psychiatric disorder. Recently, “to help professionals working with college athletes recognize and refer students with psychological issues, the NATA…published guidelines in the Journal of Athletic Training” that underscore “the need to take away the stigma of mental health issues and teach people working with student-athletes how to spot psychological concerns early.”

Related Links:

— “Even Football Heroes Can Be Laid Low by Depression, “Barbara Bronson Gray, HealthDay, November 14, 2013.

HealthDay (11/14, Preidt) reports that, according to research presented at an autism policy summit, US “adults with autism face a shortage of housing and support services.” After polling some 10,000 people, including 400 people with autism and their caregivers, researchers found that “more than 84 percent of caregivers said they had an adult with autism living at home, and only 24 percent of those adults were currently on a waiting list to receive housing and” services for residential support. About “70 percent of caregivers said they did not have outside help to care for their loved ones with autism; and more than half of caregivers said they need assistance.”

Related Links:

— “U.S. Adults With Autism May Face Housing Crisis, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, November 13, 2013.

Reuters (11/14, Seaman) reports that according to a study published online Nov. 13 in JAMA Psychiatry, the risk for depression in women may fall after they undergo natural menopause. Researchers arrived at this conclusion after following 203 women ranging in age from 35 to 48 from 1996 through 2010. At study start, the women had not experienced menopause, and about 40 percent of them displayed some depressive symptoms. Two years after menopause, the risk for depression lowered considerably. The study authors noted that women’s scores for depression appeared to be tied to hormone levels.

Related Links:

— “Depression risk may fall after women’s periods end, “Andrew Seaman, Reuters, November 13, 2013.