Healio (9/11, Leiser) reports, “Sociodemographic factors may influence cancer survivors’ ability to access pharmacologic treatment for mental health conditions, according to” research. The data indicated that “use of medication for depression or anxiety varied significantly based on race and ethnicity, as well as insurance status.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “‘Not doing enough’: Study reveals gaps in cancer survivors’ access to mental health care,”Mark Leiser, Healio , September 11, 2025

HealthDay (9/10, Gotkine) reports a study suggests that “a ketogenic diet (KD) is a feasible adjunctive therapy and is associated with improvements in depression symptoms among young adults with major depressive disorder (MDD).” Study participants received “standard-of-care counseling and/or medication treatment and were enrolled in a 10- to 12-week KD intervention.” Researchers observed that “73 percent of the time, nutritional ketosis was achieved. Postintervention, depressive symptoms decreased by 69 and 71 percent with the Patient Health Questionnaire and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, respectively; improvement occurred within two to six weeks. There was a nearly threefold increase in global well-being.” In addition, “both body mass and fat mass decreased (−6.2 and −13.0 percent, respectively). A decrease was seen in serum leptin (−52 percent), while there was an increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (+32 percent). On several cognitive tasks, performance improved.” The study was published in Translational Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Adjunctive Ketogenic Diet Shows Promise In Alleviating Symptoms In Young Adults With MDD, Study Suggests,”Elana Gotkine, HealthDay, September 10, 2025

HealthDay (9/10, Solomon) reports a study found that “dementia odds significantly increase with the number of psychiatric comorbidities.” The researchers “assessed the odds of dementia (all types) among individuals with several psychiatric disorders and identified relevant co-occurrence patterns.” They observed that “compared with those with one psychiatric disorder (70.7 percent of patients), the odds of dementia were higher for those with two comorbidities (21.4 percent of patients) and even higher for those with four comorbidities (1.8 percent). For patients with co-occurrence of mood and anxiety disorders, the mean posterior probability of dementia ranged from 48 to 89.6 percent.” The study was published in BMJ Mental Health.

Related Links:

— “Dementia Odds Significantly Increase With More Psychiatric Comorbidities,”Lori Solomon, HealthDay, September 10, 2025

HealthDay (9/9, Solomon) reports a study found that “loneliness, hopelessness, and feelings of worthlessness and failure are key factors driving suicidal feelings in adults with autism.” The researchers conducted “an online survey of 1,369 participants with autism to understand factors contributing to suicidal thoughts.” They found “that of the 19 factors examined, loneliness, feelings of worthlessness/failure, hopelessness, and mental illness were the highest-rated contributing factors to suicidal thoughts and feelings, particularly by women and sex/gender minorities with autism. Notable differences in ratings were seen also by age.” The study was published in Autism in Adulthood

Related Links:

— “Loneliness, Hopelessness, Worthlessness Tied to Suicidal Feelings in Adults With Autism, “Lori Solomon, HealthDay, September 9, 2025

Healio (9/5, Laboy) reported, “A smartphone app designed for therapeutic intervention did not impact time until suicide attempt after hospitalization but did reduce repeated attempts for patients with prior suicide attempts, according to results of a randomized study.” One researcher said, “Our results suggest that the app may be most helpful for patients who had previously attempted suicide – an especially high-risk subgroup.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Suicide-focused CBT app shows most efficacy for patients with prior history of attempts,” Locas Laboy, Healio, September 5, 2025