According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (6/30, Jones), psychiatrists at Veterans Affairs “hospitals in Milwaukee and Madison know the Fourth of July holiday is difficult for veterans, so they begin talking to their patients several weeks in advance to come up with plans to handle fireworks,” which can remind veterans of combat. For example, Michael McBride, MD, MS, a psychiatrist at the Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, “increases medications during this time of year to help some of his patients get through Independence Day. He also discusses coping strategies such as wearing earplugs, using deep breathing techniques or staying inside during fireworks displays.”

Related Links:

— “For many veterans, July Fourth bombast rekindles fears, “Meg Jones, Journal Sentinel, June 30, 2012.

HealthDay (6/30, Salamon) reported, “Tests performed on a group of retired NFL players revealed that more than 40 percent suffered from problems such as depression and dementia,” according to a study presented Friday at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) annual meeting. “Analyzing 34 ex-professional football players (average age 62) on benchmarks such as memory, reasoning, problem-solving and behavior, researchers from the Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas at Dallas found that 20 tested normal while the rest suffered from depression, various deficits in memory/thinking or a combination of these issues. Twenty-six of the players also underwent MRI scans.”

Related Links:

— “Study of Retired NFL Players Finds Evidence of Brain Damage, “Maureen Salamon, HealthDay, June 29, 2012.

USA Today (7/2, Healy) reports, “Children who are spanked, hit, or pushed as a means of discipline may be at an increased risk of mental problems in adulthood — from mood and anxiety disorders to drug and alcohol abuse,” according to a study published today in the journal Pediatrics.

“Previous studies have tied physical or sexual abuse to mental illness, but the large-scale Canadian study looked at the effects of less severe corporal punishment that many parents use to discipline their children,” the New York Daily News (7/72, Kinstler, Conner) reports. “The researchers reported…that up to 7% of mental illnesses could be attributed to the punishment.”

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (7/2, Sathian) reports that “today’s study…polled nearly 35,000 adults over the age of 20 between 2004 and 2005. In face-to-face interviews, respondents were asked to recall from their childhood if they were hit, grabbed, pushed or experienced other physical punishment.” Sexual abuse or “‘severe physical abuse’ – defined as anything that left a mark or caused injury,” was excluded.

“After adjustment for sociodemographic factors and family dysfunction, harsh physical punishment was associated with an increased risk of most lifetime Axis I mental disorders,” MedPage Today (7/2, Smith) reports. “Specifically, the adjusted odds ratio for: major depression was 1.41 with a 99.9% confidence interval from 1.03 to 1.92; mania was 1.93 with a 99.9% confidence interval from 1.07 to 3.48; any mood disorder was 1.49 with a 99.9% confidence interval from 1.11 to 2.00; any anxiety disorder was 1.36 with a 99.9% confidence interval from 1.05 to 1.77; any alcohol abuse or dependence was 1.59 with a 99.9% confidence interval from 1.21 to 2.08,” and “any drug abuse or dependence was 1.53 with a 99.9% confidence interval from 1.06 to 2.20.” AFP (7/2, Sheridan) also covers the story.

Related Links:

— “Study links physical punishment to later mental disorders, ” Michelle Healy, USA Today, July 2, 2012.

In the Time (6/28) “Battleland” blog, psychiatrist Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, MD, made some recommendations how to deal “with the vexing problem of PTSD and suicide” among US troops. Among her recommendations was that “the American Psychiatric Association, and the larger mental-health community, consider anew changing the name of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) to PTSI (post-traumatic stress-injury)” and that “the Department of Defense conduct a careful review of all the policies that promote stigma (no anti-depressants allowed in submariners or aviators, the deployment limiting psychiatric conditions policy, security clearance procedures, etc). and decide, on a scientific basis, whether they are warranted.”

Related Links:

— “The War After the War, “Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, Battleland Time, June 28, 2012.

In a news release (6/28, pdf), the American Psychiatric Association issued a statement from its president, Dilip V. Jeste, MD, who pointed out the significance of the Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including the individual mandate. Dr. Jeste stated, “The law is especially significant because, when fully implemented along with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, it will protect the rights of individuals with mental illnesses to have access to appropriate care.”