Medscape (11/7, Brauser) reports, “A study to assess national trends showed that clinical visits from 1996 to 2009 for anticonvulsants to treat youth diagnosed with any psychiatric illness increased 1.7-fold.” According to research published in the November issue of the journal Psychiatric Services, “the individual disorders that saw the greatest increase in treatment with these medications were attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), pediatric bipolar disorder, and disruptive behavior disorders.” Of the “six specific anticonvulsants examined, lamotrigine showed the greatest increase in use during the study period, whereas use of divalproex decreased significantly.”

The NPR (11/7, Rau) “Shots” blog reports, “Depression is the most costly among 10 common risk factors linked to higher health spending on employees, according to” an analysis published in the journal Health Affairs. The study, which was “drawn from the experience at seven companies,” revealed that “these factors — which also included obesity, high blood sugar and high blood pressure — were associated with nearly a quarter of the money spent on the healthcare of more than 92,000 workers.”

MedPage Today (11/7, Pittman) reports, “Depressed employees — making up roughly 11% of the work force — spent on average $2,184, or about 48% more on healthcare than their nondepressed coworkers,” the study found. MedPage Today points out that the “study surveyed more than 92,400 employees.” The Business Courier of Cincinnati (11/7, Ritchie, Subscription Publication) also covers the story.

Related Links:

— “Depression And Health Spending Go Together, “Jordan Rau, NPR, November 06, 2012.

HealthDay (11/2, Reinberg) reports, “Some of the numbers are staggering: more than 75 Americans dead, thousands evacuated from their homes, millions left without power for days and billions of dollars in damage from ‘superstorm’ Sandy.” According to mental-health professionals, “the effect of all this sudden, violent loss on people’s psyches will be powerful. Not only those who suffered the loss of a loved one or a beloved home, but also people who just watched the constant storm coverage may be scared and unsettled, experts say.”

Psychiatrists Left Struggling To Connect With Patients. Psychiatric News (11/2) reports that according to Charles Ciolino, MD, chair of the New Jersey Psychiatric Association’s Disaster Preparedness Committee, “there will be a long period of rebuilding physically and psychologically”.

Related Links:

— “For Many, ‘Superstorm’ Sandy Could Take Toll on Mental Health, “Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, November 1, 2012.

The Washington Post (11/6, Butler) reports that “more than a dozen double-blind research trials on children’s diets — both from candy and chocolate and from natural sources — has failed to find any behavioral differences between those young people who consume sugar and those who don’t. That’s even true for kids with” attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). Pediatrician Ivor Horn, MD, MPH, of Children’s National Medical Center, explained that “environmental and social factors surrounding sugar-centric events or holidays may also contribute to the madness and a general uptick in a child’s activity level.” Other “experts have speculated that other ingredients in candy and sugary snacks, such as food dyes, artificial preservatives and other additives, may also play a role in hyperactivity, especially for certain children.”

Related Links:

— “Sugar may not be the only reason your kid is hyper after Halloween, “Carolyn Butler, The Washington Post, November 5, 2012.

Modern Healthcare (11/3, McKinney, Subscription Publication) reported, “Use of an Internet-based mental health management program may improve symptoms among patients with depression, according to a study in the journal Psychiatric Services.” For the study, “researchers used eCare for Moods, a 12-month-long management program that allows patients to submit data about their medication adherence, side effects, mood, daily functioning and other aspects of their care and access informational content using a Web-based interface.” Notably, “after two years, 43% of the participants in the eCare program were depression-free, compared with 30% of the patients who received the usual regimen of mental healthcare.” In an emailed new release, the American Psychiatric Association announced, “Completion of more education modules was positively associated with less severe depression.”

Related Links:

— “Online mental health management program shows benefits, “Maureen McKinney, Modern Healthcare, November 2, 2012.