The New York Times (10/9, Richtel) reports, “Approximately 20 percent of adolescents had symptoms of major depressive disorder” (MDD) “in 2021 – the first full calendar year of the pandemic – but less than half who needed treatment received it,” according to a study that “drew from a nationally representative sample of 10,700 adolescents, ages 12 to 17, whose experiences were recorded by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.” The study revealed that “treatment was most lacking for minority adolescents, particularly those who are Latino and mixed-race.” The findings were published online Oct. 9 in JAMA Pediatrics. HCPlive(10/9, Derman) also covers the study.

Related Links:

— “Teen Depression Rose Sharply During the Pandemic, but Treatment Didn’t Follow,”Matt Richtel, The New York Times, October 9, 2023

The Washington Post (10/8, Blakemore) reports, “In a sobering analysis, researchers warn that those who’ve had childhood cancer are highly likely to face physical and mental health challenges later in life, with 95% developing a ‘significant health problem’ related to their cancer or treatment by age 45.” Investigators “reviewed 73 studies, including 39 cohort studies that followed patients over time.” Published in JAMA, “the researchdocumented a variety of concerns for young cancer survivors, ranging from subsequent hormone issues to reproductive health challenges, problems with muscles and bones, cognitive impairment and more.”

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (10/6, Collins) reported, “As many as 1 in 4 teens with autism may be undiagnosed…research suggests.” For the study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, researchers “reviewed school and health records of close to 4,900 16-year-olds living in four northern New Jersey counties in 2014,” with the initial review identifying “1,365 cases that merited a closer look.” Of those cases, “a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was confirmed in 560” and “from the chosen cases, 384 had been diagnosed at age 8, and 176 met the diagnostic criteria for autism at 16.”

Related Links:

— “1 in 4 Teens With Autism May Be Undiagnosed,”Sarah D. Collins, HealthDay, October 6, 2023

HealthDay (10/6, Murez) reported a pilot study “suggests new dads should also be screened for” postpartum depression. For the study published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, “researchers interviewed and screened 24 dads using a tool commonly used for screening moms” and found that “about 30% of dads were positive for postpartum depression.” About “90% of study participants were from groups facing structural racism and social factors such as crime and poverty that can worsen mental health.”

Related Links:

— “New Dads Might Also Need Screening for Postpartum Depression,”Cara Murez, HealthDay, October 6, 2023

RevCycle Intelligence (10/6, Bailey) reported, “More than half of new physicians receive over 100 job offers during their training, but many would not choose the health care field again, a survey from AMN Healthcare found.” The “2023 Survey of Final-Year Medical Residents; Many Job Choices, Many Reservations” included “241 responses from physicians in their last year of residency training.” Over 80% “of residents said they sometimes, often, or always experienced feelings of burnout during their training,” and “almost half (45%) of respondents said they often or always experienced burnout.”

Related Links:

— “New Physicians See Plenty of Job Offers but Burnout Impacts Choices,”Victoria Bailey, RevCycle Intelligence, October 6, 2023