Healio (7/11, Bascom) reports, “The prevalence of suicide ideation is comparable across people of all racial and ethnic groups who have alcohol use disorder” (AUD), “but those from underrepresented groups are less likely to be diagnosed,” according to findings published online June 19 ahead of print in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Utilizing “National Emergency Department Sample data from 2019, the researchers learned that patients from underrepresented racial and ethnic populations had significantly fewer suicide ideation diagnoses, which they wrote is ‘a key step in” emergency department “‘suicide prevention care,’ than white patients.”

Related Links:

— “Study reveals ‘concerning’ racial, ethnic disparities for suicide ideation diagnoses,”Emma Bascom, Healio, July 11, 2023

According to the Washington Post (7/11, Solano), “parents are suffering from anxiety and depression at roughly the same rate as teens,” according to findings from a June 2023 report (PDF) based on surveys conducted late last year by Harvard University researchers. The surveys found that “18 percent of teens said they suffered from anxiety, while 20 percent of mothers and 15 percent of fathers did.” At the same time, “15 percent of teens reported to have depression, compared with 16 percent of mothers and 10 percent of fathers.”

The Hill (7/11, de Visé) reports, “Researchers estimate” in the report “that more than one-third of teens have a parent suffering from anxiety or depression,” while “two-fifths of teens voiced concern about a parent’s mental health.”

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

The Intelligencer reports on the experience of Dr. Dan Hurley, an ear, nose, and throat physician with over 20 years of experience, with prior authorization requirements delaying his care in significant ways to illustrate the difficulties many have with the prior authorization process. The article summarizes the history of prior authorization from the 1960s to the present. AMA Immediate Past President Jack Resneck Jr., MD, said that prior authorization has “really become a tool to clearly delay and deny care for our patients.” Resneck added, “In the meantime, the patients aren’t getting treated, and we know that a significant portion of those patients give you up. So their diabetes, their depression, their hypertension, or whatever it is just gets worse.”

Related Links:

— “The Two Words That Can Make Health Care a Nightmare Prior authorization buries doctors in paperwork and delays care, sometimes with disastrous results.,”Chris Stanton, Intelligencer, July 10, 2023

CNN (7/10, LaMotte) reports, “As little as 20 minutes of moderate activity a day for five days a week can significantly lower the risk of depressive symptoms for people over 50 who have conditions often linked to depression, such as diabetes, heart disease and chronic pain,” investigators concluded in findings published online July 10 in JAMA Network Open. The study “followed more than 4,000 Irish adults with an average age of 61 for 10 years.”

Psychiatric News (7/10) reports, “Adults who performed vigorous activity…had a 20% lower rate of depressive symptoms and 44% lower odds of major depression compared with the low physical activity group.”

Related Links:

— “Certain conditions can impact how much exercise you need to ease depression, study finds,”Sandee LaMotte, CNN, July 10, 2023

HealthDay (7/10, Mozes) reports, “Even slow walking can help improve…mental and physical health, say the British researchers who tracked more than 1,400 adults age 60 and up.” In contrast, “shifting to more sedentary habits after age 60 significantly hurt seniors’ quality of life,” the study revealed. The findings of the 1,433-older adult study were published online in the journal Health and Quality of Life Outcomes.

Related Links:

— “Want a Healthier, Happier Old Age? Get Moving,”Alan Mozes, HealthDay, July 10, 2023