The Washington Post (1/26, Timsit) reports, “A new study of more than 29,000 older adults” has identified six “healthy lifestyle factors” that are tied to “a lower risk of dementia and a slower rate of memory decline.” The study revealed that “eating a balanced diet, exercising the mind and body regularly, having regular contact with others, and not drinking or smoking…were associated with better cognitive outcomes in older adults, in a large Chinese study conducted over a decade.”

According to MedPage Today (1/26, George), the study found that “memory decline was slower for older adults who had a healthy lifestyle, even for people with high genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” that is, for people with the APOE ε4 allele. The findings were published online in the BMJ.

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Healio (1/26, Herpen) reports, “Individuals diagnosed with a personality disorder benefited from interventions delivered in community or outpatient settings, with all therapeutic approaches demonstrating similar efficacy,” investigators concluded in the findings of a 54-study systematic review and meta-analysis published online Jan. 21 in the journal BMC Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Interventions benefit those with personality disorder in community, outpatient setting “Robert Herpen, Healio, January 26, 2023

Healio (1/26) reports, “According to a recently released” online poll from Lifeworks, “mental health among U.S. workers has improved minimally from the depth of the COVID-19 pandemic, with about half of respondents stating they would like online assessments of their mental well-being.” The poll, which was “conducted from Nov. 11-18, among 5,000 respondents employed within the prior six months, revealed that 40% expressed wishes to connect with a mental health professional online, 36% preferred an in-person assessment, 6% opted for a phone consultation and 18% had no preference.” The poll’s findings were disclosed in December in a detailed report (PDF).

Related Links:

— “Poll: 40% of U.S. workers prefer online mental health evaluation “Shenaz Bagha, Healio, January 26, 2023

Healio (1/25, Herpen) reports, “The needs of families are largely unmet when a parent is hospitalized for a mental illness, with the need for a broad range of care models required to address these gaps,” researchers concluded in the findings of an eight-study qualitative systematic review published online Jan. 20 in the journal BMC Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Needs of family members unmet with parent hospitalization for mental illness “Robert Herpen, Healio, January 25, 2023

According to USA Today (1/25, Ramirez), in California, this year’s Lunar New Year’s “mood has been marred by Saturday’s massacre in Monterey Park, a predominantly Asian American community near Los Angeles,” and again in another mass shooting in Half Moon Bay. In the aftermath of these tragedies “and several years of collective trauma endured by the Asian American community…advocates said they are worried that recent mass shootings and attacks are creating mental health trauma for many Asian Americans,” and they now “fear many people most in need either won’t pursue help or won’t be able to access proper care.” Barriers to mental healthcare faced by Asian Americans include “stigma…high financial costs and a shortage of mental health professionals with language and cultural expertise.”

Related Links:

— “‘No safe spaces’: For Asian Americans, California shootings add to growing mental health crisis “Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, January 25, 2023