mHealth Intelligence (1/10, Melchionna) reports a study “found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant increase in using telehealth to treat mental health conditions, alongside a decrease in in-person service use.” For the study published online in JAMA Health Forum, investigators “analyzed data on 5.1 million commercially insured adults” from “Jan. 5 and Dec. 21, 2020,” and then “calculated the per-week use of mental health services per 10,000 beneficiaries across five psychiatric diagnostic categories: major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, adjustment disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”

Related Links:

— “Telehealth Offset Declines in In-Person Mental Healthcare in 2020 “Mark Melchionna, mHealth Intelligence, January 10, 2023

In a piece discussing model Hailey Bieber’s “mental health struggle after” a transient ischemic attack, ABC News (1/10) reports that “Bieber is not alone in facing” such “struggles after physically recovering from a health scare.” American Psychiatric Association President Rebecca Brendel, MD, JD, said, “We do know that after a serious injury or illness, PTSD can be quite common.” Dr. Brendel added, “People oftentimes will want to avoid situations or reminders of the scary thing that happened to them or the event that caused trauma.” On its website, APA stresses that “PTSD is treatable,” and “the earlier a person gets treatment, the better chance of recovery.”

Related Links:

— “Hailey Bieber reveals mental health struggle after mini-stroke: What to know about PTSD “Katie Kindelan, ABC News, January 10, 2023

Psychiatric News (1/10) reports, “Americans reported feeling anxious about many things in 2022, but one issue stood out above the rest: inflation,” a trend “brought to light by an analysis of six months of data collected by APA’s Healthy Minds Poll, which included a question each month from June through December on how anxious Americans felt about a list of current events.” These polls “were fielded online by Morning Consult to a group of more than 2,000 American adults.” In a Jan. 9 news release, APA President Rebecca Brendel, MD, JD, stated, “Inflation directly affects people every day in every aspect of our lives, and there is little respite,” so “it’s no surprise that it is causing so much stress as Americans struggle to make ends meet.” APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, MD, MPA, said, “We hope that by acknowledging that these issues are causing anxiety, those that are impacted will know that they are not alone and that help is available.”

Related Links:

— “Inflation Worries Loomed Large for Americans in 2022, APA Poll Finds, Psychiatric News, January 10, 2023

HealthDay (1/9, Murez) reports, “Military service members who conceal their suicidal thoughts are also more likely to store their guns unsafely,” researchers concluded in a study that “surveyed more than 700 gun-owning service members,” then “focused on 180 service members who had experienced suicidal thoughts within the past year and another group of 85 service members who had experienced suicidal thoughts in the past month.” The findings were published online Jan. 9 in the journal Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior.

Related Links:

— “Suicidal Service Members With Guns at Home Often Keep Feelings Secret: Study “Cara Murez, HealthDay, January 9, 2023

According to Bloomberg Law (1/9, Subscription Publication), HHS “has awarded almost $245 million in Bipartisan Safer Communities Act funding to address youth mental health and the needs of the health-care workforce for mental health,” a Jan. 9 news release disclosed. Almost “$60 million is coming from the Health Resources and Services Administration, and $185.7 million is coming from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the HHS said.”

Related Links:

— “HHS Grants $245 Million for Youth Mental Health, Workforce, Bloomberg Law, January 9, 2023