The AP (12/16, Perrone) reported, “Douglas Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, on Friday visited a 988 call center that’s part of the recently launched national hotline intended to help anyone experiencing a mental health emergency.” The second gentleman, “who has spoken out on the importance of mental health for adults and children…met with crisis counselors and call center operators in Hyattsville, Maryland.” The AP added, “The Biden administration wants to highlight the 988 helpline as a support system, particularly as the holiday season often brings up feelings of stress, anxiety and depression.” The Hill (12/16, Gangitano) also covered the story.

Related Links:

— “Douglas Emhoff tours 988 call center for mental health, AP, December 16, 2022

NBC News (12/17, Hopkins) reported, “A growing number of adult women in the United States have been diagnosed with and are seeking treatment for” attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). Psychiatrist David Goodman, MD, FAPA, “an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,” stated, “There’s been an increase in women diagnosed with” AD/HD “over the last several years because of an increasing recognition that it’s not just the disruptive, impulsive behavior of boys that leads to a diagnosis.”

Related Links:

— “ADHD in women: Symptoms develop in childhood, but the signs are often missed “Caroline Hopkins, NBC News, December 17, 2022

Medscape (12/15, Burton, Subscription Publication) reports, “Cluster headache (CH) is associated with a significantly increased risk for comorbid conditions, including mental disorders and other neurologic disease, leading to significant disability and absenteeism,” investigators concluded in a study that “drew on two Swedish population-based registries and included 3240 patients with CH aged 16-64 years and 16,200 matched control persons.” The study also revealed that “patients with CH had a sixfold increased risk for central nervous system (CNS) disorders and a twofold increased risk for musculoskeletal disorders.” The findings were published online in the journal Neurology.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

Medscape (12/15, Bender, Subscription Publication) reports, “Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is significantly linked to comorbid psychiatric conditions and a higher risk for mortality and can take more than a year to be diagnosed,” researchers concluded in the findings of “a population study of more than 145,000 patients.” The study revealed that “participants with TRD used outpatient resources and missed work at twice the rate as patients with treatment-responsive depression.” Additionally, they “had a threefold higher number of days spent in hospital.” The findings were published online Dec. 14 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (12/15) reports, “Among adults with mental illness released from correctional centers, each month that passes after release without accessing mental health services is associated with a greater risk of reincarceration,” investigators concluded in a study that included “a total of 1,664 participants who were released from correctional centers 4,171 times during the study period.” The findings were published online Dec. 15 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Mental Health Services May Reduce Reincarceration, Study Finds, Psychiatric News, December 15, 2022