Psychiatric News (3/1) reports, “A strong majority of Americans who have pets regard their pets as part of the family, and most feel that their pets have a positive impact on their mental health, according to the latest findings from APA’s Healthy Minds Monthly Poll.” The poll “was fielded by Morning Consult from February 10 to 12, with a sample of 2,200 adults.” Among pet owners, “86% said their pets have a mostly positive impact on their mental health.” APA President Rebecca Brendel, MD, JD, said in a March 1 news release, “The animals we bring into our lives and our families play many roles from non-judgmental companions that we love to key partners in reducing our stress and anxiety. Americans clearly recognize that our relationships with our pets can have noticeable benefits for our overall mental health.”

Related Links:

— “Pets Have Overwhelming Positive Impact on Mental Health, APA Poll Finds, Psychiatric News, March 1, 2023

Healio (3/1, Bascom) reports, “All modes of physical activity were effective in improving both anxiety and depression, highlighting the need for using exercise ‘as a mainstay approach’ for managing mental health, according to researchers.” For the “umbrella review,” the team “searched 12 electronic databases for eligible studies” and “ultimately included 97 reviews that comprised 1,039 trials and 128,119 participants.” According to the researchers, “the largest improvements were observed in people with depression, healthy individuals, pregnant and postpartum people, and those with HIV and kidney disease.” The findings were published online Feb. 16 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Umbrella review: All types of exercise help mental health symptoms “Emma Bascom, Healio, March 1, 2023

The New York Times (3/2, Newman, Fitzsimmons) reports, “In an effort to address one of New York City’s greatest challenges as the city recovers from the pandemic, Mayor Eric Adams announced a mental health agenda on Thursday that expands key services for people with severe mental illness.” His plan includes sending “medical professionals rather than police officers to respond to mental-health 911 calls” and investing in “clubhouses,” also known as community centers “for people with mental illness, who often suffer in isolation.” The centers “connect them with education and job opportunities and foster friendships,” among other things.

The New York Daily News (3/2, Gartland) reports, “New York City will triple the number of ‘clubhouses’ for people with severe mental health issues and create a new virtual mental health care service for teens under a new policy, Mayor Adams said Thursday.”

Related Links:

— “Street Teams and Clubhouses: A New Plan to Help Mentally Ill New Yorkers “Andy Newman and Emma G. Fitzsimmons, The New York Times, March 2, 2023

Healio (3/2, VanDewater) reports that among older veterans, “frailty was positively associated with risk for suicide attempts and negatively associated with risk for suicide death, according to data” from a study that “identified 2,858,876 veterans aged 65 years or older who received care from the Veterans Health Administration from October 2011 to September 2013.” An assessment of “31 frailty variables revealed the risk for suicide attempt was higher among veterans with lung disease…use of durable medical equipment and resources… chronic pain,” anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, while the risk “was lower among veterans with no dementia diagnosis… incontinence… heart failure…and diagnosis of failure to thrive.” These results were published online Feb. 22 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Frailty in geriatric veterans indicates risk for suicide attempt, death “Kalie VanDewater, Healio, March 2, 2023

Psychiatric News (2/28) reports, “Postpartum depression – which can disrupt the forming of bonds between a mother and child – is estimated to impact between 12% and 24% of women following the birth of a child.” Now, a study of 75 women over age 18 “suggests that women with postpartum depression who participate in a parenting program via Facebook may experience more rapid symptom improvements than those who do not participate in such a program,” but “participation in the parenting program via Facebook may not impact parenting stress or responsiveness.” The findings were published online Feb. 21 in the journal Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Moderated Online Postpartum Group May Help Moms With Postpartum Depression, Psychiatric News, February 28, 2023