Healio (12/16, Foster) reported, “Exposure to antipsychotics during pregnancy may not increase risk for birth defects,” researchers concluded in a study that “included a total of 6,455,324 unexposed pregnancies (mean maternal age, 24-31 years), 21,751 pregnancies with exposure to atypical antipsychotics (mean maternal age, 26-31 years) and 6,371 with exposure to typical antipsychotics (mean maternal age, 27-32 years).” The findings were published online Dec. 7 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Antipsychotic agents not linked to birth defects “Melissa Foster, Healio, December 16, 2022

Psychiatric News (12/16) reported, “Excessive screen time watching videos and playing video games is associated with an increased risk of children developing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD),” researchers concluded after analyzing “data from 9,208 children who participated in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study.” The findings were published online Dec. 12 ahead of print in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Related Links:

— “Too Much Screen Time Associated With Increased Risk of OCD in Children, Psychiatric News, December 16, 2022

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)