Healio (2/7, Herpen) reports, “As symptom severity for major depressive disorder [MDD] and treatment-resistant depression [TRD] increases, so do costs to health systems,” researchers concluded in a study including 24,534 patients with TRD and 17,628 patients with MDD. The study revealed that “patients with TRD incurred healthcare costs 1.23 times greater…than the MDD group on average within the 12 month follow-up.” In addition, “participants who reported more severe symptoms in both groups recorded higher mean costs.” The findings of the “retrospective cohort study” were published online Feb. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Health care costs rise with symptom severity in patients with MDD, TRD “Robert Herpen, Healio, February 7, 2022

Healio (2/7, Gawel) reports, “Women should be screened and treated for bipolar disorder during pregnancy despite hesitations about pharmacologic treatment,” according to a presentation given at The Pregnancy Meeting by Emily S. Miller, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University. This is because “half of all women with postpartum psychosis have a history of bipolar disorder, Miller said.” Dr. Miller “added that there are tools available to OB/GYNs to screen patients for bipolar disorder,” such as the “Mood Disorder Questionnaire…which consists of 13 questions, takes about five minutes to complete, and is freely available online in multiple languages.”

Related Links:

— “‘Mental health is maternal health’: Screen, treat pregnant patients for bipolar disorder “Richard Gawel, Healio, February 7, 2022

MedPage Today (2/7) reports, “Pediatric mental health visits to physicians increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada,” investigators concluded in a “population-wide” study. Beginning “in July 2020, rates of visits to mental health services were consistently 6% to 15% above expected levels – based on prior years – and were sustained as of February 2021,” with “the largest increase in physician-based mental health visits…recorded for adolescent girls.” The findings were published online Feb. 7 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

AMA President Gerald E. Harmon, M.D., wrote in Crain’s Chicago Business (IL) (2/4), “The AMA has advocated against the culture of violence in America,” and “while not a new occurrence, the reported uptick in intimidation, threats and attacks toward people in the medical field has been on the rise for at least the last decade – and has become even more of an alarming phenomenon since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.” He continued, “The AMA is deeply concerned about this threatening behavior and how it has contributed to an increasingly hostile working environment across medicine, particularly for those on the front lines of our nation’s response to COVID-19.” Dr. Harmon wrote, “Our AMA is actively monitoring this situation to consider how we can better leverage our strengths and resources to promote the collective safety and security of all health care workers and organizations under attack for championing equity and justice for their patients and communities.” He concluded, “The steps we take today to create a safer and more inclusive environment for all physicians will, in turn, create a safer and more welcoming environment for our patients – and our best chance to advance equity and improve the health of the nation.”

Related Links:

— “Threats and intimidation against doctors and health care workers must end “Gerald E. Harmon, Crain’s Chicago Business, February 4, 2022

Oncology Nurse Advisor (2/4, Moore) reported, “Caregivers’ anxiety/depression symptoms may affect quality of life (QOL) for children with cancer, according to results of a study of caregivers of children with a cancer diagnosis.” The research was published in the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology.

Related Links:

— “Caregiver Anxiety/Mental Health Affects QOL for Children With Cancer “Vicki Moore, Oncology Nurse Advisor , February 4, 2022