Healio (4/5) reports, “People with schizophrenia were less likely to have received a COVID-19 booster, while gaps in acquisition were greatest for the first vaccination,” researchers concluded in a study that “utilized information from the databases of Israeli health care management organization Clalit Health Services to include 34,797 participants…with schizophrenia and an equal number of matched controls.” The findings of the “retrospective cohort study” were published online March 30 in a brief report in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Those with schizophrenia less likely to get COVID-19 booster “Robert Herpen, Healio, April 5, 2022

Healio (4/5) reports, “While 56% of U.S. adults reported concerns about their mental health, only 29% have elected to see a professional counselor or therapist, according to survey results” derived from the “State of Mental Health…research study conducted in February 2022 by Ramsey Solutions, which surveyed 1,001 U.S. adults on three main topics: mental health, relationships and wellness.” The study’s findings were announced March 28 on the Ramsey Solutions website.

Related Links:

— “Over half of US adults surveyed reported concerns about their mental health, Healio, April 5, 2022

HealthDay (4/4) reports “significantly higher average body mass index (BMI) and obesity prevalence rates were seen among U.S. adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study.” The findings published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine also revealed that “there were significantly higher rates for any exercise participation (+4.4%), average sleep hours in a 24-hour period (+1.5%), and average alcoholic drink days in the past month (+2.7%); lower rates were seen for smoking at least some days (−4%).”

Related Links:

— “Body Mass Index, Obesity Up During the Pandemic for U.S. Adults, HealthDay, April 4, 2022

The AP (4/4, Stobbe) reports a study “suggests people who live with handgun owners are shot to death at a higher rate than those who don’t have such weapons at home.” Also, “the researchers found that those who lived with handgun owners had a much higher rate of being fatally shot by a spouse or intimate partner,” as “the vast majority of such victims – 84% – were women, they said.” The findings of the “study focused on nearly 600,000 Californians” were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Study finds higher homicide risk in homes with handguns “Mike Stobbe, AP, April 4, 2022

USA Today (4/4, Pitofsky) reports, “Survivors of gun violence and their families see a spike in medical costs and the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and substance use disorders in the months following an injury,” investigators concluded in a study “based on patient records over 10 years.” The study “included information from 6,498 survivors of firearm injuries, matched to 32,490 control individuals, and 12,489 family members, including significant others, parents and children of survivors of gun violence injuries, compared to 62,445 control individuals,” as well as “survivors’ records from one year before a firearm injury through one year after.” The findings were published online April 5 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Gun violence survivors see substantial increase in psychiatric, substance use disorders, study says “Marina Pitofsky, USA TODAY, April 4, 2022