Healio (9/30, Herpen) reported, “Data gained from existing academic research shows that hearing loss is associated with depression but a causal relationship between the two has yet to be established,” according to findings presented at BRAINWeek 2022 by Justin S. Golub, MD, MS, associate professor of otolaryngology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. In the presentation, Dr. “Golub cited his own study from 2018, which focused on age-related hearing loss with depressive symptoms in more than 5,300 Hispanic individuals,” finding that “compared to those with normal hearing, those with mild hearing loss had a 1.8 times greater chance to develop depression, those with moderate hearing loss were 2.4 times more likely to experience depression, and those with severe hearing loss 4.3 times more likely for the same.”

Related Links:

— “Hearing loss associated with depression, causal relationship less clear “Robert Herpen, Healio, September 30, 2022

According to the Washington Post (10/2, Atkins), in response to rising “child mental health problems…in the past few years, a growing number of states have adopted laws that let students take an excused absence if they feel anxious, depressed or need a day to ‘recharge.’” Already, “a dozen states…have measures in place that allow kids to take off for mental health and not just physical health reasons,” while “a handful of others are considering making similar changes to school absentee rules.”

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Healio (9/29, Downey) reports, “Two-thirds of an estimated 108,174 overdose deaths in the United States in the 12 months ending in April 2022 can be attributed to synthetic opioids, specifically illicitly manufactured fentanyl,” investigators concluded after assessing “overdose death data from the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System to examine monthly frequencies of overdose deaths involving para-fluorofentanyl.” The findings were published online Sept. 30 in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Related Links:

— “Two-thirds of US overdose deaths attributable to fentanyl “Ken Downey Jr., Healio, September 29, 2022

Healio (9/29, Bascom) reports, “Replacing 30 minutes of social media use with physical activity led to better mental health,” investigators concluded in a study involving 642 volunteers. The findings were published online Sept. 2 in the Journal of Public.

Related Links:

— “Replacing 30 minutes of social media use with physical activity boosts mental health “Emma Bascom, Healio, September 29, 2022

MedPage Today (9/28, Monaco) reports, “Individuals undergoing gender-affirming surgery…with a pre-existing mental health condition seemed to face higher rates of postoperative complications,” investigators concluded in a study that included “more than 4,000 patients.” The findings were published online Sept. 28 in a research letter in JAMA Surgery.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)