Psychiatric News (12/30) reported, “More than one in five fathers have symptoms of depression and anxiety at some point during the first year after their children are born,” researchers concluded in a survey study that included “2,544 fathers” who “provided data for at least one time point during the first year postpartum, and 2,442 fathers” who “provided data during the second year.” The findings were published online Dec. 28 in the journal Depression and Anxiety.

Related Links:

— “Comorbid Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety Common in Fathers After Their Children Are Born, Psychiatric News, December 30, 2021

mHealth Intelligence (12/29, Vaidya) reports “close to a third of older Americans remain concerned about the efficacy of telehealth visits as compared with in-person care, according to a” poll (PDF) “conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and funded by the SCAN Foundation” of “1,000 adults, aged 50 years and older, between Nov. 12 and 15.” Respondents “cited concerns regarding not having a personal relationship with their doctor (29 percent), the security of health information (17 percent) and running into technical issues (16 percent).”

Related Links:

— “31% of Older Americans Worry Telehealth Not as Effective as In-person Care “Anuja Vaidya, mHealth Intelligence, December 29, 2021

Modern Healthcare (12/29, Devereaux, Subscription Publication) reports, “Supporting telehealth companies is nothing new for insurers, but a COVID-19 windfall and an explosion in demand for mental healthcare during the pandemic have led payers toward virtual therapy platforms as a way to reduce costs and provide better benefits.” This year, “large insurers’ investing arms contributed to significantly more funding rounds for ‘telebehavioral’ health companies than during previous years.”

Related Links:

— “Insurers test the waters with ‘telebehavioral’ health platforms “Mari Devereaux, Modern Healthcare, December 29, 2021

Healio (12/29, Weldon) reports, “School environments play a role in early adolescents’ mental health,” researchers concluded in the 26,885-student “My Resilience in Adolescence (MYRIAD) study, a collaborative survey between various universities in the United Kingdom.” The study revealed that even though “schools explained only small amounts of variation in mental health, school climate was nonetheless associated with mental health.” Additionally, the study revealed that “children who attended schools with a higher proportion of white pupils had poorer mental health than children in schools with more ethnically diverse student bodies.” The findings were published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Schools play role in adolescent mental health, study finds “Rose Weldon, Healio, December 29, 2021

Bloomberg Law (12/28, Reed, Subscription Publication) reports behind a paywall, “States can integrate behavioral health services into their Medicaid programs under a new option meant to help people experiencing mental health or substance use crises,” the Biden Administration announced on Tuesday. Furthermore, the option “will allow states to support mobile crisis intervention services, which connect users to a behavioral health specialist on call.”

Related Links:

— “Mental Health Support to Get Expansion Under New Medicaid Option “Allie Reed, Bloomberg Law, December 28, 2021