Healio (12/16, Holden) reports, “Individuals with the lowest incomes were found to have more psychotic symptoms and experienced a greater degree of distress from these symptoms after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” researchers concluded in a cohort study that “surveyed 1,950 participants aged 18 to 30 years in 2016 and 1,804 individuals aged 18 to 30 years in 2020.” The findings were published online ahead of print in the January issue of the journal Psychiatry Research.

Related Links:

— “Lower income associated with increased psychotic symptoms, severity in pandemic “Lisa Holden, Healio, December 16, 2021

Medscape (12/14, Brooks, Subscription Publication) reports a new study now “provides more evidence that antipsychotics that raise prolactin levels are tied to a significantly increased risk for breast cancer.” After identifying “914 cases of invasive breast cancer among 540,737 women,” investigators concluded that “the relative risk for breast cancer was 62% higher in women who took category 1 antipsychotic medications associated with high prolactin levels.” These medications “include haloperidol (Haldol), paliperidone (Invega), and risperidone (Risperdal).” What’s more, “the risk was 54% higher in those taking category 2 antipsychotics that have mid-range effects on prolactin,” such as “iloperidone (Fanapt), lurasidone (Latuda), and olanzapine (Zyprexa).” The findings were published online Dec. 3 in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

Healio (12/15) reports, “Psychosocial counseling geared toward women who require interventions due to intimate partner violence [IPV] was shown to be effective in enhancing their overall wellbeing,” researchers concluded in a study that “was conducted over a two-year period from October 2018 to September 2020 and included 60 participants, all women recruited from a city-based VA hospital who had dealt with IPV over the past year.” The findings were published online in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Targeted counseling effective for women who experienced intimate partner violence “Robert Herpen, Healio, December 15, 2021

The New York Times (12/8, MacKeen) reported on prolonged grief disorder (PGD), “a newly recognized condition” that is “a syndrome in which people feel stuck in an endless cycle of mourning that can last for years or even decades, severely impairing their daily life, relationships and job performance.” PGD “isn’t new” but previously “it was listed in the D.S.M. as a condition for further study. Preliminary studies suggest that it affects around 7 percent of those in mourning.” The Times added, “Dr. Vivian Pender, president of the American Psychiatric Association, which publishes the D.S.M., said the prevalence of prolonged grief disorder may increase because of the sheer magnitude of Covid deaths.” Dr. Pender said, “I think the pandemic has made losing someone particularly worse. The usual loss and grieving process has been disrupted.”

Related Links:

— “As Covid Deaths Rise, Lingering Grief Gets a New Name “Dawn MacKeen, The New York Times, December 8, 2021

CNN (12/15, McPhillips) reports, “Substance use among teens – including alcohol, marijuana, vaping and illicit drugs – dropped significantly in 2021, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s latest Monitoring the Future survey, published Wednesday.” Study researchers “found the largest single-year decline in illicit drug use since the survey began in 1975, with drops of about 5% from 2020 among eighth- and 12th-graders and nearly 12% among 10th-graders.”

TIME (12/15, Ducharme) reports, “Even with the declines, alcohol remains the most commonly used illegal substance among U.S. teenagers. About 47% of 12th graders and 29% of 10th graders said they consumed alcohol in the past year, compared to 55% and 41% in 2020.”

According to The Hill (12/15, Guzman), “The survey also asked students about their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students reported moderate increases in feelings of boredom, anxiety, depression, loneliness, worry and difficulty sleeping.”

Related Links:

— “Substance use among teens dropped significantly in 2021, survey finds ” Deidre McPhillips, CNN, December 15, 2021