Healio (10/11, Miller) reports, “Adults with autism spectrum disorder [ASD] were about 2.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with early-onset dementia than adults in the general population,” researchers concluded in a “case control study” that “included adults with either ASD only (n = 12,648), ASD and another intellectual disability (n = 26,168), intellectual disability without ASD (n = 406,570) and neither ASD nor intellectual disability (n = 798,828).” The findings were published in the October issue of the journal Autism Research.

Related Links:

— “Adults with autism more than two times likely to receive dementia diagnosis “Janel Miller, Healio, October 11, 2021

Reuters (10/8, Smout) reported, “The COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in anxiety and major depressive disorders across the world, particularly among women and young people, a study published in the Lancet on Friday found.” The researchers found that “young people suffered as school closures kept them away from friends, and many women found themselves bearing the brunt of household work and facing an increased risk of domestic violence.” The study“recorded 76 million additional cases of anxiety disorders and 53 million of major depressive disorder as COVID-19 spread in 2020.”

Related Links:

— “Anxiety surged during pandemic, particularly among women – study “Alistair Smout, Reuters, October 8, 2021

Modern Healthcare (10/7, Subscription Publication) runs a piece from The 19th News, reporting, “Expanding Medicaid and telehealth, investing in community-based care services, and providing paid leave and child care will all help address negative mental health outcomes for pregnant people and new parents,” experts concluded in a paper (10/4) published in the October issue of the journal Health Affairs. The authors of the paper “focus on six ways they say policy would better support people during and after pregnancy.” Such “moves would help prevent potentially harmful mental health conditions, in addition to properly treating them, they said.”

Related Links:

— “Paid leave, healthcare access and child care: How policy can protect parents’ mental health, Modern Healthcare, October 7, 2021

Healio (10/7, Gramigna) reports, “Individuals who were bullied by their siblings in early adolescence had increased risk for poor mental health later in adolescence,” investigators concluded in a study that “analyzed data from 17,157 youth (48% girls), with a focus on early (age 11 years), middle (age 14 years) and late (age 17 years) adolescence.” The findings of the “prospective longitudinal study” were published online Sept. 30 in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

Related Links:

— “Sibling bullying in early adolescence may worsen later mental health “Joe Gramigna, Healio, October 7, 2021

The New York Times (10/7, Victor) reports, “Over a 15-month period of the pandemic, more than 120,000 children in the United States had a parent or caregiver die from Covid-19, a loss that more severely affected racial minorities, according to a modeling study.” Researchers “estimated that for every four Covid-19 deaths between April 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, one child lost a parent or caregiver.” Additionally, “22,007 lost a secondary caregiver, or a grandparent providing housing but not most basic needs, the study projected.” The findings were published in the journal Pediatrics on Thursday.

The Washington Post (10/7, Cha) reports, “Losing a parent or other primary caregiver is one of the most stressful things that can happen in a child’s life – putting them at risk of a trajectory of depression and post-traumatic stress, as well as physical manifestations of grief, such as heart problems.” The estimated “numbers take into account both official covid deaths and deaths from other causes, such as homicides and drug overdoses, beyond those expected in a typical year without the pandemic.” According to the Post, “The data reveals vast disparities by race and ethnicity – even more skewed toward an overrepresentation of minority communities than covid deaths.”

Among other sources covering the story is HealthDay (10/7, Preidt).

Related Links:

— “Over 120,000 American Children Have Lost a Parent or Caregiver to Covid-19, Study Says “Daniel Victor, The New York Times, October 7, 2021