The New York Times (8/25, Blum) interviews “experts about ways to potentially ease anxiety as some workers” who have been working from home for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic now “head back to their desks.” The Times adds that “the Americans With Disabilities Act offers protections for workers with physical and mental impairments, and grants” people “the right to ask for a reasonable accommodation if” they “have a mental health condition.” Still, “the word ‘reasonable’ is key, and it can be tricky to identify, said Darcy Gruttadaro, director of the Center for Workplace Mental Health at the American Psychiatric Association Foundation,” but “the more employers can be flexible and really think about reassuring people coming back to the workplace, and being open and communicative and really checking in, they may be able to reduce the high levels of anxiety that many people are experiencing.”

Related Links:

— “Feeling Anxious About Returning to the Office? Here’s What You Can Do. “Dani Blum, The New York Times, August 25, 2021

According to Healio (8/25), in an Aug. 25 press release, “the American Psychiatric Association has underscored the importance of providing mental health access and support for individuals involved in the ongoing evacuation efforts in Afghanistan.” Not just “U.S. service members, individuals in the foreign service and their families,” but also “their Afghan co-workers and families who were evacuated should all receive support, the APA noted in” the release. Because “U.S. asylum seekers and refugees” are “at increased risk for developing mental disorders, such as PTSD and depression, the association highlighted the critical importance of providing mental health resource access for all.”

Psychiatric News (8/25) quotes APA President Vivian Pender, MD, who said, “The APA wants to extend its knowledge and resources around trauma-based care, grounded in years of research, to assist all those coming from Afghanistan.” For his part, “APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, MD, MPA, agreed.” Dr. Levin stated, “We should ensure that our country provides the needed mental health resources to address this traumatic situation for all who need them.”

Related Links:

— “APA pledges mental health support in wake of Afghanistan evacuation, Healio, August 25, 2021

Healio (8/24, Laday) reports, “Patients with PTSD demonstrated a two-fold higher likelihood of being diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], compared to those without PTSD,” researchers concluded in a study that “included 10,942 patients with SLE and matched them 1:10 with 109,420 control participants.” The findings were published online in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

Related Links:

— “Patients with prior PTSD twice as likely to develop lupus “Jason Laday, Healio , August 24, 2021

Healio (8/24, Gramigna) reports, “Vulnerable subgroups of veterans had increased risk for cannabis use disorder and nonmedical use,” investigators concluded after analyzing data from “3,119 U.S. veterans who responded to the 2012 to 2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III.” The findings of the survey study were published online Aug. 19 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Among veterans, the odds of nonmedical cannabis use and use disorder were elevated among vulnerable subgroups, including those with lower income or psychiatric disorders and among survey participants residing in states with medical marijuana laws.

Related Links:

— “Sociodemographic factors impact veterans’ risk for cannabis use disorder “Joe Gramigna, Healio , August , 2021

The AP (8/23, Dazio) reports that according to experts and some mental health advocates, short video clips “posted on official law enforcement social media accounts, part of a longstanding practice by police agencies to showcase their lifesaving efforts online,” should be looked at “with an eye toward whether they exploit the very victims law enforcement just saved.” For example, “the American Association of Suicidology specifically suggests that any reporting on suicide or suicide attempts not include the method or location,” and even “recommends that photos and videos from the scene also be excluded, even if the person’s identity is concealed.” Meanwhile, “Daniel Reidenberg, executive director of the Minnesota-based Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, said such social media posts may actually deter viewers from calling 911, for fear they might also get handcuffed or arrested.”

Related Links:

— “Mental health online: Police posts of crises may traumatize “Stefanie Dazio, AP, August 23, 2021