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Latest News Around the Web

Nearly Half Of Seniors 65 And Older Showed Measurable Improvement In Brain Health, Physical Function, Or Both Over Time, Research Finds

HealthDay (3/9, Thompson) reports, “Nearly half of seniors 65 and older showed measurable improvement in their brain health, physical function or both over time, researchers” found. The investigators “tracked more than 11,000 people participating in a long-term federally funded study of older Americans.” The researchers found that “during a follow-up period of up to 12 years, 45% of participants improved in either physical or mental fitness.” Approximately “32% had improvements in their brain health, and 28% improved physically.” The findings were published in Geriatrics.

Related Links:

— “Many Seniors Gain Physical, Mental Fitness As They Age, Study Finds,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay , March 9, 2026

Childhood obesity reaches record high in recent years

The Hill (3/8, Cochran) said that a CDC report (PDF) last month “showed more than 1 in 5 U.S. children and teenagers” had obesity “between 2021 to 2023, compared to only 5.2% between 1971-1974. The number of children with severe obesity in recent years has hit 7%.” To reverse this trend, “experts point to school meals and increased activity as key ways to address childhood obesity, with research showing school meals are the healthiest eating options some students have all day.”

Related Links:

— “Childhood obesity at a record high as MAHA presses for changes to kids’ diets,”Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, March 8, 2026

Multiple Healthy Diets Were Tied To Better Cognitive Function, Lower Risk For Cognitive Decline, Study Indicates

Healio (3/6, Rhoades) reported, “Multiple healthy diets, especially the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension-style diet, were tied to better cognitive function and a lower risk for cognitive decline, a study…indicated.” Investigators came to this conclusion after conducting a study that “utilized 1986 to 2017 data taken from the Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study to assess the impact of six dietary patterns on subjective cognitive decline…and objective cognitive function.” The findings were published in JAMA Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Several healthy diets lower the risk for cognitive decline,”Andrew (Drew) Rhoades , Healio, March 6, 2026

Telemedicine Failing To Close Mental Health Gap In Rural Communities, Study Suggests

HealthDay (3/6, Neff) reported a study suggests that telemedicine has not led to a significant rise in new mental health patients from rural or underserved communities. The researchers “analyzed Medicare billing records for more than 17,000 mental health specialists between 2018 and 2023 in all regions of the United States. They looked at the share of their visits to patients living in rural, low-access-to-care or distant communities.” They found that “specialists who used telemedicine the most saw only a tiny increase – less than one percentage point – in patients from rural regions compared to specialists who rarely used video calls. Interestingly, most of these long-distance visits weren’t with new rural residents; instead, they were existing patients originally from the city who had moved away and kept their old doctors via the screen.” The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Telemedicine Not Closing the Mental Health Gap in Rural Areas,”Deanna Neff, HealthDay, March 6, 2026

Survey reveals who Americans trust for public health information

The Hill (3/5, Choi) reports, “A poll published Thursday found that Americans have lost trust in federal health institutions and are more likely to say they trust independent, professional medical organizations when it comes to advice on topics like vaccination.” The survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center “found that public trust in agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) had fallen by 5 to 7 percentage points in the past year.”
The Washington Post (3/5, Sun) also reports, “At the same time, Americans say they have greater confidence in major professional health associations to provide more trustworthy public health information than the federal health agencies.” Survey results show “73% are confident in the American Medical Association to provide trustworthy information related to public health.”

Related Links:

— “Trust in CDC, FDA, NIH shrinks: Survey,”Joseph Choi, The Hill, March 5, 2026

Foundation News

Schuster to Receive Anti-Stigma Advocacy Award

Janice Lynch Schuster will be awarded the 2020 Maryland Foundation for Psychiatry (MFP) Anti-Stigma Advocacy Prize for her op-ed, “People are not defined by their diseases” in the October 14, 2019 Baltimore Sun. The MFP Board unanimously felt that her article very effectively portrayed not only how hurtful stigma can be, but that health care providers themselves may be the culprits thoughtlessly participating in stigmatizing people – particularly when people are abusing drugs. Her statement inspires others to seek and give help, and to reframe substance abuse as a disease that must be treated scientifically and empathically.

The Anti-Stigma Advocacy Award, which carries a $500 prize, will be formally presented at the Maryland Psychiatric Society annual meeting on October 8.

The Foundation established this annual prize for a worthy piece published in a major newspaper (preferably local or regional) that accomplishes one or more of the following:
Shares with the public their experience with mental illness in themselves, a family
member, or simply in the community.
Helps others to overcome their inability to talk about mental illness or their own mental
illness.
Imparts particularly insightful observations on the general subject of mental illness.

Click here for information about past winners.

New Radio Ad Explores Racial Inequities and Mental Health in Current Crises

Institutional and structural racism are major factors in these times of pandemic and civil unrest. The African American community is particularly hit hard by the coronavirus, police brutality, and the economic burdens that come with them. The ad explains how there is hope and help available.

Racial Inequities and Current Crises in AmericaRacial Inequities and Current Crises in America, MP3, 712KB

You can listen to the ad using the player in the upper right of the website’s homepage. All past public service spots are also available for listening or to download on our Radio Advertisements page.

The Foundation Strongly Condemns All Forms of Racism

A Message from the Maryland Foundation for Psychiatry Board of Directors:

The Maryland Foundation for Psychiatry strongly condemns all forms of racism.  The Foundation calls on all Americans and all levels of government to actively oppose racism, and all related violence and brutality. The Foundation recognizes that there are wide disparities in treatment of mental illness and access to care related to race. Consistent with our mission to fight stigma associated with mental illness and to promote awareness and access to care for all individuals regardless of race, the Foundation pledges to support programs which combat racism.

The Maryland Foundation for Psychiatry stands in solidarity with the agendas of the American Psychiatric Association, Maryland Psychiatric Society, and the Black Psychiatrists of America.  We endorse the following action items outlined by the Black Psychiatrists of America:

• Declare racism a public health problem and establish national goals for addressing this as a health equity issue. Give priority to addressing the issues of health care disparities including the mental health needs of historically marginalized communities across the US.
 
• Provide adequate funding for the clinical care, training, and research needed to eliminate health disparities and require racism impact statements for all government funded services and research. 
 
• Establish a governmental multidisciplinary and ethnically diverse commission with representatives from the major health care professional associations in medicine, nursing, psychiatry, public health, psychology, social work, etc., and the faith-based community to provide recommendations to Congress regarding policies on how best to improve the health and well-being of our nation’s Black citizens.
 
• Declare “Civic Mental Health” a national priority and incorporate it into the educational curriculum from K-college, as well as in the training of local, state and national officials, law enforcement, and the criminal justice system. 
 
• Establish police community review boards with power to take action in areas of police misconduct pending formal review by the appropriate authorities. This will offer a level of empowerment when communities feel they have a voice that can be heard. 
 
• Assure adequate insurance coverage for mental disorders and emotional distress that are the outgrowth of racism, police brutality, discrimination of all kinds and violence. 

The Maryland Psychiatric Society has also put out a statement on their website.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) also condemns racism and has published their statement, too.

New Radio Ad Explores Mental Health in the Wake of the Coronavirus

A recent poll shows that more than half the people in the United States are feeling extremely worried by the coronavirus. They find they aren’t sleeping properly, are distracted, or being driven into depression. The ad explains how there is hope and help available.

The Coronavirus and Your State of MindThe Coronavirus and Your State of Mind, MP3, 721KB

You can listen to the ad using the player in the upper right of the website’s homepage. All past public service spots are also available for listening or to download on our Radio Advertisements page.