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Latest News Around the Web

Antidepressant Use Associated With Lower Prevalence Of Periodontitis, Study Says

HealthDay (11/20, Solomon) reports a study published in the Journal of Periodontology links antidepressant use “to a lower prevalence of periodontitis.” Investigators “found that the overall prevalence of periodontitis was 35.3 percent for moderate and 11.1 percent for severe cases, with antidepressant use associated with reduced odds of developing periodontitis across most definitions.” The identified “association was particularly strong for severe cases.”

Related Links:

— “Antidepressant Use Tied to Lower Prevalence of Periodontitis,”Lori Solomon, HealthDay, November 20, 2025

The American Journal of Managed Care

HealthDay (11/19, Thompson) reports a review published in Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy found that one in four “US service members and veterans who start psychotherapy for PTSD quit before they finish treatment.” The review also found that “trauma-focused approaches like exposure therapy and cognitive processing therapy tended to have higher dropout rates than approaches focusing on mindfulness, meditation and stress reduction.”

Related Links:

— “Some PTSD Therapy Approaches Prompt More Veterans To Flee Treatment,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, November 19, 2025

Sustaining Meaningful Engagement With Mental Health Apps For Depression And Anxiety Remains Challenging, Analysis Says

The American Journal of Managed Care (11/19, Steinzor) reports, “A new meta-analysis of 79 randomized trials reveals that while most users activate” mental health apps for depression and anxiety, “sustaining meaningful engagement remains challenging.” The analysis, published in JAMA Psychiatry, “identifies strategies – including reminders and human support – that can reduce dropout and improve adherence, providing evidence-based guidance for designing more effective digital mental health interventions.”

Related Links:

— “Addressing Uptake, Adherence, and Attrition in Mental Health Apps,”Pearl Steinzor, The American Journal of Managed Care , November 19, 2025

Patients With Alzheimer Disease Who Also Have Depression, Anxiety, Or PTSD Experience Symptom Onset Several Years Earlier Than Those Without Psychiatric Comorbidities, Study Finds

Neurology Advisor (11/18, Saha) reports a study found that “individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD) who also have depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience symptom onset several years earlier than those without psychiatric comorbidities.” Researchers observed that among study participants diagnosed with probable AD, “43.3% of patients had a history of depression, 32.3% had anxiety, and 1.0% had PTSD. Patients with these conditions experienced AD onset 2.2 years earlier (depression), 3.0 years earlier (anxiety), and 6.8 years earlier (PTSD) than those without them. A clear dose-response relationship was observed, in which having 1 psychiatric condition reduced the age at onset by 1.5 years, 2 conditions by 3.3 years, and 3 or more by 7.7 years.” A second cohort of participants from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) “reinforced these results. Participants with depression or anxiety developed AD 2.1 years earlier than those without either condition.” The study was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

Related Links:

— “Psychiatric Comorbidities Associated With Earlier Onset of Alzheimer Disease,”Rajan Saha, Neurology Advisor , November 18, 2025

Mood-Stabilizing Medications Vary In Dermatologic Side Effects, But Severe Dermatologic Adverse Events Are Rare, Analysis Finds

Psychiatric News (11/18) reports, “Mood-stabilizing medications vary in their dermatologic side effects, but severe dermatologic adverse events are rare,” according to findings from a meta-analysis published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. Researchers found that “the most common dermatologic adverse event was rash, reported in 9.2% of patients who took lamotrigine, 6% who took carbamazepine, 2.9% who took valproate, and 1.3% who took lithium.”

Related Links:

— “Mood Stabilizers Vary in Skin Side Effects, but Severe Events Are Rare, Psychiatric News, November 18, 2025

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.