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Latest News Around the Web

Wearable Devices May Be Able To Predict Depression Relapse Weeks Before Symptoms Emerge, Study Suggests

HealthDay (2/12, Neff) reports a study “suggests that wearable trackers can detect the subtle signs of a depression relapse weeks or even months before an actual episode.” The study followed 93 Canadian adults with “a diagnosis of major depressive disorder and had previously recovered from a depression episode” for up to two years. The participants “wore a research-grade device similar to a Fitbit or Apple Watch around the clock and had regular in-person visits for depression assessment and data download.” Researchers observed that “a person’s daily rhythms tell a story. Specifically, people with irregular sleep schedules had nearly double the risk of falling back into a depressive episode. The most telling sign wasn’t just how long someone slept, but how different their day was from their night.” Specifically, “when the data showed less of a difference between daytime movement and nighttime rest, a relapse was often right around the corner.” The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Smartwatches May Soon Predict a Depression Relapse,”Deanna Neff, HealthDay , February 12, 2026

Drug Overdoses, Violence Accounted For More Than A Quarter Of All Deaths Among Pregnant And Postpartum Women In 2018-2023, Research Finds In the US

MedPage Today (2/11, Firth) reports, “Drug overdoses, homicides, and suicides accounted for more than a quarter of all deaths among pregnant and postpartum women, an analysis of maternal deaths from 2018 through 2023 showed.” Researchers found that “among 7,901 maternal deaths over this 6-year period, the leading cause was unintentional drug overdose, accounting for 1,152 deaths (5.2 deaths per 100,000 live births), followed by violence, defined as homicide or suicide (866 deaths; 3.9 deaths per 100,000 live births).” They noted that “altogether, homicides accounted for 68% of all violent deaths, and firearms were involved in 77% of homicides and 39% of suicides.” Furthermore, “violence and overdose accounted for 2,018 deaths, while the next four most common causes of death – cardiovascular causes, hypertension, infection, and hemorrhage – together accounted for 2,141 deaths.” The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Greater Everyday Discrimination Is Linked To Worse Patient-Reported Lupus Activity And Symptom Burden, But These Relationships Are Mediated By Depression And Anxiety Symptoms, Analysis Indicates

Rheumatology Advisor (2/10, Kuhns) reports, “Greater everyday discrimination is associated with worse patient-reported lupus activity and symptom burden, but these relationships are mediated by depression and anxiety symptoms, according to study results.” Investigators came to this conclusion after conducting an analysis that “included data collected between 2020 and 2021 from adults with physician-confirmed SLE in the San Francisco Bay Area.” The findings were published in The Journal of Rheumatology.

Related Links:

— “Discrimination Worsens SLE Symptom Burden Through Depression and Anxiety,”Lisa Kuhns, PhD, Rheumatology Advisor, February 10, 2026

Pregnancy And Breastfeeding Are Associated With Less Later-Life Cognitive Decline, Research Finds

Neurology Advisor (2/10, Saha) reports, “Pregnancy and breastfeeding are associated with less later-life cognitive decline, according to” research. Investigators came to this conclusion after conducting “a longitudinal secondary analysis of 2 Women’s Health Initiative cohorts: the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS; n=7427) and the Women’s Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging (WHISCA; n=2304).” The findings were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

Related Links:

— “Pregnancy, Breastfeeding Linked to Reduced Cognitive Decline in Older Age,”Rajan Saha, Neurology Advisor, February 10, 2026

Is Autism a Predominantly Male Disorder?

MedPage Today (2/10, Jeffrey) reports, “Exercise effectively reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, comparable to results seen with pharmacological or psychological interventions, according to a systematic umbrella review with a meta-meta-analysis of randomized trials.” Researchers observed that “exercise had a medium-sized effect on reducing depression symptoms (standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.61, 95% CI -0.69 to -0.54), while it had a small-to-medium effect on reducing anxiety symptoms (SMD -0.47).” They noted that “while exercise was effective across all age groups, the greatest benefits of exercise on depression were seen in adults ages 18 to 30 years (SMD -0.81), as well as among postnatal women (SMD -0.70).” The review was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

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.