HealthDay (6/24, Preidt) reports, “The brain interprets physical signals differently in people with depression, anorexia and some other mental health disorders,” according to researchers who “found that in patients with bipolar disorder, anxiety, major depression, anorexia and schizophrenia, a brain region known as the dorsal mid-insula had different activity when processing pain, hunger and other physical signals.” Findings from the 626-patient study were published in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Body’s ‘Signals’ May Feel Different in People With Anorexia, Depression “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, June 24, 2021

Healio (6/23, Marabito) reports, “Patients with antipsychotic-naïve and first-episode schizophrenia who received antipsychotic treatment experienced” an average of 2.89 kg in weight gain “and improvement of clinical symptoms following 8 weeks of treatment,” researchers concluded in a study in “441 patients with schizophrenia and 313 control patients” published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. The “researchers observed a significant association between weight gain, age at onset, the course of disease and education.”

Related Links:

— “Weight gain correlates with greater symptom improvements for antipsychotic treatment “Maria Marabito, Healio, June 23, 2021

Healio (6/23, Marabito) reports, “The percentage of patients receiving medication for PTSD declined between 2009 and 2018 despite a doubling in the number of veterans diagnosed with PTSD in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) care,” researchers concluded in findings published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Despite a growth in PTSD diagnoses from 499,143 in 2009 to 1,073,183 in 2018, “the number of patients who received at least one of the examined mediations for PTSD decreased by 9% to 58% overall in 2018.”

Related Links:

— “PTSD trends among veterans: Reuptake inhibitors most prescribed, psychotherapy preferred “Maria Marabito, Healio, June 23, 2021

Healio (6/22, Marabito) reports, “Adults with depressive symptoms used more humor and sarcasm to cope with challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” researchers concluded in a digital survey of “661 Canadian adults during the height of COVID-19 restrictions, between April 27 and July 17, 2020.” The survey study also revealed that “adults with anxiety used more sarcasm but less humor during the pandemic, and those with psychiatric disorders reported using more humor.” The findings were published online ahead of print in the August issue of the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

Related Links:

— “Adults with depression, anxiety use more humor, sarcasm to cope with COVID-19 pandemic “Maria Marabito, Healio, June 22, 2021

MedPage Today (6/22, Grant) reports, “Cannabis use may be associated with suicidality trends among young adults, regardless of their depression status, according to a survey study” published in JAMA Network Open. The “analysis of data from the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)” on “over 280,000 young adults ages 18 to 34” found “increases in suicidal ideation, plan, and attempt ranging from 40% to 60% over the past decade – increases beyond those attributable to either cannabis use or major depressive episodes (MDE) alone, reported” researchers.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)