Medscape (4/13, Davenport, Subscription Publication) reports, “The World Psychiatric Association (WPA) has released new global telemedicine guidelines” that emphasize the “need for international collaboration in psychiatry.” These guidelines, “which also address concerns over data security and device intercompatibility, were presented at the virtual European Psychiatric Association 2021 Congress.” Medscape adds that the “guidelines are available in the United States, Canada, Australia, and India, including the 2018 Best Practices in Videoconferencing-Based Telemental Health, released by the American Psychiatric Association and the American Telemedicine Association.”

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— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

Healio (4/13, Gramigna) reports, “Certain cognitive deficits in childhood were distinctively linked to different psychopathological symptoms among young people,” researchers concluded in a study that sought to assess “the specificity of associations between attention, working memory and inhibition in childhood and borderline personality disorder,” and “psychosis, depression and hypomania in adolescence and young adulthood.” Investigators analyzed data from “6,333 individuals for any psychopathological measures between ages 11 and 12 years, 4,903 between ages 17 and 18 years and 2,963 between ages 22 to 23 years.” The findings of the cohort study were published online April 7 in JAMA Network Open.

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— “Childhood cognitive deficits play role in later mental health problems “Joe Gramigna, Healio, April 13, 2021

HealthDay (4/12, Preidt) reports, “Ovarian cancer is a tough diagnosis to cope with, and now a new study finds these patients face a much higher risk of depression and other mental” illnesses. In addition, “the emotional anguish exacted a significant toll: The researchers also found it was associated with an increased risk of death during the study period among these women.” The study is “scheduled for presentation during the AACR’s virtual annual meeting, held from April 10 to 15.”

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— “Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis Can Take Big Toll on Women’s Mental Health ” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, April 12, 2021

Healio (4/12, Gramigna) reports, “Adolescents whose mothers had anxiety or depressive symptoms were at increased risk for conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms at age 17 years,” researchers concluded after analyzing “data from a birth cohort study conducted in Western Australia and” using “the DSM-oriented scales of the Child Behavior Checklist to assess participants’ conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms.” The findings were published online ahead of print in the June issue of the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

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— “Maternal anxiety, depression may increase offspring risk for behavioral disorders “Joe Gramigna, Healio, April 12, 2021

The Wall Street Journal (4/9, A1, Petersen, Subscription Publication) reported on the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on children in the US. Many children have been isolated at home with schools closed. Many have lost parents or grandparents to COVID-19, others have parents who have lost their jobs.

Related Links:

— “Loneliness, Anxiety and Loss: the Covid Pandemic’s Terrible Toll on Kids “Andrea Petersen, The Wall Street Journal, April 9, 2021