The Washington Post (3/30, Lumpkin) reports across the US, “some school leaders and experts say the pandemic has brought new urgency to a mental health crisis that had been unraveling on college campuses for years.” College students say the social isolation brought on by the pandemic and associated restrictions have made it more difficult to study and strained relationships with their families and friends. The Washington Post adds “evidence shows college students experienced higher rates of anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation in 2020 than in 2019.”

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Healio (3/31, Gramigna) reports, “A significant number of children with autism spectrum disorder [ASD] did well by middle childhood in one or more key domains of developmental health,” investigators concluded in a study that included “272 children with ASD.” The findings of the “longitudinal cohort study” were published online March 29 in JAMA Network Open.

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— “Most children with autism ‘do well’ by middle childhood in key developmental domains “Joe Gramigna, Healio, March 31, 2021

Healio (3/30, Gramigna) reports, “Rates of maternal depression and anxiety have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with prior estimates,” investigators concluded in a study that analyzed “data of 1,301 women who completed a COVID-19 impact survey as part of a pregnancy cohort in Canada between May 20, 2020, and July 15, 2020.” Next, the study team “compared symptoms of maternal depression and anxiety during the pandemic with three prior estimates obtained at three-, five- and eight-year timepoints between April 2012 and October 2019.” The findings of the “longitudinal analysis” were published online March 24 in The Lancet Psychiatry.

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— “Anxiety, depression have increased among mothers since onset of COVID-19 pandemic “Joe Gramigna, Healio, March 30, 2021

Psychiatric News (3/30) reports, “People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can benefit from medication and/or psychotherapy that teaches them to confront situations that trigger obsessive fears while refraining from performing compulsions,” but “for many with OCD, these therapies may be out of reach due to therapists’ availability, cost, location, and more,” investigators concluded. Now, “increasing evidence suggests that digital health technologies, including videoconferencing and other approaches (for example, online platforms, websites, and mobile applications) can circumvent these barriers,” experts concluded in an column published online March 26 in Psychiatric Services, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

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— “Psychiatrists Offer 5 Strategies for Integrating Videoconferencing Into OCD Treatment, Psychiatric News, March 30, 2021

HealthDay (3/29, Murez) reports, “About 20% of high school students” in Colorado “reported having handgun access,” investigators found after reviewing “data from the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, which is used to assess health behaviors, risk and protective factors among more than 46,000 students.” The study also revealed that “students who were American Indian, multiracial or white reported significantly higher access than Hispanic, Black or Asian American students.” The findings were published online March 29 in the Journal of Pediatrics.

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— “1 in 5 Colorado Teens Has Easy Access to a Gun: Study “Cara Murez, HealthDay, March 29, 2021