In a HealthDay (11/4, Reinberg) article advising people on how to deal with post-election anxiety and stress, “mental health experts…are urging healthier ways” than drinking “to cope with the anxiety of a country on the edge.” Instead, people should maintain their normal routines and not allow themselves “to fixate on the constant stream of news emanating from the TV and social media.” APA President-Elect Dr. Vivian Pender said, “We’re looking at the small minute-by-minute picture. And it’s good sometimes to rise above that and step back or refocus on something else.”

Related Links:

— “Coping With the Stress of This Election “Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, November 4, 2020

Healio (11/4, Gramigna) reports, “Individuals who were recently diagnosed with a mental disorder were at increased risk for [SARS-CoV-2] infection, especially African Americans and women,” investigators concluded after analyzing data from electronic health records on “61 million adults from 360 hospitals and 317,000” clinicians “across the U.S. up to July 29, 2020.” The findings were published online Oct. 7 in the journal World Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “People with mental disorder diagnosis at increased risk for COVID-19 infection “Joe Gramigna, Healio, November 4, 2020

USA Today (11/4, Cannon) reports voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota all voted to legalize recreational marijuana, meaning 15 states have now legalized it. Meanwhile, Mississippi and South Dakota legalized medical marijuana. Oregon voters “further relaxed drug laws, becoming the first state to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.”

Related Links:

— “These states legalized recreational marijuana on Election Day “Jay Cannon, USA TODAY, November 4, 2020

Healio (11/3, Gramigna) reports, “Statin use did not appear associated with suicidality, anxiety disorders or seizures,” investigators concluded after examining Swedish registry data on “1,149,384 individuals who were dispensed statins and aged 15 years or older between 2006 and 2013.” The findings of the “total-population cohort study” were published in the November issue of The Lancet Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Statin treatment not associated with adverse neuropsychiatric outcomes “Joe Gramigna, Healio, November 3, 2020

HealthDay (11/3, Preidt) reports, “The more symptoms of depression people have, the higher their risk of stroke,” investigators concluded in a study that “included more than 9,500 Black people and more than 14,500 white people across the United States who were 45 and older and had no history of stroke.” The findings were published online Oct. 6 in the journal Neurology: Clinical Practice.

Related Links:

— “Depression Has Strong Ties to Stroke, Study Finds “Robert Preidt, HealthDay , November 3, 2020