Healio (1/11, Gramigna) reports, “Patient age was linked to virtual visit type preference for telepsychiatry during the COVID-19 pandemic, with older adults preferring telephone visits over video visits,” investigators concluded in a survey study that sought “to evaluate these factors after stay-at-home orders were issued in Michigan, patients’ initial choice of virtual care modality and their anticipated participation in telepsychiatry following reopening of clinics for in-person visits.” The study revealed “an association between patient age and chosen visit type, with those aged 44 years or older more likely than those aged 44 years or younger to choose telephone visits.” The findings of the 244-patient study were published in the December issue of JMIR Formative Research.

Related Links:

— “Most patients access telepsychiatry via video, but age affects preferences “Joe Gramigna, Healio, January 11, 2021

The New York Times (1/8, Belluck) reported many people who recover from COVID-19 “will experience lingering problems like fatigue, insomnia, depression, anxiety or diminished lung function.” Researchers studied 1,733 patients “who were discharged from a hospital in Wuhan” and “found that more than three-quarters of them had at least one symptom six months later.” The study was published in The Lancet.

STAT (1/8, Cooney) and MedPage Today (1/8, Walker) also cover the story.

Related Links:

— “6 Months After Leaving the Hospital, Covid Survivors Still Face Lingering Health Issues “Pam Belluck, The New York Times, January 8, 2021

Psychiatric News (1/8) reported, “Financial distress, feeling downhearted, and doing activities less carefully were identified through machine learning as risk factors for suicide,” investigators concluded after drawing “on data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, which is conducted with a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults 18 years and older.” The findings were published online Jan. 6 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Study Confirms Well-Known Suicide Risk Factors, Identifies New Risks, Psychiatric News, January 8, 2021

According to HealthDay (1/8, Thompson), the US is “in a state of shock and outrage over” the Jan. 6 “riotous siege on the U.S. Capitol Building by supporters of President Donald Trump.” Because “there could be still worse to come before the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden,” it is important to take care of “mental and physical health…in the coming days of trial and tribulation…American Psychiatric Association President” Jeffrey Geller, MD, MPH, “said.” By “sticking to a normal daily routine, sleeping well, staying hydrated, eating healthy, exercising and participating in self-calming techniques like meditation or yoga, Geller said” that people could ease the stress they feel. People also should “try to avoid the use of alcohol, drugs or tobacco, Geller added.”

Related Links:

— “Coping With Anxiety, Fear During a Rocky Presidential Transition ” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, January 8, 2021

MedPage Today (1/7, Ingram) reports researchers found that among patients with cancer “receiving long-term opioid treatment for pain, 19% developed behaviors of nonmedical opioid use.” The findings were published in JAMA Oncology.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)