Healio (10/7, Weller) reports, “Paternal self-efficacy in tasks like soothing or putting an infant to sleep was linked to a lower risk for depressive symptoms among fathers in the year after birth,” investigators concluded in a study that included “a total of 881 Black, Latino and white fathers of low socioeconomic statuses who lived in urban, mixed/suburban or rural areas.” The findings were published online Sept. 23 in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Fathers who actively parent infants may have lower risk for depression “Madison Weller, Healio , October 7, 2020

HealthDay (10/7, Reinberg) reports cocaine overdose deaths have nearly tripled over a period of five years, according to a CDC report. HealthDay adds, “After a period of stability, cocaine-induced deaths rose by about 27% per year, on average, from 2013 through 2018.”

Related Links:

— “Overdose Deaths From Cocaine Rising Dramatically “Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, October 7, 2020

HealthDay (10/6, Gordon) reports researchers found “girls who played after-school sports in elementary school seem to have fewer symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) once they reach middle school.” The findings were published in Preventive Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Early School Sports Reduce ADHD Symptoms Years Later for Girls “Serena Gordon, HealthDay, October 6, 2020

CNN (10/6) reports “researchers at New York’s Columbia Business School and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in Chicago found” that “being authentic” on Facebook might be beneficial for people’s mental health. The study’s authors said, “Being prompted to post in an authentic way was associated with more positive mood and affect, and less negative mood within participants. Our findings suggest that all individuals regardless of personality traits could benefit from being authentic on social media.” The study was published in Nature.

Related Links:

— “Being authentic on Facebook is better for your mental health, researchers say “Katie Hunt, CNN, October 6, 2020

Medscape (10/5, Brauser, Subscription Publication) reports researchers found “substance use disorders, particularly opioid addiction and smoking, are tied to an increase risk for COVID-19 and serious adverse outcomes including hospitalization and death.” The findings were published in Molecular Psychiatry. Dr. Andrew J. Saxon, professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a member of the APA’s Council on Addition Psychiatry, said, “I found it pretty convincing that people who have substance use disorders are probably at higher risk for getting COVID-19 infection and more complications once they are infected.”

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)