Psychiatric News (12/11) reported, “Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may experience an acute exacerbation of their illness if they have depression and/or anxiety,” investigators concluded in a study involving “504 adults with COPD” who visited a hospital’s pulmonary clinic. The study revealed that “the risk of acute exacerbation was 60% higher in patients with anxiety and/or depression.” The findings were published online Dec. 8 in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Related Links:

— “Anxiety, Depression May Increase Risk of Acute Exacerbation in COPD, Psychiatric News, December 11, 2020

Healio (12/11, Burba) reported, “Sequential integration of psychotherapy following response to acute-phase pharmacotherapy was associated with a reduced risk for relapse in patients with major depressive disorder [MDD],” investigators concluded in a 17-study, 2,283-participant systematic review and meta-analysis. The findings were published online Nov. 25 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Psychotherapy sequential integration may reduce risk for MDD relapse “Kate Burba, Healio, December 11, 2020

Healio (12/10, Weller) reports, “Adults aged 50 years or older reported lower levels of social isolation and loneliness after six months of participation in a community-based exercise program,” investigators concluded. The findings of the 382-participant study were published online Oct. 15 in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Community exercise classes reduce loneliness, social isolation among older adults “Madison Weller, Healio, December 10, 2020

According to Healio (12/10, Michael), even though “physician burnout is associated with increased medical errors, it is not associated with an increased risk for suicidal ideation after adjusting for depression,” investigators concluded in a study that included responses from “1,354 respondents…of whom 67.4% were non-primary care physicians, 69% were attending physicians and 60.9% were aged younger than 45 years.” The findings were published online in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Suicidal ideation in physicians linked to depression, not burnout “Erin Michael, Healio, December 10, 2020

Healio (12/10, Burba) reports, “Children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD] have experienced worsened symptoms amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” investigators concluded in a study that “distributed a questionnaire to a clinical group of 65 newly diagnosed patients at a specialized OCD clinic, as well as to a survey group of 37 previously diagnosed patients who completed primary treatment.” All participants ranged in age from seven to 21. The findings were published online Oct. 20 in BMC Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated OCD symptoms in children and adolescents “Kate Burba, Healio, December 10, 2020