HealthDay (12/9) reports, “COVID-19 may be behind a concerning rise in the number of women suffering anxiety and depression before and soon after childbirth, a new study says.” Researchers “surveyed more than 1,100 pregnant and postpartum women between May 21 and Aug. 17,” and “found that 36%, or more than 1 in 3, had significant levels of depression,” while “prior to the pandemic, rates of perinatal depression were about 15% to 20%.” The research was published online in Psychiatry Research.

Related Links:

— “COVID Fuels Depression Among Pregnant Women, New Moms “Cara Murez, HealthDay, December 9, 2020

Medscape (12/8, Yasgur, Subscription Publication) reports that research indicates “individuals experiencing a current episode of major depressive disorder (MDD) are significantly more likely to have insulin resistance (IR).” Researchers “found patients with MDD were 51% more likely to have IR compared with their counterparts without the depressive disorder.” Additionally, “in individuals experiencing current depression, IR was…associated with depression severity and depression chronicity.” The findings were published online December 2 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (12/8) reports, “Women with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are at an increased risk of death compared with women without trauma exposure or depression,” investigators concluded after analyzing “data collected from participants in the Nurses’ Health Study II,” which “involves 116,429 women who enrolled in 1989 at ages 25 to 42 years and are followed-up biennially.” The findings were published online in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “PTSD, Depression May Increase Risk of Death in Women, Psychiatric News, December 8, 2020

Healio (12/8, Gramigna) reports, “Gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals had more adverse childhood experiences than their heterosexual counterparts in the United States,” investigators concluded after analyzing “data collected in households via structured diagnostic face-to-face interviews of 36,309 U.S. adults aged 18 years or older who were included in the 2012 to 2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III.” The study revealed “the highest prevalence of adverse sexual experiences and comorbid substance use and mental health disorders among gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals, especially bisexual women.” The findings were published online in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Gay, lesbian, bisexual individuals have higher rates of adverse childhood experiences “Joe Gramigna, Healio, December 8, 2020

Healio (12/8, Gramigna) reports, “The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the mental health of” healthcare workers on the front line, “survey results released by Mental Health America” indicate. The online survey garnered responses from 1,119 healthcare workers, revealing that 93% of them “reported experiencing stress, 86% reported experiencing anxiety, 77% reported frustration, 76% reported exhaustion and burnout and 75% reported feeling overwhelmed.” Click here to see the full breakdown of the survey’s findings.

Related Links:

— “Survey shows significant mental health burden on frontline care workers during pandemic “Joe Gramigna, Healio, December 8, 2020