HealthDay (7/28, Norton) reports researchers found in a large study that “people with a history of concussion may face increased risks” for certain psychiatric and neurological diseases. The researchers “found that those who suffered a concussion were more likely to develop any of several conditions, including: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD); depression or anxiety; Parkinson’s disease; or dementia.” These “risks were roughly 40% to 70% higher, compared to people who did not sustain a concussion during the 25-year study period.” The findings were published in Family Medicine and Community Health.

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— “Concussion Ups Odds for Many Brain Conditions, “Amy Norton, HealthDay, July 28, 2020

Newsweek (7/28, Gander) reports investigators have linked “traces of the chemical lithium in drinking water…to lower suicide rates” by examining data from “15 existing ecological studies related to lithium and suicide.” The findings of the systematic review were published online July 27 in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Traces of Lithuim in Drinking Water May Have ‘Anti-Suicidal Effect’, “Kashmira Gander, Newsweek, July 28, 2020

Psychiatric News (7/28) reports the “trauma and unpredictability” of the COVID-19 pandemic may “add stress in the lives of vulnerable children, including those who are abused, maltreated, and/or have a mental illness.” For that reason, “there is much that can be learned from such stress to help vulnerable families in the future, according to” a viewpoint published online July 27 in JAMA Pediatrics. The viewpoint’s authors “advised researchers to carefully assess parents and children over time about family exposure to the pandemic and COVID-19–associated losses/strains, including the loss of housing, increased family conflict, and/or separation from a parent or the death of loved one.” The viewpoint’s authors concluded, “[L]essons from COVID-19 have the potential to deepen rather than diminish the research agenda on adverse early experiences among children and families.”

Related Links:

— “Lessons From Pandemic Could Advance Understanding of How Best to Support Vulnerable Families, Psychiatric News, July 28, 2020

MedPage Today (7/27, Hlavinka) reports that a national survey indicates that “as COVID-19 infections ravaged the country from March to June, parent and child well-being felt the ripple effects.” Among the more than 1,000 “parents who responded to the survey, 26.9% said their mental health had worsened, 14.3% said their children’s behavioral health had declined, and 9.6% said both their mental health and their children’s behavioral health had slumped.” The survey also found that “nearly half of these families reporting declines in parental and child well-being lost access to childcare (47.6%), and food insecurity also rose across the study period.” The findings were published in Pediatrics.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (7/27) reports, “Last week, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar formally renewed the agency’s determination that the COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency,” an extension that “keeps many regulatory changes and waivers relevant to psychiatrists – such as relaxed telemedicine restrictions – in effect for the time being.” In a letter (PDF) sent to Azar, APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, MD, MPA, wrote, “APA recently surveyed its membership to understand the impact of easing telehealth regulations on practice during the PHE [public health emergency],” finding “a major shift to the use of telehealth after the PHE was declared.” Dr. Levin continued, “These survey results mirror national research on telehealth that show improved access to care, reduced no-show rates, and a high rate of patient satisfaction.”

Related Links:

— “HHS Renews Declaration of Public Health Emergency for COVID-19, Psychiatric News, July 27, 2020