Psychiatric News (8/14) reported, “Yoga may help relieve symptoms for patients with generalized anxiety disorder [GAD], but group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) should remain a first-line treatment,” investigators concluded after comparing “the six-month response rates of 155 patients who were randomized to 12 weeks of Kundalini yoga, CBT, or education about stress.” The findings were published online Aug. 12 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Yoga May Help Relieve Anxiety Symptoms, But CBT Is More Effective, Psychiatric News, August 14, 2020

The AP (8/16) reports that Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) and Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) are working on proposed legislation(PDF) that “would create mental health telemedicine services for veterans in rural parts of the country.” The bipartisan “bill would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to create programs at three VA facilities that use computerized cognitive behavioral therapy to treat veterans who suffer from conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.”

Related Links:

— “US reps eye mental health telemedicine for rural veterans, AP, August 16, 2020

NPR (8/13, Mann) reports “drug overdoses are spiking during the coronavirus pandemic, rising by roughly 18%,” according to data from the University of Baltimore’s Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP). Aliese Alter, ODMAP program manager, said, “Overdose clusters have shifted from traditional centralized urban locations to adjacent and surrounding suburban and rural areas.” The AMA “has also raised alarms about the link between COVID-19, addiction and drug overdoses, particularly in Black and Latinx communities.” Dr. Patrice Harris, the head of the AMA’s opioid task force, said “This pandemic has brought into stark reality many things.”

Related Links:

— “U.S. Sees Deadly Drug Overdose Spike During Pandemic, “Brian Mann, NPR, August 13, 2020

Modern Healthcare (8/13, Livingston, Subscription Publication) reports, “Employers and other commercial payers spend little on behavioral health treatment, even though people with behavioral health conditions tend to have higher healthcare costs than those who don’t,” investigators “from the consulting firm Milliman” concluded after analyzing “commercial insurance claims for 21 million people.” The study revealed that “behavioral health treatment was meager, accounting for a fraction – 4.4% – of total healthcare costs across the 21 million people.” Click here to see the findings. Commenting on the study, Jeffrey Geller, MD, “president of the American Psychiatric Association, which is part of a private-sector initiative called The Path Forward for Mental Health and Substance Use, which commissioned the study,” stated, “It’s almost unimaginable how small a percentage of money went toward psychiatric care and treatment.”

Related Links:

— “Behavioral health patients spur 57% of commercial healthcare spending, “Shelby Livingston, Modern Healthcare, August 13, 2020

USA Today (8/13, Dastagir) reports the coronavirus pandemic “is having a significant impact on Americans’ mental health, according to a new survey (8/13)” from the CDC. The CDC survey “found elevated levels of symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders, substance use and suicidal ideation among U.S. adults, and identified populations at increased risk, including young people, racial and ethnic minorities, essential workers and caregivers of adults.”

The Hill (8/13, Wilson) reports according to the survey, 41% “of Americans said they were suffering from one or more symptoms of serious mental health problems.” Around 13% “said they were drinking or using drugs more because of the stress of the pandemic,” and almost 11% “said they had seriously considered suicide in the last month, including more than a quarter of those between the ages of 18 and 24 years old.”

HealthDay (8/13, Mundell) also covers the survey.

Related Links:

— “The pandemic is taking a toll on Americans’ mental health. A new CDC study shows who we need to worry about most, “Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY, August 13, 2020