Healio (4/28, Gramigna) reports, “Among matched full and half siblings at high risk for major depression, those raised in adoptive homes had a significantly reduced risk compared with those raised in their home environment,” researchers concluded after identifying “a Swedish national sample of 666 high-risk full sibships and 2,596 high-risk half sibships that contained at least one adopted-away sibling and one home-reared sibling and used national medical registries to assess major depression.” For study purposes, investigators then “defined high risk as having at least one biological parent with major depression.”

Psychiatric News (4/28) reports, “The environment in which a child is raised may influence his or her risk of developing depression later in life,” researchers concluded in a study that revealed that “compared with home-reared full and half siblings, children who had been adopted had a 23% and 19% decreased risk of major depression,” a conclusion that may “demonstrate the strong impact of the rearing environment on risk for major depression.” The findings were published online April 28 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Adoption may significantly decrease major depression risk among high-risk youth, “Joe Gramigna, Healio, April 28, 2020

HealthDay (4/27, Norton) reports research suggests the movie “Joker” stoked “prejudices against people with mental illnesses.” After randomizing “164 adults to watch either ‘Joker’ or the movie ‘Terminator: Dark Fate,’” investigators “found that shortly after viewing “Joker,” moviegoers showed an uptick in negative feelings toward” people with mental illnesses, while “there was no such change among people who saw a film that was similarly violent, but had no depiction of mental illness.” The findings were published online April 24 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Did the Movie ‘Joker’ Reinforce Prejudice Against Mentally Ill?,  “Amy Norton, HealthDay, April 27, 2020

MD Magazine (4/27, Walter) reports NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow spoke at the American Psychiatric Association Spring Highlights Meeting 2020 about the risk of coronavirus infection for people with substance abuse disorders. Dr. Volkow “said because of the COVID-19 pandemic there is concern over a surge and increase in drug use.” Dr. Volkow compared the lung pathologies seen in some coronavirus cases to those seen in people with vaping-associated lung injuries. Dr. Volkow also said that some people with substance use disorder may be at increased risk for the transmission of other infectious diseases for certain groups.

Related Links:

— “Substance Abuse Disorders Particularly Concerning During COVID-19 Pandemic, “Kenny Walter, MD Magazine, April 27, 2020

Healio (4/27, Gramigna) reports that even though “substance use is less prevalent among pregnant women than nonpregnant women, use during pregnancy has significant adverse effects on maternal, as well as fetal, neonatal and childhood health outcomes, according to” a presentation given by Kimberly Yonkers, MD, director of psychological medicine and the Center for Wellbeing of Women and Mothers at Yale School of Medicine, at the American Psychiatric Association Spring Highlights Meeting. In addition, “the legalization of cannabis…has directly affected pregnant women, since this population has exhibited significant preconception, prenatal and postpartum prevalence rates, according to Yonkers.” Finally, “maternal nicotine use also presents significant perinatal risks, including fetal growth restriction, ectopic pregnancy, placental disorders and fetal or infant death, Yonkers said.”

Related Links:

— “The landscape of perinatal substance use: Prevalence, outcomes and interventions, “Joe Gramigna, Healio, April 27, 2020

MD Magazine (4/25, Kunzmann) reported, “In a virtual presentation as part of the American Psychiatric Association…Spring Highlights Meeting 2020, Kimberly A. Yonkers, MD, of the Yale University School of Medicine, discussed national data-based understandings of substance use among” pregnant women. In her presentation, Dr. “Yonkers also appealed for the implementation of both universal and health equity approaches to addressing the prevalence of such cases.” In addition, she “called for understanding that, though substance use remains lower among pregnant women than those who are not pregnant, it is a severely detrimental risk to both the mother’s and child’s long-term health, and a combination of care team collaboration and proven therapies should be prepared to address it.”

Related Links:

— “Treating, Understanding Substance Use in Pregnant Women, “Kevin Kunzmann, MD Magazine , April 25, 2020