NPR (11/11, Aubrey) reports on a review study published in JAMA Internal Medicine that examined the efficacy of “mind-body interventions” on chronic pain. The researchers reviewed “60 studies that included about 6,400 participants” that “evaluated a range of strategies, including meditation, guided imagery, hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy.” Eric Garland, a professor at the University of Utah and one of the study’s authors, said, “Mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy and clinical hypnosis appear to be the most useful for reducing pain.”

Related Links:

— “Meditation Reduced The Opioid Dose She Needs To Ease Chronic Pain By 75%, “Allison Aubrey, NPR, November 11, 2019

The Wall Street Journal (11/11, Petersen, Subscription Publication) reports that study abroad programs are emerging as one of the most difficult areas for universities to manage, as more students struggle with mental health issues. To address the issue, schools are working with host families to identify problems and helping set up accommodations that students are accustomed to so they can adjust to new environments more easily.

Related Links:

— “Junior Year Abroad, With Help From Your Therapist, “Andrea Petersen, The Wall Street Journal, November 11, 2019

The Washington Post (11/8, Wan) reports, “Leading medical authorities argue the United States could reduce” its “skyrocketing” suicide “rates with a relatively simple solution by screening for suicide in health clinics and” emergency departments (EDs). According to the Post, “Universal screening entails asking everyone visiting a primary care clinic or” ED “whether they are having suicidal thoughts, and if so, following up with brief interventions such as telephone counseling and referrals for additional treatment.”

Related Links:

— “A few simple questions could help doctors stem the suicide epidemic, “William Wan, The Washington Post, November 8, 2019

In a greater than 1,700-word piece, the New York Times (11/11, Carey) reports on the increasing rates of “cutting and other forms of self-injury…among adolescents.” Currently, “there are very few dedicated research centers for self-harm, and even fewer clinics specializing in treatment,” and “because self-injury is considered a ‘symptom,’ and not a stand-alone diagnosis like depression, the testing of treatments has been haphazard and therapists have little evidence to draw on.” Some experts posit that “people who become dependent on self-harm often come to treasure it as their one reliable comfort.” Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) appears to be “the one treatment that appears to be most effective for breaking the habit of self-harm,” according to an 800-participant study published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Getting a Handle on Self-Harm, “Benedict Carey, The New York Times, November 11, 2019

According to experts, a “culture shift toward openness, from the C-suite on down,” is the most effective employee assistance program, Reuters (11/8, Pinsker) reported. “That translates to peer counseling, colleagues sharing their experiences and open dialogue.” Reuters added that “many companies also turn to web-based mindfulness apps,” which “are helpful to those without access to in-person counseling.”

Related Links:

— “Culture change is the cutting edge of mental health benefits at work, “Beth Pinsker, Reuters , November 8, 2019