MedPage Today (9/30, George) reports researchers conducted “a survey of dementia caregivers,” and found that the quality of life for patients with dementia “improved over 12 months with team-based telephone and Internet support.” The results were published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (9/30, Reinberg) reports, “If a mother is depressed, her young children might be at risk for hyperactivity, aggressiveness and anxiety,” research indicated. The study also found that “a father’s depression only affected kids if mom was also depressed.” The findings were published online Sept. 30 in CMAJ. The article does not mention the number of children in the study.

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— “Depressed Moms, More Anxious, Troubled Kids?, ” Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, September 30, 2019

The NPR (9/30, Smith) “Shots” blog reports, “The American Academy of Pediatrics issued new guidelines on” Sept. 30 “that uphold the central role of medication, accompanied by behavioral therapy, in” the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) in children and teens. But, “some parents, doctors and researchers who study kids with” AD/HD “say they are disappointed that the new guidelines don’t recommend behavioral treatment first for more children, as some recent research has suggested might lead to better outcomes.” But, “a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics’ ADHD Clinical Practice Guidelines Subcommittee says the group reviewed the recent ‘behavior first’ research but didn’t find the evidence strong enough to warrant a change in the guidelines.” Still, both the AAP “and its critics agree that not enough children are currently getting adequate behavioral treatment.”

HealthDay (9/30, Gordon) reports that Mark Wolraich, MD, “lead author of the guidelines, noted that there weren’t any dramatic differences between these and previous guidelines,” However, “he said, these latest updates keep the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines in sync with the same diagnostic and treatment criteria used by child and adolescent psychiatrists.” The guidelines were published online in Pediatrics.

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— “Pediatricians Stand By Meds For ADHD, But Some Say Therapy Should Come First, “Alex Smith, NPR, September 30, 2019

Newsweek (9/27, Gander) reported that the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers with Follow-Up (M-CHAT/F), “the most widely used screening tool for” autism spectrum disorder (ASD) “is not as accurate as hoped,” researchers concluded after examining the “electronic health records of 25,999 patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a network encompassing 31 pediatric primary care sites in Pennsylvania and New Jersey,” all of whom underwent M-CHAT/F screening.

Medscape (9/27, Hackethal, Subscription Publication) reported the study revealed that “as conducted, universal screening detected only 38.8% of children who were eventually diagnosed with ASD, and only 14.6% of children who initially screened positive truly had ASD.” What’s more, “accuracy was even lower for minority children, as well as those from homes with lower incomes.” The findings were published online in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Test For Autism Fails Major Hurdle: ‘We Need To Work A Lot Harder To Develop Screening Tools For Autism’, “Kashmira Gander, Newsweek, September 27, 2019

Reuters (9/27, Rapaport) reported, “People who work night shifts or varied schedules that disrupt their sleep may be more likely to develop depression than individuals with 9-to-5 jobs,” researchers concluded after examining “data from seven previously published studies of work schedules and mental health involving a total of 28,438 participants.” The findings were published online Sept. 19 in the American Journal of Public Health.

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— “Shift work tied to poor mental health, “Shift work tied to poor mental health, Reuters, September 27, 2019