Reuters (7/18, Rapaport) reports researchers found that “people who have recently used cannabis may be more likely to experience memory deficits or difficulties with cognitive function than those who don’t use the drug.” The findings were published in the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience.

Related Links:

— “Recent cannabis use tied to memory deficits, slowed mental processing, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, July 18, 2019

Kaiser Health News (7/18, Knight) reports mental health clinicians are now seeing an increasing number of people “with anxiety or depression related to climate change and the Earth’s future.” Even though “it is not an official clinical diagnosis, the psychiatric and psychological communities have names for the phenomenon: ‘climate distress,’ ‘climate grief,’ ‘climate anxiety’ or ‘eco-anxiety.’” A therapist interviewed for the piece “said the No. 1 action he recommends is sharing these concerns with others, whether a counselor, psychiatrist, family, friends or an activist group.” For some people, “personal action is a way to take control of a situation in which you feel powerless, said” psychiatrist Elizabeth Haase, MD, “at Carson Tahoe Health in Carson City, Nev.”

Related Links:

— “‘Climate Grief’: Fears About The Planet’s Future Weigh On Americans’ Mental Health, “Victoria Knight, Kaiser Health News, July 18, 2019

Medscape (7/18, Anderson, Subscription Publication) reports researchers found that “older female veterans who have alcohol use disorder (AUD) are at a threefold increased risk of developing dementia compared to their counterparts without AUD.” The findings were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Related Links:

— “Heavy Alcohol Use May Triple Dementia Risk, “Pauline Anderson, Medscape, July 18, 2019

MD Magazine (7/18, Walter) reports that even though antipsychotic medications “are considered the preferred treatment for schizophrenia, it is unclear which agent should ultimately be used to treat the disorder.” Now, German researchers “are hoping to provide a baseline guide outlining the risks and rewards after completing a network meta-analysis of placebo-controlled and head-to-head randomized controlled trials, comparing 32 antipsychotics including clozapine, levomepromazine, amisulpride, brexpiprazole, flupentixol, and sulpiride.” The review revealed that “there are some efficacy differences between antipsychotics, but most of them are gradual rather than discrete,” whereas “differences in side-effects are more marked.” The findings of the 402-study, 53,463-participant review were published online July 11 in The Lancet.

Related Links:

— “Study Distinguishes Schizophrenia Drug Effects Among Patients, “Kenny Walter, MD Magazine, July 18, 2019

Reuters (7/17, Mathias) reports, “Men who experience domestic violence and abuse often don’t seek help until the problem becomes a crisis,” researchers concluded after reviewing “12 previous studies of male victims of domestic abuse or violence.” Investigators found that “men tend to worry they would not be believed, or that they would be perceived as less masculine if they reported abuse.” The review’s findingswere published online in the BMJ Open.

Related Links:

— “Male victims of domestic violence struggle to disclose abuse, “Tamara Mathias, Reuters, July 17, 2019