HealthDay (3/11, Norton) reports loneliness among young adults appears to be “common – and it is a particular problem for people aged 18 to 24,” researchers concluded after surveying some 1,235 “patients at primary care offices.” The study revealed that “loneliness was most common among patients younger than 25 – with one-third reporting those feelings. In contrast, that was true for only 11 percent of adults older than 65.” The findings were published in the March/April issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

Related Links:

— “1 in 3 Young Adults Suffers From Loneliness in U.S., “Amy Norton, HealthDay, March 11, 2019

Healio (3/11, Demko) reports, “Adults with atopic dermatitis, or eczema, have significantly higher rates of anxiety and depression than those without dermatitis,” researchers concluded after investigating “the connection between atopic dermatitis and anxiety and depression symptoms/diagnosis in 2,893 U.S. adults.” The study also revealed, however, that “these mental health conditions are often not diagnosed in these patients.” The findings were published online in the British Journal of Dermatology.

Related Links:

— “Eczema tied to anxiety, depression, “Savannah Demko, Healio, March 11, 2019

Reuters (3/8, Rapaport) reported, “Social media posts about suicide games may spread for months online before mainstream media reports help alert parents to the potential threat,” researchers concluded after collecting “95,555 social media posts and news articles about the blue whale challenge” across “social media and mainstream news outlets from 2013 to 2017.” The study revealed that “by the time the first U.S. news article about this suicide game appeared, the game had been circulating in English language social media posts for four months and in other languages for nine months.” The findings were published online Feb. 26 in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Related Links:

— “Social Media Posts About Suicide Games May Spread For Months Online Before Mainstream Media Reports Help Alert Parents To The Potential Threat, Study Indicates, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, March 08, 2019

Reuters (3/6, Rapaport) reports researchers found that “people who suffer from a common chronic sinus disorder may be more likely than those who don’t to develop depression and anxiety.” The findings were published in JAMA Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery. In an accompany commentary, Dr. Edward McCoul, the director of rhinology and sinus surgery at the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, wrote that rhinosinusitis may release neurotransmitters that contribute to psychiatric issues.

Related Links:

— “Sinus problems tied to higher risk of depression, anxiety, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, March 06, 2019

CNN (3/6, Scutti) reports a study found “children born to women who had a severe infection during pregnancy, such as sepsis, flu or pneumonia, show an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder and depression.” The study found elevated risks for autism and depression in minor infections as well, such as urinary tract infection. The population study looked at medical records for almost two million women over 41 years in Sweden. The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.

MedPage Today (3/6, Hlavinka) reports “children of mothers hospitalized for any infection during pregnancy had a higher risk for diagnoses of autism by age 7 (HR 1.79, 95% CI 1.34-2.40) and depression by age 21 (HR 1.24 95% CI 1.08-1.42) compared to those of mothers with no such infection history.” Moreover, “for autism, the association did not appear to be affected by the severity of maternal infection.” The study received funding from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Related Links:

— “Exposure to infection in the womb increases risk of autism and depression, study says, “Susan Scutti, CNN, March 06, 2019