Medscape (1/26, Melville) reports that “increasing evidence shows a bidirectional” association “between psychological stress and physical disease, as underscored in” research “linking posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to cancer as well as acute cardiovascular disease and stroke, according to two articles published in” The Lancet. In one study, investigators “outline the evidence supporting the role of PTSD as a potentially causative factor as well as a consequential factor in cardiovascular disease.” In the other “article, a qualitative review of PTSD and cancer, the authors report that studies involving various cancer types, including lung and breast cancer, show rates of traumatization and stress symptoms in approximately 37% to 60% of cancer survivors.”

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— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

Medscape (1/26, Anderson) reports, “Getting a divorce increases the risk of developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD) by more than sevenfold for women and almost sixfold for men,” researchers found after identifying and then following “942,366 individuals born in Sweden between 1960 and 1990 who were married and residing with their spouse in or after 1990 and who had no AUD prior to marriage.” The findings were published online Jan. 20 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

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— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

MedPage Today (1/25, Duggal) reports that data from “a large federal survey” indicates that “office visits during 2012-2013 by children with a primary diagnosis of ADHD reached an annual average of 6.1 million, equating to a rate of 105 per 1,000 children ages 4 to 17.” The article notes that “the majority of these visits were not with a psychiatrist,” which may be attributable to an “unequal distribution of specialists around the country,” particularly in rural areas.

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— “6 Million Visits for ADHD by U.S. Kids Each Year,”Neel A. Duggal, MedPage Today, January 25, 2017.

The New York Times (1/25, Reynolds, Subscription Publication) reports in “Well” that “when people get up and move, even a little, they tend to be happier than when they are still,” researchers found in a large study after using “cellphone data to track activities and moods.” Overall, investigators found that “people who move are more content than people who sit.” The Times also points out, “Epidemiological studies have found…that people who exercise or otherwise are active typically are less prone to depression and anxiety than sedentary people.” The findings were published online Jan. 4 in PLOS One.

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— “Get Up and Move. It May Make You Happier,”Gretchen Reynolds, The New York Times, January 25, 2017.

HealthDay (1/25, Preidt) reports that research suggests “anxiety and depression may increase the risk of death from certain cancers,” including “colon, esophageal, pancreatic and prostate cancers and leukemia.” Investigators came to this conclusion after looking at data from 16 “studies that included more than 163,000 people.” The findings were published in the BMJ.

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— “Mental Health May Affect Chances Against Cancer,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, January 25, 2017.