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.

Related Links:

— “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.

Related Links:

— “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.

Related Links:

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

USA Today (1/24) columnist Steven Petrow writes that mental health mobile apps are a great idea that could potentially help many people with mental health problems get the treatment they need, but that many of the apps still have problems. Petrow shares his experience with one such app, Talkspace, and explains why he is concerned about the therapists on the app, and also whether the app does enough to protect patients’ privacy. Petrow mentions that the American Psychiatric Association has developed a model for evaluating such apps.

Related Links:

— “Text-based therapy is not ready for prime time,”Steven Petrow, USA Today, January 24, 2017.

In a greater than 1,200-word piece, Scientific American (1/24) reports, “As many as 46 states have now enacted measures for” assisted outpatient treatment (AOT), “and these policies have garnered support from organizations including the American Psychiatric Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.” Nevertheless, “these laws are often underutilized,” partly due to a lack of “trained personnel and underfunding, but fierce opposition to AOT plays a part.” Some critics of AOT contend that the treatment “infringes on patients’ rights and harkens [sic] back to the days of asylums.”

Related Links:

— “How Community Mental Health Care Can Make a Major Difference,”Nathaniel P. Morris, Scientific American, January 24, 2017.