Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Psychiatry for February 2017. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Strategies Suggested to Protect Practices From Hackers
TUESDAY, Feb. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Steps should be taken to protect medical practices, including small practices, from hackers, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Antidepressant Efficacy Varies for Depressive Symptom Clusters
TUESDAY, Feb. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Antidepressant treatment efficacy varies for empirically-defined clusters of symptoms, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Physician Burnout Eroding Sense of Calling
TUESDAY, Feb. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For physicians across specialties, burnout is associated with reduced odds of a sense of calling, according to a study published online Feb. 8 in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Comorbid Neuropathies Common With MCI Diagnosis
TUESDAY, Feb. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is frequently associated with comorbid neuropathologies, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in the Annals of Neurology.
AAP Offers Guidance for Treating Victims of Sexual Assault
MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Pediatricians should be comfortable with treating and screening for sexual assault, and they should know where to send their teenage patients for any additional help, according to a clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published online Feb. 27 in Pediatrics.
AAP Addresses Rising Risks to Youth From New Marijuana Laws
MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — In a clinical report published online Feb. 27 in Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers guidance to pediatricians regarding the increased dangers faced by children and teens since the legalization of marijuana in many states.
Supreme Court Rules Patient Safety Data Subject to Litigation
MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The Supreme Court of Florida has reversed a District Court of Appeal decision deeming information related to patient safety unprotected from litigation discovery, according to a report published from the American Medical Association.
Deep Brain Stimulation Beneficial in Anorexia Nervosa
MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is associated with significant improvements in affective symptoms and body mass index (BMI) in treatment-refractory anorexia nervosa, according to a study published online Feb. 23 in The Lancet.
Depressed Psoriasis Patients at Higher Risk of Psoriatic Arthritis
MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Patients with psoriasis who also have major depressive disorder may face a much higher risk for psoriatic arthritis, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
Many Patients Get Opioid Rx While Receiving Buprenorphine
MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A substantial proportion of patients with opioid use disorder fill prescriptions for non-buprenorphine opioids during and following treatment with buprenorphine, according to a study published online Feb. 23 in Addiction.
CDC: Fatal Drug Overdoses More Than Doubled Since 1999
FRIDAY, Feb. 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Drug overdose deaths have nearly tripled in the United States since 1999, with the largest increases seen for whites and middle-aged Americans, according to a February data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
$20 Million Awarded for Quality Payment Program Training
FRIDAY, Feb. 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) — About $20 million has been awarded to 11 organizations for the first of a five-year program to provide training and education about the Quality Payment Program for clinicians in individual or small group practices, with up to $80 million to be invested over the remaining four years, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Burnout Is Prevalent Among Pediatric Residents
FRIDAY, Feb. 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Burnout is prevalent among pediatric residents and is associated with suboptimal patient care attitudes and behaviors, according to research published online Feb. 23 in Pediatrics.
Internet-Based CBT Effective for Depressive Symptoms
FRIDAY, Feb. 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Self-guided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) is effective for treating adults with depressive symptoms, according to a review published online Feb. 22 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Cyberattacks Remain Serious Threat to Health Providers
THURSDAY, Feb. 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Cyberattacks remain a serious threat to small providers as well as big institutions, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Gestational Weight Gain Linked to Psychosis Risk in Children
THURSDAY, Feb. 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Gaining too little weight during pregnancy may increase the odds that offspring will develop schizophrenia later in life, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Off-Label Antidepressant Use Common, but Evidence Lacking
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Up to one-third of antidepressants are prescribed for pain, insomnia, migraine, or other unapproved uses, but just 16 percent of those off-label prescriptions are supported by strong research, according to a study published online Feb. 21 in The BMJ.
Health Information Theft a Pressing Concern for U.S. Patients
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Forty-four percent of U.S. adults are worried about having their personal health care information stolen, according to findings from the Xerox eHealth Survey published Feb. 9 in HIT Consultant.
Collaborative Care Cuts Depressive Symptoms in Seniors
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For older adults with subthreshold depression, collaborative care is associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms compared with usual care, according to a study published online Feb. 21 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
CMS Rule Set to Stabilize Small Health Insurance Markets
TUESDAY, Feb. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a rule in relation to new reforms intended to stabilize individual and small group health insurance markets for 2018.
Patients With Opioid Addiction Benefit From Tx Initiated in ER
TUESDAY, Feb. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Patients addicted to opioids treated in a hospital emergency department do better when they receive medication to reduce opioid cravings, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
AAP Policy Statement Focuses on Child Witness Well-Being
TUESDAY, Feb. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — In two policy statements published online Feb. 20 in Pediatrics, guidance is provided for safeguarding the well-being of child witnesses, and recommendations are given for pediatricians relating to expert testimony.
Policy Statement 1
Policy Statement 2
Postpartum Depressive Symptoms Fell in 2004 to 2012
TUESDAY, Feb. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — From 2004 to 2012 there was a decrease in postpartum depressive symptoms (PDS), according to research published in the Feb. 17 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
AAP Urges Doctors Not to Punish Pregnant Women for Opioid Use
MONDAY, Feb. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Prevention and treatment, not legal action, should be the focus when dealing with pregnant women who use opioids, according to a policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published online Feb. 20 in Pediatrics.
Post-Deployment Screening Has Limited Benefit in U.K. Military
MONDAY, Feb. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Post-deployment screening for mental disorders is not effective for reducing the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, or alcohol misuse among U.K. military personnel, according to a study published online Feb. 16 The Lancet.
Depression, Anxiety Prevalent in Hospice Caregivers
MONDAY, Feb. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A considerable proportion of hospice caregivers are moderately to severely depressed or have moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety, according to a study published online recently in the Journal of Palliative Medicine.
Postpartum Depression Also Affects New Fathers
FRIDAY, Feb. 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Expectant and new fathers who are in poor health or have high levels of stress are at increased risk for depression, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Delayed Development ID’d in Five Brain Regions of ADHD Patients
THURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with the delayed development of five brain regions and should be considered a brain disorder, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in The Lancet Psychiatry.
Hormone Therapy Doesn’t Appear to Protect Against Alzheimer’s
THURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Women who use hormone therapy (HT) after menopause may not have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), although there is some evidence that long-term use — over a decade — might be tied to a lower risk, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in Neurology.
Health Care Spending Expected to Grow 5.6% Annually to 2025
THURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Health care spending is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 5.6 percent from 2016 to 2025, according to a report published online Feb. 15 in Health Affairs.
MRI Can Identify Early Signs of ASD in High-Risk Infants
THURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) — By using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate size, surface area, and thickness of the cerebral cortex as an infant reaches the 6-month and 12-month marks, it may be possible to predict autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk with 90 percent accuracy, according to research published online Feb. 15 in Nature.
Evidence of CTE Identified in Former Soccer Players
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For the first time, evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in retired soccer players has been confirmed, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in Acta Neuropathologica.
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Similar Adverse Event Risk for Typical, Atypical Antipsychotics
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The risks of adverse events are similar with short-term use of typical and atypical antipsychotic medications (APMs) after cardiac surgery in seniors, according to a study published online Feb. 10 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Fatigue Occurs in ~50 Percent With Chronic Plaque Psoriasis
TUESDAY, Feb. 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) — About half of patients with chronic plaque psoriasis have fatigue, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
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Rise in Unsafe Practices Among Men Who Have Sex With Men
MONDAY, Feb. 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Men who have sex with men are much less likely to use condoms now than they were two decades ago, according to research published online Feb. 6 in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.
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Use of Multiple CNS-Affecting Drugs Increasing Among Seniors
MONDAY, Feb. 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) — There has been a sharp rise in the number of American seniors who take three or more medications that affect their central nervous system, according to a research letter published online Feb. 13 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Review Links Albuminuria to Cognitive Impairment, Dementia
MONDAY, Feb. 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Albuminuria is associated with cognitive impairment, dementia, and cognitive decline, according to a review published online Feb. 2 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Access to Naloxone Eased in Louisiana, Utah
MONDAY, Feb. 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Health officials in Utah and Louisiana have issued orders to make naloxone more widely available in an effort to prevent overdose deaths, according to a report from the American Medical Association.
Electroacupuncture Can Relieve Pain During Alcohol Withdrawal
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Electroacupuncture (EA) can alleviate hyperalgesia during ethanol withdrawal, and this effect may involve mu opioid receptors (MORs) in the habenula, according to an experimental study published online Feb. 6 in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
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Very Brief Exposure to Phobic Stimuli Beneficial in Therapy
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Exposure to phobic images without conscious awareness may be more effective than longer, conscious exposure for reducing fear, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in Human Brain Mapping.
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Clinical Massage, Guided Imagery Reduce Pain, Anxiety
FRIDAY, Feb. 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients in a progressive care unit, clinical massage and guided imagery can reduce pain and anxiety, according to a study published online Feb. 1 in Critical Care Nurse.
PTSD Risk Up in Parents of Kids With Critical Heart Defects
THURSDAY, Feb. 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Parents of children born with critical congenital heart defects may be at high risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health problems, according to research published online Feb. 1 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
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Psychostimulants May Be Helpful in Treatment of Bulimia Nervosa
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For select patients, psychostimulants may be beneficial for treating bulimia nervosa, according to a study of six cases published online Jan. 23 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
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Obese Who Self-Stigmatize May Have Higher Cardiometabolic Risk
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Attempts to shame an overweight or obese person into losing weight won’t motivate them to do so, and may even raise their risk for cardiovascular disease and other health problems, according to research published online Jan. 30 in Obesity.
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