Mental Health

Top news of the week from Pharmacy Times.

A recent study shows an unintended increase from 20% to 60% in the proportion of depressed youth without antidepressant treatment.

One in 4 adults reported a change in alcohol use almost immediately after stay-at-home orders were issued during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Investigators found a link between the sleep quality of mother and child related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Higher rates of mental health symptoms were found among younger respondents, those who identified themselves as female, and those who reported having a pre-existing mental health condition.

The highest increase in remote delivery of mental health care was reported in those working in outpatient facilities and in women.

Survey shows that having a pet was linked to maintaining better mental health and reduced loneliness, with 90% of the 6000 participants from the UK saying they had at least 1 pet.

A combination treatment was found to be associated with significantly less weight gain and smaller increases in waist circumference than treatment with olanzapine alone.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Keri Donaldson, medical director and CEO of Prescient Medicine, about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the opioid epidemic in the United States.

News consumption was found to be an especially strong predicative factor for acute stress and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In June 2020, 56% of people over 50 years of age said they sometimes or often felt isolated from others, more than double the 27% who felt this way in a similar poll in 2018.

Discontinuation of antidepressants should take place gradually, as abrupt stoppage or marked reduction in the dosage of an antidepressant is frequently associated with adverse effects (AEs), such as withdrawal symptoms.

A study of Chinese women found COVID-19 heightened stress, fear, and depression during pregnancy.

Research suggests that those with progressive multiple sclerosis may have adjusted more effectively to lockdown conditions.

The results of the study found that adults who experienced 4 common symptoms of anxiety and depression have upwards of 2 times greater risk of delaying medical care or not receiving needed non-COVID-19 medical care amidst the pandemic.

The study evaluated whether conditions such as depression in adolescence are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood.

How would you respond to these patients?

This is the first study to systematically investigate whether individual blood pressure medications might influence the risk of developing depression, according to the authors.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Google searches for anxiety have climbed 17%.

Abdominal weight gain during the postmenopausal period is associated with the use of antidepressants, beta-blockers, and insulin during the menopause transition.

Patients with peripheral artery disease and depressive symptoms experience worse recovery than patients without depressive symptoms.

Top news of the week from Pharmacy Times®.

New research indicates a need to understand the mental health impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Helath care workers report higher levels of stress, anxiety, and fatigue, as well as reduced feelings of control over their lives, as a result of COVID-19.

Mental health first aid training is being incorporated into pharmacy curricula to address suicide prevention and other crises.