Online Gambling Addictions Jump; NYC Psychiatrist Arrested
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— News and commentary from the psychiatry world
Another adverse outcome from the pandemic: uptick in online gambling addictions. (Healthline)
Immunodeficiencies and autoimmune diseases associated with higher risk for psychiatric disorders including suicidality. (JAMA Psychiatry)
Far more LGBTQ individuals with substance abuse issues also have a comorbid psychiatric disorder compared with heterosexual peers. "The differences for women are more striking," said lead author Rebecca Evans-Polce, PhD, of the University of Michigan School of Nursing in a statement. (American Journal of Psychiatry)
Roughly 70% of people who purchased a firearm during the COVID-19 pandemic said they have experienced suicidal ideations at some point in their lives. "While this does not guarantee an increase in suicide rates, it represents an unusually large surge in risk made more troubling by the fact that firearms purchased during COVID-19 may remain in homes beyond the pandemic," said lead author Michael Anestis, PhD, executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. (American Journal of Preventive Medicine)
A Manhattan-based psychiatrist was arrested this week on charges of selling benzodiazepine and stimulant scripts for cash. (New York Post)
A recent survey of British children and adolescents found more than half expressed anxiety over the environment. (The Guardian)
A 339-person study linked anxiety with more rapid cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. "The geriatric population is routinely screened for depression in many hospitals, but perhaps this vulnerable population should also be assessed for anxiety disorders," said study first author Jenny Ulber, a medical student at Medical University of South Carolina, in a statement. The study is to be reported at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting next week.
Contraceptives -- including hormonal or non-hormonal options -- often support rather than hurt a women's overall mental health. (American Journal of Psychiatry)
