In recent years, the field of psychiatry has seen significant changes in terms of telehealth appointments and the prevalence of mental health conditions. In 2021, telehealth appointments accounted for 43.2% of visits to psychiatrists, compared to only 4.5% of visits to other physicians (Annals of Internal Medicine). Additionally, research presented in the JAMA Health Forum revealed that one in three U.S. adults knew someone who had died from a drug overdose.
One area where there has been a lot of attention is the treatment of schizophrenia. A 29-study meta-analysis showed that individuals with schizophrenia had lower bone mineral density at the lumbar spine and femoral neck, as well as a higher risk of fractures (Translational Psychiatry). However, there are also legal issues surrounding mental health that have been making headlines recently. For example, a 91-year-old psychiatrist and former associate of Jeffrey Epstein is facing a lawsuit for allegedly coercing a woman into sexual servitude (Reuters).
Another important aspect to consider is the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among college students. Research from the JAMA Network Open found that the prevalence had more than doubled between 2017 and 2022. The terminology used to describe mental illness has also evolved over time, moving away from terms like “disease” and “disturbance” towards “psychiatric” and “mental health” (PLOS Mental Health). This shift in language reflects an increased focus on treating mental health as an ongoing condition rather than a one-time event or diagnosis.
Despite initial promise, Otsuka Pharmaceutical has decided to discontinue its investigational treatment for Alzheimer’s disease-related agitation, AVP-786, following disappointing results in a late-stage study (Nature Medicine). However, there are also promising treatments being developed for other mental health conditions. For example, researchers have discovered that teenagers diagnosed with internet addiction show disrupted signaling between brain regions that are crucial for attention control (PLOS Mental Health).
In efforts to expand access to mental health care, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has included 10 new states to a Medicaid behavioral health program (JAMA Psychiatry). Additionally, two forms of psychotherapy – cognitive-behavioral therapy and emotion-focused therapy – were found to be equally effective in preventing the recurrence of new bipolar episodes according to research published in JAMA Psychiatry.
Kristen Monaco covers news related to endocrinology, psychiatry
