Good mental health can lead to better heart health, including lower blood pressure, cholesterol, better glucose control, and less inflammation, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association. “A person’s mind, heart and body are all interconnected and interdependent in what can be termed ‘the mind-heart-body-connection,'” said the chair of the document’s writing committee, Glenn Levine, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, in a statement. (Circulation)
Within 6 months of a COVID-19 diagnosis, roughly one in eight people developed their first psychiatric or neurological condition, according to a pre-peer-reviewed study. (The Guardian)
Not surprisingly, alcohol use spiked during the early months of the pandemic, and particularly among people with pre-existing depression and anxiety. (Preventive Medicine)
And opioid-related overdose deaths also surged during the pandemic, increasing more than 50% in Black Philadelphians. (JAMA Network Open)
However, another study in JAMA Network Open found stable suicide rates during the stay-at-home advisory in Massachusetts.
Looking to increase mental agility? Try an afternoon nap. (General Psychiatry)
The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the same screening tool used to pick up on postpartum depression, can also be useful early in pregnancy. (Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica)
A review of 33 trials found that serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants offered little relief from back pain. (The BMJ)
Source: MedicalNewsToday.com
