Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Scientists Find 12 Genetic Variations Linked To Suicide Attempt Risks
Fox News: Suicide And Genetics: Study Identifies 12 DNA Variations That Could Increase The Risk
Researchers from the University of Utah Health have identified 12 genetic variations that are linked to a higher risk of suicide attempts, according to a study published this month in The American Journal of Psychiatry. Scientists across several hospitals conducted a worldwide analysis of almost one million people across 22 different populations. ... Then they identified the genetic variations that were more common among the 43,871 people who attempted suicide. (Rudy, 10/20)
American Homefront Project: After A Series Of Suicides, USS George Washington Returns To Sea With More Mental Health Care
Capt. William Mathis, the second in command of the USS George Washington, walked the carrier's flight deck in mid-September. The ship was operating off the coast of Florida to stay out of the path of Hurricane Lee. Talking with reporters, Mathis recalled the feeling on board when a sailor died by suicide Jan. 23. “The captain cried, I cried, as he was a member of our family,” Mathis said. “It was very difficult. And it will never be easy to deal with the death of one of our sailors, one of our teammates.” (Walsh, 10/19)
If you are in need of help —
Dial 9-8-8 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential.
More on depression, stress, and mental health —
The Washington Post: Sleeping Less Associated With Symptoms Of Depression, Study Finds
Short sleepers — those who regularly get five or fewer hours of sleep at night — may be at a higher risk of developing depression symptoms, according to a study published Thursday. Researchers examined the health data of 7,146 individuals, age 50 and older in England, and found that older adults who sleep five or fewer hours a night — either because of a genetic predisposition or other reasons — were more likely to show signs of depression years later. The researchers followed the study participants for an average of eight years. (Amenabar, 10/19)
The Washington Post: Depression After Weaning Can Be A Serious Concern For Some New Moms
While postpartum depression is relatively well studied, with the Food and Drug Administration recently approving a new drug for its treatment, a similar condition that affects new mothers — known as postweaning depression — has almost no research dedicated to it. Postweaning depression occurs during or after the cessation of breastfeeding and is thought to result from a subsequent drop in hormone levels. Symptoms can include anxiety, hopelessness, irritability and insomnia. It is unclear how many women may have or be at risk of postweaning depression because research is limited. (Kim, 10/19)
Orlando Sentinel: These Florida Researchers Are Giving Depressed, Anxious People Psychedelics
A therapy session with Patricia Brown starts like any other. She leads her clients into a peaceful, quiet room, draped in beige and generic, calming artwork. Then her clients lie down, close their eyes, put on a blindfold and headphones, and trip for six hours on psilocybin, the psychoactive chemical found in magic mushrooms. ... These treatments could have untapped potential for helping the estimated one in three people with treatment-resistant depression, ... said Brown. The clinical trial she’s working on right now targets this group. (Catherman, 10/19)
The Washington Post: How Stress Weathers Our Bodies, Causing Illness And Premature Aging
Physicians and public health experts have pointed to one culprit time and again when asked why Americans live shorter lives than peers in nations with similar resources, especially people felled by chronic diseases in the prime of life: stress. A cardiologist, endocrinologist, obesity specialist, health economist and social epidemiologists all said versions of the same thing: Striving to get ahead in an unequal society contributes to people in the United States aging quicker, becoming sicker and dying younger. (Johnson and Gomez, 10/17)
Roll Call: As 2024 Nears, Advocates Push For Caregiving As Campaign Issue
Family caregivers are seeking to make their plight a 2024 campaign issue after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the lack of support for the more than 53 million people who provide unpaid care to parents, spouses, friends and disabled children. Exhausted from shortages of workers who help care for people who need it and the rising costs of caregiving, advocates argue caregivers could become a powerful voting bloc in next year’s elections. (Hellmann, 10/19)
KFF Health News: Let’s Have An Honest Conversation About What To Expect As You Age
How many of us have wanted a reliable, evidence-based guide to aging that explains how our bodies and minds change as we grow older and how to adapt to those differences? Creating a work of this kind is challenging. For one thing, aging gradually alters people over decades, a long period shaped by individuals’ economic and social circumstances, their behaviors, their neighborhoods, and other factors. Also, while people experience common physiological issues in later life, they don’t follow a well-charted, developmentally predetermined path. (Graham, 10/20)
