Reuters (5/29, Rapaport) reports that the results of a 146-participant study published online April 19 in the Journals of Gerontology Series A suggest that better fitness during middle age may be linked to a healthier brain in later years. In an email, lead author Qu Tian, a gerontology researcher at the US National Institute on Aging, said, “The current findings suggest that maintaining high fitness in midlife may boost brain health on average 20 years later in adults who have not yet experienced cognitive impairment.”

Related Links:

— “Fitness in middle age linked to healthier brain in later years,” Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, May 28, 2015.

In continuing coverage, the Washington Post (5/29, Sun) “To Your Health” blog reports that in an NCHS Data Brief, the CDC has released results of a study suggesting that “women in every age group in the United States were more likely than men to have serious mental health problems.” Researchers arrived at that conclusion after analyzing data from the National Health Insurance Survey. The report “also found that more than one-fourth of people age 65 or older who are afflicted with these mental health problems have difficulty feeding, bathing and dressing themselves,” a finding that “researchers said…was surprising.”

Related Links:

— “Report: Women are more likely to have serious mental health problems than men,” Lena H. Sun, Washington Post, May 28, 2015.

In a 5,700-word piece, the New York Times Magazine (5/31, MM35, Solomon) reports that “antenatal depression, or depression suffered during pregnancy…affects up to 15 percent of expectant women.” When the condition is severe, it poses a dilemma for women who are taking antidepressant medications, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Many women are afraid to take them for fear of harming the fetus. Untreated depression, however, has “been linked in multiple studies to miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, neonatal complications and smaller newborns.”

What’s more, maternal depression may “alter a newborn’s amygdala…while high levels of stress during pregnancy are associated with cognitive impairment and slowed language development.” Women should consult with their physicians on what to do. In some cases, cognitive behavioral therapy or interpersonal therapy may provide a medication-free alternative.

Related Links:

— “The Secret Sadness of Pregnancy With Depression,” Andrew Solomon, New York Times Magazine, May 28, 2015.

Kaiser Health News (5/27, Andrews) reports that while it is “clear that second opinions can help individual patients make better medical decisions, there’s little hard data showing that second opinions lead to better health results overall.” A study provided by second-opinion service Best Doctors found that more than 40% of nearly 6,800 examined second opinions “resulted in diagnostic or treatment changes.” Another study reviewing existing research “found that 10 to 62 percent of second opinions resulted in major changes to diagnoses or recommended treatments.” However, it is not clear how outcomes are changed. Hardeep Singh of the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, who co-authored both studies, said, “What is the real diagnosis at the end? The first one or the second one? Or maybe both are wrong.”

Related Links:

— “Second Opinions Often Sought But Value Is Not Yet Proven,” Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News, May 26, 2015.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (5/27, Roth) reports in the “largest study of its kind,” researchers at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden have “determined that actual autism rates probably have not changed in recent years, even though diagnoses of autism cases continue to climb.” Researchers “found that about 1 percent of those in an ongoing study of twins met the criteria for having autism, even though the number of officially diagnosed autism cases in the country’s national health registry had climbed steadily over a 10-year-period.”

Related Links:

— “Swedish study suggests cases of autism have not been rising,” Mark Roth, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 26, 2015.

HealthDay (5/27, Thompson) reports that Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers have found that hospice care “may help a surviving spouse better cope with depression following the death of a loved one.” Lead author Katherine Ornstein said, “If a spouse dies, you’re more likely to be depressed. That’s the way it is. Hospice doesn’t get rid of that. But we found that the group in hospice is improving afterward.”

Related Links:

— “Hospice May Help Ease Depression After Loss of Spouse,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, May 26, 2015.

The Washington Post (5/23, Gorman) “Health & Science” blog reported that “when it comes to mental health care, Asian Americans often get short shrift.” Investigators “say people in this minority group, which makes up about five percent of the US population, are less well studied and less likely to seek treatment than other ethnicities.” For many Asian American teens dealing with depression and other psychiatric disorders, sometimes “parents stand in the way of treatment, intentionally or not.” Ranna Parekh, MD, director of the division of diversity and health equity for the American Psychiatric Association, said, “It takes a few generations before they can finally be free.” The APA provides a fact sheet on its website detailing mental health issues of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Related Links:

— “For many Asian Americans, depression is an unfamiliar word,” Anna Gorman, Washington Post, May 22, 2015.

HealthDay (5/23, Dotinga) reported that anger often appears to escalate rapidly “in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when they’re depressed,” according to a study published earlier this month in the journal Psychological Trauma: Theory Research, Practice and Policy. After examining “the mental-health records of almost 2,100 soldiers – mostly men – who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and later sought treatment,” researchers found that “those who showed signs of depression and PTSD had higher levels of anger and believed they were more likely to hurt themselves.” Nearly three-fourths “of those with signs of PTSD also appeared to suffer from depression,” the study found.

Related Links:

— “Depression May Intensify Anger in Veterans With PTSD: Study,” Randy Dotinga, HealthDay, May 22, 2015.

The New York Times (5/21, A14, Carey, Subscription Publication) reports, “The rate of severe mental illness among children and adolescents has dropped substantially in the past generation,” according to a report published May 21 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The report’s conclusions come at a time when “critics argue that modern psychiatry is over-diagnosing and treating an increasing number of the worried well or merely quirky.” In addition, the report “exposed gaps in scientists’ grasp of mental health trends,” particularly those of youths, making it difficult for organizations funding research and government policymakers to target resources appropriately.

The AP (5/21, Marchione) reports, “The study used nationwide surveys done by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality over three periods from 1996 to 2012, covering more than 53,000 youths ages six to 17.” Researchers found that an increasing number of youngsters and adolescents “are taking mental health medicines than ever before, but more also are getting therapy, not just” medication, with “the biggest rise in treatment rates” seen “among the most troubled kids.” Still, more than half (56%) of troubled young people are not getting any care whatsoever.

Related Links:

— “Severe Mental Illness Found to Drop in Young, Defying Perceptions,” Benedict Carey, New York Times, May 20, 2015.

The Hill (5/21, Ferris) reports that Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), in an effort to revive the “long-stalled” Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, authored by Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), “is demanding changes to one of its most controversial provisions,” the one regarding court-ordered involuntary outpatient treatment, a provision that “has created a sharp divide between mental health groups and has prevented the bill from advancing.” In a Facebook chat this week concerning mental health, Sen. Murphy said, “We are trying to find a less draconian way to go.”

Related Links:

— “Dem senator eyes changes to ‘draconian’ provision in mental health bill,” Sarah Ferris, The Hill, May 21, 2015.