Study Found 60% Of Doctors On DSM-5 Panel Received Industry Payments
The payments totaled over $14 million, the study found, and raise questions about the editorial independence of the psychiatric “bible.” A separate study looked into ADHD treatment during the pandemic and concluded that prescriptions for adults surged, helping to fuel drug shortages.
Stat:
Doctors On The Psychiatric Bible, The DSM-5, Got $14M From Industry
Amid ongoing concerns over conflicts of interest, a new study found that 60% of the physicians who served as panel and task force members for the American Psychiatric Association’s official manual of psychiatric disorders received payments from industry totaling more than $14 million. And the authors argue the findings raise questions about the editorial independence of the reference book. (Silverman, 1/10)
On ADHD —
AP:
More Adults Sought Help For ADHD During Pandemic, Contributing To Drug Shortages
Prescriptions for ADHD treatments surged among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to fuel lingering shortages that frustrate parents and doctors. New prescriptions for stimulants used to treat the condition jumped for young adults and women during a two-year window after the pandemic hit in March 2020, according to a study published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry. (Murphy and Hollingsworth, 1/10)
The Baltimore Sun:
There Are No US Clinical Guidelines For Treating And Diagnosing Adult ADHD. That May Change Soon
Fiona Edwards is 50 years old, but to this day, some of her most traumatic memories are from her elementary school classroom in the Caribbean. As a child with an overactive imagination who struggled to stay organized and to wait her turn, Edwards had a hard time learning as her classmates did. And her principal didn’t waste any opportunity to remind her — and everyone else – that she was “an unteachable dunce,” said Edwards, who now lives in Baltimore. (Roberts, 1/10)
On suicide and gun violence —
American Homefront Project:
Pentagon Finds Troops’ Suicides Are Often Preceded By Legal, Administrative Woes
In 2021, Seaman Michael Gregg was stationed on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in Norfolk. He had been in and out of the Naval Hospital at Portsmouth, after he was diagnosed with mental health issues and had thoughts of suicide. (Walsh, 1/10)
The Boston Globe:
Advocates Press For Suicide-Prevention Barriers On R.I. Bridges
After nearly 2,000 deaths and decades of demands for action, nets are finally being installed on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, one of the deadliest suicide locations in the world. And now, with a new General Assembly session under way, advocates are hoping this is the year that suicide-prevention barriers are funded for some of Rhode Island’s iconic bridges, including the Mount Hope, Jamestown Verrazzano, and Newport Pell bridges. (Fitzpatrick, 1/10)
AP:
In His 1st Interview, Friend Warned Officials About The Maine Shooter
Sean Hodgson watched and worried as his best friend of nearly two decades unraveled. His former roommate and fellow U.S. Army reservist’s anger and paranoia were mounting, he had access to guns, and he refused to get help. So Hodgson did the hardest thing of his life: He sent a text about Robert Card to their Army supervisor. “I believe he’s going to snap and do a mass shooting,” he wrote on Sept. 15. Six weeks later, Card fatally shot 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston before killing himself. … “I did my job, and I went over and beyond it, and I literally spelled it out for them,” said Hodgson, 43, referred to by only his last name in documents related to the case. “I don’t know how clear I could have gotten.” (Ramer, Perry and Sharp, 1/11)
If you are in need of help —
Dial 988 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free and confidential.
On brain health and dementia —
Fox News:
Study: Screen Time For Kids Under 2 Linked To Sensory Differences In Toddlerhood
Allowing very young children to access televisions and other screens could lead to sensory challenges for them later in childhood, according to a new study from Drexel University in Pennsylvania. The study, “Early-Life Digital Media Experiences and Development of Atypical Sensory Processing,” was published on Jan. 8 in JAMA Pediatrics. “This study finds an association between greater screen time in the first two years of life and ‘high’ sensory-related behaviors in areas,” the study’s lead author, Karen Heffler, M.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at Drexel University, told Fox News Digital. (Rudy, 1/9)
Fox News:
California Could Ban Tackle Football For Kids Under 12 Over Health Concerns
California could soon outlaw tackle football for children under 12 amid concerns over health and safety. Lawmakers in the state will initiate debate on Wednesday on whether to ban tackle football in an effort advocates say would protect kids from brain damage or other medical issues. The bill’s critics include coaches who warn a ban on tackle football would cut off youths from an important source of physical activity. (Richard, 1/10)
Fox News:
Dementia Among Younger People Linked To 15 Factors, Major Study Reveals
Early-onset dementia has been on the rise in recent years — and a major new study has identified the likely reasons. Researchers from Maastricht University (UM) in the Netherlands and the University of Exeter in the U.K. have identified 15 factors linked to the development of dementia earlier in life. The study findings were published in JAMA Neurology on Dec. 26, 2023. “This study shows that there are a wide range of risk factors for young-onset dementia,” Stevie Hendriks, PhD, the lead study author and a postdoctoral researcher at Maastricht University, told Fox News Digital. (Rudy, 1/10)
NPR:
Blood Tests Can Help Diagnose Alzheimer’s, But Accuracy Varies
A new generation of blood tests is poised to change the way doctors determine whether patients with memory loss also have Alzheimer’s disease. The tests detect substances in the blood that indicate the presence of sticky amyloid plaques in the brain — a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. So these tests have the potential to replace current diagnostic procedures, like costly PET scans and uncomfortable spinal taps. … But the accuracy of the tests still varies widely. (Hamilton, 1/11)
