New research has discovered 12 gene variants that may be tied to an increased risk of attempting suicide. These genes also may have links with physical and mental health woes, including chronic pain, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), lung conditions and heart disease. The researchers hope this finding, published online Oct. 1 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, will lead to better understanding of the biological causes of suicide. “Many people who die from suicide have significant health conditions associated with that risk,” said study corresponding author Anna Docherty, an associate professor of psychiatry at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) at the University of Utah. “If we can use genetic information to characterize the health risks of those who attempt suicide, we can better identify those patients who need contact with the mental health care system.” For the study, the investigators analyzed data from 22 different populations, including people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. What they found wasn’t one single gene influencing risk, but the cumulative effect of different genes. “In psychiatry, we have many tiny genetic effects, but when we account for all of them together, we start to see a real genetic risk signal,” Docherty explained in a university news release. To assess that risk, the team broke down data from the Million Veteran Program and the International Suicide Genetics Consortium. That data included nearly…  read on >  read on >

In yet another reminder of the psychic toll the pandemic has taken on young people, new research shows spending on mental health services for U.S. children and adolescents has risen sharply since 2020. It climbed 26% for youths aged 19 and younger between March 2020 and August 2022, the RAND Corp. study found. Among a large group whose families had employer-provided insurance, use of mental health services increased by 22%. Use of telehealth for young patients skyrocketed more than 30-fold in the early days of the pandemic and remained 23 times higher than normal by August 2022. In-person care stood at 75% of pre-pandemic levels by that time. “Our findings suggest that telehealth care for mental health filled a critical need for pediatric patients after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to support a substantial proportion of pediatric mental health care,” said lead author Mariah Kalmin, a policy researcher at RAND, a nonprofit research organization in Santa Monica, Calif. For the study, the researchers examined claims from health benefit manager Castlight Health. The study involved 1.9 million children and teens with commercial insurance from January 2019 through August 2022. Castlight manages insurance plans for about 200 employers in all 50 U.S. states. The researchers looked for common pediatric mental health diagnoses, including anxiety disorders, adjustment disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), major depressive disorder and…  read on >  read on >

Loneliness can leave many feeling desolate, but new research now suggests it may also leave people vulnerable to Parkinson’s disease. Among more than 490,000 people listed in the UK Biobank who were followed for up to 15 years, loneliness appeared to increase the chances of a Parkinson’s diagnosis by 37%. “The association between loneliness and incident Parkinson’s disease was not due to shared genetic, clinical or behavioral risk factors,” said senior researcher Angelina Sutin, a professor in the department of behavioral sciences and social medicine at Florida State University’s College of Medicine in Tallahassee. Although this study can’t prove that loneliness causes Parkinson’s disease, there appears to be a connection, Sutin said. “We show that there is an association between loneliness and the development of Parkinson’s disease, not that loneliness causes Parkinson’s disease,” she stressed. Sutin said that loneliness has been identified as a significant public health concern by the U.S. Surgeon General, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and the World Health Organization. “This study adds to the body of evidence for the poor outcomes associated with loneliness, particularly neurodegenerative diseases,” she said. “Loneliness has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. The present research indicates that it is a risk factor for Parkinson’s disease as well.” Multiple factors may be linked to why loneliness may raise the risk…  read on >  read on >

TUESDAY, Oct. 3, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Exposure to ubiquitous chemicals known as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, may delay puberty in girls, new research indicates. The study is the first to consider the role hormones play in the delay, according to researchers from the University of Cincinnati. Delayed puberty can lead to negative long-term health outcomes for girls, such as a higher incidence of breast cancer, kidney disease and thyroid disease, said corresponding author Susan Pinney, a professor of environmental and public health sciences at the university’s College of Medicine. “Puberty is a window of susceptibility,” Pinney said in a university news release. “Environmental exposures during puberty, not just to PFAS, but anything, have more of a potential for a long-term health effect. What these have done is extended the window of susceptibility, and it makes them more vulnerable for a longer period of time.” Researchers examined data from more than 800 girls from the Greater Cincinnati and San Francisco Bay areas who were 6 to 8 years old when they joined the study. The girls were examined every six to 12 months to see when they experienced the first signs of breast development and pubic hair. About 85% of the girls in the two geographic groups had measurable levels of PFAS. Researchers also discovered evidence of decreased hormones that were consistent with…  read on >  read on >