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Primary care: The latest in psychiatry

Healio.com/Internal Medicine presents the most recent updates from primary care psychiatry.

Decision aid improves primary care of patients with depression

A newly developed decision aid helped clinicians and patients with depression choose antidepressants, according to study findings published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The Depression Medication Choice (DMC) decision aid, developed by Annie LeBlanc, PhD, a researcher at the Mayo Clinic, and colleagues, did not affect depression outcomes or medication adherence. Read more.

Primary care providers should use screening tools for depression, suicide

Primary care providers can use screening tools for suicide and depression to efficiently assess adolescent patients, researchers reported in The Nurse Practitioner. The researchers stated that about 80% of teens are seen by a PCP annually, making it a setting where mental health disorders can be identified and treated early. Read more.

Eating fish may lower risk of depression

Individuals who consume large amounts of fish may be at a lower risk for developing depression, according to recently published data. Researchers performed a meta-analysis of 26 studies to assess the correlation between fish consumption and risk for depression. In total, 150,278 participants were included in the analysis. Read more.

Obesity, mental illness associated with teens incurring high insurance costs

Adolescents who accounted for the top 1% of total direct medical expenses were twice as likely to be obese, have chronic complex conditions or have mental health conditions, according to recently published data. The researchers analyzed data from 13,103 privately insured adolescents aged 13 to 21 years to assess direct medical expenses, as well as clinical diagnoses and health care services of high-cost privately insured adolescents in primary care settings. Read more.

Smoking rates remain unchanged among those with poor mental health

Rates of smoking among New Jersey residents with poor mental health have, for the most part, remained unchanged over the last decade, while smoking rates in residents with better mental health have significantly decreased, according to recently published data. Out of the 10 years Marc L. Steinberg, PhD, and colleagues examined smoking prevalence and mental health, smoking rates among individuals with poor mental health remained unchanged for 8 of those years. Read more.