Top stories in psychiatry: Role of hopelessness overestimated in suicidal ideation, ‘effortful behavior’ predicts depression relapse

Study findings published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry suggest that the severity of depressive symptoms may be more accurate in predicting suicidal ideation than hopelessness. It was the top story in psychiatry last week.

Another top story was about research that showed patient decisions related to “effortful behavior” following antidepressant discontinuation were associated with a prospective risk for relapse.

Read these and more of last week’s top stories in psychiatry below:

Research has overestimated role of hopelessness in suicidal ideation

Hopelessness is likely a driving factor for suicidal ideation in patients with depressive disorder, largely because it covaries with depressive symptoms, according to study findings published in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. However, researchers noted that severity of depressive symptoms may predict suicidal ideation more accurately than hopelessness. Read more.

Effort-related behavior may predict relapse risk after antidepressant discontinuation

Following antidepressant discontinuation, patient decisions related to “effortful behavior” were associated with prospective relapse risk, according to a study conducted in Switzerland and Germany and published in JAMA Psychiatry. Read more.

 

Study findings suggest that the severity of depressive symptoms may be more accurate in predicting suicidal ideation than hopelessness. It was the top story in psychiatry last week.

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Routinely collected patient information may help predict Alzheimer’s risk

A patient’s risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias can be predicted using information collected during routine doctor’s visits, according to findings from a pair of studies. Read more.

Life-course-persistent antisocial behavior associated with differences in brain structure

Individuals who exhibit life-course-persistent antisocial behavior have characteristic differences in brain structure, according to results of a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry. Read more.

Combined testing may detect Alzheimer's disease earlier than standard methods

Initiating Alzheimer’s disease treatment before amyloid-beta levels become pathological provides patients with significant benefit, according to study findings published in Biological Psychiatry. Researchers noted that noninvasive, low-cost cognitive measures may help identify patients at risk for progressing to amyloid-beta positivity. Read more.