Top 10 psychiatry news stories of 2015

As the year comes to a close, Healio.com/Psychiatry revisited our most popular psychiatry coverage of 2015.

This includes research on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia risk, psychedelic use and suicidal thinking, depression in elderly, polypharmacy in borderline personality disorder, genetic testing and more.

In-person social contact may influence risk for depression in older adults

To examine associations between use of different modes of social contact (in-person, telephone, written or e-mail) with different types of people and risk for depressive symptoms, researchers analyzed data for individuals aged 50 years and older who participated in the Health and Retirement Survey between 2004 and 2010 (n = 11,065). Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and 2 years later via the eight-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Read more

Creativity may increase risk for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder

To determine associations between creativity, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and whether genetics influenced those associations, researchers assessed genetic risk profiles for 86,292 individuals from the general Icelandic population.

Researchers classified creative individuals “as those belonging to the national artistic societies of actors, dancers, musicians, visual artists and writers.” Read more

Classic psychedelic use reduced suicidal thinking, attempts

Researchers used 2008 to 2012 data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health survey of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. The analysis examined the relationships of classic psychedelic use with psychological distress and suicidality for 191,382 adults. Read more

Vitamin D deficiency increased dementia, Alzheimer's disease risk

Llewellyn and colleagues evaluated 1,658 adults aged 65 years and older without dementia to determine the effect of vitamin D levels on dementia risk. Participants were followed for a mean of 5.6 years. Read more

ADHD medication use reduced child, adolescent brain injury risk

Researchers identified 37,650 children and adolescents with a new diagnosis of ADHD in 2005 and 2006 from the German Pharmacoepidemiological Research Database; there were 2,128 children and adolescents with at least one hospitalization and any injury diagnosis. The majority of children included were aged 6 to 11 years at the time of an ADHD diagnosis, according to data. Patients were assigned either methylphenidate or atomoxetine and assessed for whether either medication reduced the risk of injuries. Read more

Murder of El Paso VA clinic psychologist highlights challenges of profession

The death of Timothy Fjordbak, PsyD, at the El Paso Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Jan. 6 is a reminder of the potential challenges faced by mental health providers treating veterans, and the need for mass shooter preparation, a retired Army colonel and psychiatrist told Healio.com/Psychiatry. Read more

Length of men's fingers associated with their behavior towards women

Prenatal androgen exposure among men, reflected as the ratio between the length of the index and ring fingers, affects their agreeable and quarrelsome behaviors towards women, according to a study recently published in Personality and Individual Differences. Read more

Genetic testing new standard for prescribing psychiatric medication

TORONTO — Genetic testing has become the preferred practice when prescribing psychiatric medications, as these tests reduce the risk for treatment failure and serious side effects, according to a presentation at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting. Read more

Start slow, simple to avoid polypharmacy among patients with borderline personality disorder

SAN DIEGO — In a presentation at U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress, Victor Hong, MD, and Kenneth Silk, MD, of the University of Michigan, discussed how psychiatrists could potentially avoid polypharmacy when treating patients with borderline personality disorder. Read more

Research provides recommended approaches for treating bipolar disorder during pregnancy

When treating bipolar disorder during pregnancy, researchers recommend clinicians consider the importance of maintaining treatment and avoiding relapse with the risks of medications. Read more