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Burnout and stress of today: How do we cope?
Interestingly, the group that seems to be least impacted by this was health care administrators (with 12% of them planning on leaving their jobs).
I couldn’t stop thinking about these percentages.
I am reminded every day of the commitment and excellence of my colleagues in the health care field, and I do not want to lose them. I am hoping the following information and my thoughts on this topic will be helpful for those thinking about leaving health care.
Surgeon general’s burnout report
The surgeon general recently released a report on addressing health care worker burnout.2 It includes several very interesting and appropriate observations. I will summarize the most important ones here:
1. Our health depends on the well-being of our health workforce.
2. Direct harm to health care workers can lead to anxiety, depression, insomnia, and interpersonal and relationship struggles.
3. Health care workers experience exhaustion from providing overwhelming care and empathy.
4. Health care workers spend less time with patients and too much time with EHRs.
5. There are health workforce shortages.
The report is comprehensive, and everything in it is correct. The real issue is how does it go from being a report to true actionable items that we as health care professionals benefit from? I think in regards to exhaustion from overwhelming care responsibilities, and empathy fatigue, we need better boundaries.
Those who go into medicine, and especially those who go into primary care, always put the patients’ needs first. When operating in a broken system, it stays broken when individuals cover for the deficiencies in the system. Adding four extra patients every day because there is no one to refer them to with availability is injurious to the health care provider, and those providers who accept these additional patients will eventually be part of the 23% who want to leave their jobs. It feels awful to say no, but until the system stops accommodating there will not be substantial change.
The empathy drain
One of the unreported stresses of open access for patients through EHR communications is the empathy drain on physicians. When I see a patient in clinic with chronic symptoms or issues, I spend important time making sure we have a plan and an agreed upon time frame.
With the EHR, patients frequently send multiple messages for the same symptoms between visits. It is okay to redirect the patient and share that these issues will be discussed at length at appointments. My reasoning on this is that I think it is better for me to better care for myself and stay as the doctor for my patients, than always say yes to limitless needs and soon be looking for the off ramp.
The following statistic in the surgeon general’s report really hit home. For every hour of direct patient care, physicians currently spend 2 hours on the EHR system. Most practices allow 10%-20% of time for catch up, where with statistics like this it should be 50%. This concept is fully lost on administrators, or ignored.
It is only when we refuse to continue to accept and follow a broken system that it will change. A minority of internal medicine and family doctors (4.5% in 2018) practice in direct primary care models, where these issues are addressed. Unfortunately, this model as it is currently available is not an option for lower income patients.
A major theme in the surgeon general’s report was that administrative burdens need to be reduced by 75% by 2025. When I look at the report, I see the suggestions, I just don’t see how it will be achieved. Despite almost all clinics moving to the EHR, paperwork in the form of faxes and forms has increased.
A sweeping reform would be needed to eliminate daily faxes from PT offices, visiting nurse services, prior authorization, patients reminders from insurance companies, and disability forms from patients. I am glad that there is acknowledgment of the problem, but this change will take more than 3 years.
Takeaways
So what do we do?
Be good to yourself, and your colleagues. The pandemic has isolated us, which accelerates burnout.
Reach out to people you care about.
We are all feeling this. Set boundaries that allow you to care for yourself, and accept that you are doing your best, even if you can’t meet the needs of all your patients all the time.
Dr. Paauw is professor of medicine in the division of general internal medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle, and he serves as third-year medical student clerkship director at the University of Washington. He is a member of the editorial advisory board of Internal Medicine News. Dr. Paauw has no conflicts to disclose. Contact him at imnews@mdedge.com.
References
1. Sinsky CA et al. Covid-related stress and work intentions in a sample of US health care workers. Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual Outcomes. 2021 Dec;5(6):1165-73.
2. Addressing health worker burnout. The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on building a thriving health workforce.
Interestingly, the group that seems to be least impacted by this was health care administrators (with 12% of them planning on leaving their jobs).
I couldn’t stop thinking about these percentages.
I am reminded every day of the commitment and excellence of my colleagues in the health care field, and I do not want to lose them. I am hoping the following information and my thoughts on this topic will be helpful for those thinking about leaving health care.
Surgeon general’s burnout report
The surgeon general recently released a report on addressing health care worker burnout.2 It includes several very interesting and appropriate observations. I will summarize the most important ones here:
1. Our health depends on the well-being of our health workforce.
2. Direct harm to health care workers can lead to anxiety, depression, insomnia, and interpersonal and relationship struggles.
3. Health care workers experience exhaustion from providing overwhelming care and empathy.
4. Health care workers spend less time with patients and too much time with EHRs.
5. There are health workforce shortages.
The report is comprehensive, and everything in it is correct. The real issue is how does it go from being a report to true actionable items that we as health care professionals benefit from? I think in regards to exhaustion from overwhelming care responsibilities, and empathy fatigue, we need better boundaries.
Those who go into medicine, and especially those who go into primary care, always put the patients’ needs first. When operating in a broken system, it stays broken when individuals cover for the deficiencies in the system. Adding four extra patients every day because there is no one to refer them to with availability is injurious to the health care provider, and those providers who accept these additional patients will eventually be part of the 23% who want to leave their jobs. It feels awful to say no, but until the system stops accommodating there will not be substantial change.
The empathy drain
One of the unreported stresses of open access for patients through EHR communications is the empathy drain on physicians. When I see a patient in clinic with chronic symptoms or issues, I spend important time making sure we have a plan and an agreed upon time frame.
With the EHR, patients frequently send multiple messages for the same symptoms between visits. It is okay to redirect the patient and share that these issues will be discussed at length at appointments. My reasoning on this is that I think it is better for me to better care for myself and stay as the doctor for my patients, than always say yes to limitless needs and soon be looking for the off ramp.
The following statistic in the surgeon general’s report really hit home. For every hour of direct patient care, physicians currently spend 2 hours on the EHR system. Most practices allow 10%-20% of time for catch up, where with statistics like this it should be 50%. This concept is fully lost on administrators, or ignored.
It is only when we refuse to continue to accept and follow a broken system that it will change. A minority of internal medicine and family doctors (4.5% in 2018) practice in direct primary care models, where these issues are addressed. Unfortunately, this model as it is currently available is not an option for lower income patients.
A major theme in the surgeon general’s report was that administrative burdens need to be reduced by 75% by 2025. When I look at the report, I see the suggestions, I just don’t see how it will be achieved. Despite almost all clinics moving to the EHR, paperwork in the form of faxes and forms has increased.
A sweeping reform would be needed to eliminate daily faxes from PT offices, visiting nurse services, prior authorization, patients reminders from insurance companies, and disability forms from patients. I am glad that there is acknowledgment of the problem, but this change will take more than 3 years.
Takeaways
So what do we do?
Be good to yourself, and your colleagues. The pandemic has isolated us, which accelerates burnout.
Reach out to people you care about.
We are all feeling this. Set boundaries that allow you to care for yourself, and accept that you are doing your best, even if you can’t meet the needs of all your patients all the time.
Dr. Paauw is professor of medicine in the division of general internal medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle, and he serves as third-year medical student clerkship director at the University of Washington. He is a member of the editorial advisory board of Internal Medicine News. Dr. Paauw has no conflicts to disclose. Contact him at imnews@mdedge.com.
References
1. Sinsky CA et al. Covid-related stress and work intentions in a sample of US health care workers. Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual Outcomes. 2021 Dec;5(6):1165-73.
2. Addressing health worker burnout. The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on building a thriving health workforce.
Interestingly, the group that seems to be least impacted by this was health care administrators (with 12% of them planning on leaving their jobs).
I couldn’t stop thinking about these percentages.
I am reminded every day of the commitment and excellence of my colleagues in the health care field, and I do not want to lose them. I am hoping the following information and my thoughts on this topic will be helpful for those thinking about leaving health care.
Surgeon general’s burnout report
The surgeon general recently released a report on addressing health care worker burnout.2 It includes several very interesting and appropriate observations. I will summarize the most important ones here:
1. Our health depends on the well-being of our health workforce.
2. Direct harm to health care workers can lead to anxiety, depression, insomnia, and interpersonal and relationship struggles.
3. Health care workers experience exhaustion from providing overwhelming care and empathy.
4. Health care workers spend less time with patients and too much time with EHRs.
5. There are health workforce shortages.
The report is comprehensive, and everything in it is correct. The real issue is how does it go from being a report to true actionable items that we as health care professionals benefit from? I think in regards to exhaustion from overwhelming care responsibilities, and empathy fatigue, we need better boundaries.
Those who go into medicine, and especially those who go into primary care, always put the patients’ needs first. When operating in a broken system, it stays broken when individuals cover for the deficiencies in the system. Adding four extra patients every day because there is no one to refer them to with availability is injurious to the health care provider, and those providers who accept these additional patients will eventually be part of the 23% who want to leave their jobs. It feels awful to say no, but until the system stops accommodating there will not be substantial change.
The empathy drain
One of the unreported stresses of open access for patients through EHR communications is the empathy drain on physicians. When I see a patient in clinic with chronic symptoms or issues, I spend important time making sure we have a plan and an agreed upon time frame.
With the EHR, patients frequently send multiple messages for the same symptoms between visits. It is okay to redirect the patient and share that these issues will be discussed at length at appointments. My reasoning on this is that I think it is better for me to better care for myself and stay as the doctor for my patients, than always say yes to limitless needs and soon be looking for the off ramp.
The following statistic in the surgeon general’s report really hit home. For every hour of direct patient care, physicians currently spend 2 hours on the EHR system. Most practices allow 10%-20% of time for catch up, where with statistics like this it should be 50%. This concept is fully lost on administrators, or ignored.
It is only when we refuse to continue to accept and follow a broken system that it will change. A minority of internal medicine and family doctors (4.5% in 2018) practice in direct primary care models, where these issues are addressed. Unfortunately, this model as it is currently available is not an option for lower income patients.
A major theme in the surgeon general’s report was that administrative burdens need to be reduced by 75% by 2025. When I look at the report, I see the suggestions, I just don’t see how it will be achieved. Despite almost all clinics moving to the EHR, paperwork in the form of faxes and forms has increased.
A sweeping reform would be needed to eliminate daily faxes from PT offices, visiting nurse services, prior authorization, patients reminders from insurance companies, and disability forms from patients. I am glad that there is acknowledgment of the problem, but this change will take more than 3 years.
Takeaways
So what do we do?
Be good to yourself, and your colleagues. The pandemic has isolated us, which accelerates burnout.
Reach out to people you care about.
We are all feeling this. Set boundaries that allow you to care for yourself, and accept that you are doing your best, even if you can’t meet the needs of all your patients all the time.
Dr. Paauw is professor of medicine in the division of general internal medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle, and he serves as third-year medical student clerkship director at the University of Washington. He is a member of the editorial advisory board of Internal Medicine News. Dr. Paauw has no conflicts to disclose. Contact him at imnews@mdedge.com.
References
1. Sinsky CA et al. Covid-related stress and work intentions in a sample of US health care workers. Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual Outcomes. 2021 Dec;5(6):1165-73.
2. Addressing health worker burnout. The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on building a thriving health workforce.
Mixed results for intensive home care for psychiatric crises
Intensive home treatment may offer an alternative to inpatient care for patients in acute psychiatric crisis – but the intervention is no outright substitute, new research suggests.
However, there was no difference between treatment groups in improvement in quality of life or patient satisfaction; and a reduction in symptom severity noted after 6 weeks of home treatment faded within 6 months.
“We found no differences in admission rates either, which suggests that intensive home treatment is not a substitute for inpatient care but a different treatment opportunity for psychiatric patients in crisis,” Jurgen Cornelis, MD, Arkin Institute for Mental Health, Amsterdam, and colleagues write.
The findings were published online in The Lancet Psychiatry.
Increasingly popular
“Intensive home treatment is increasingly popular as an alternative to hospitalization. It was developed to prevent or reduce levels of inpatient care and facilitate the transition between inpatient care and low-intensity outpatient care,” the investigators write.
However, there have previously been only two randomized controlled trials published that assessed this type of care, resulting in “somewhat conflicting findings,” they add.
For the current study, participants presented to psychiatric emergency wards at two medical centers in the Netherlands. They were included only if they were able to offer informed consent within 14 days.
The intensive home treatment group (n = 183) worked with a multidisciplinary team that designed a care plan tailored to their specific crisis. Treatment components included pharmacotherapy, up to three home visits each day, psychoeducation, brief supportive and cognitive behavioral therapy, social care, and support and empowerment of the patient’s informal care system.
The usual care group (n = 63) commonly received a combination of highly intensive inpatient treatment in the first phase and outpatient treatment up to two times a week in the second phase. Treatment included similar components as those in intensive home treatment.
The most common primary clinical diagnosis in both groups was mood disorder, followed by psychotic disorders, personality disorders, or anxiety disorders.
The home treatment group had a significantly higher total mean item score on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) at baseline (2.23 vs. 2.04, P = .04).
Mixed results
Results at 6 weeks showed the number of hospital days was 25.3% lower in the home treatment group, compared with those who received usual care.
That trend continued at 1 year, with the intensive home treatment group recording 36.6% fewer hospital days than the usual care group (mean, 42.5 days vs. 67 days, respectively; P = .03).
However, the number of patients who were admitted in the first 6 weeks and at 1 year stayed the same, as did the mean number of admissions per patient over 12 months.
The home treatment group reported significantly fewer symptoms on the BPRS depression and anxiety scale at 6 weeks, compared with the usual treatment group (P = .025), but that difference was not maintained after 6 months.
The number of adverse events, including suicide attempts, was similar between the groups. Three patients in the home treatment group and two in the usual care group died by suicide.
“Future research should focus on which components of intensive home treatment or hospitalization can be used when, for whom, and meet which goals, so that both hospital care and intensive home treatment can be used proportionally and efficiently for patients in psychiatric crisis,” the investigators write.
Not generalizable?
In an accompanying editorial, Claire Henderson, PhD, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at King’s College London, noted that generalizing the study’s results to other countries could be problematic, especially to regions such as North America, which have shorter lengths of stay for psychiatric hospitalization.
“Future trials looking at intensive home treatment would be most informative if done in countries with relatively short lengths of stay, and without separate crisis services for people receiving assertive community treatment,” Dr. Henderson writes.
The study was funded by De Stichting tot Steun Vereniging voor Christelijke Verzorging van Geestes-en Zenuwzieken. The investigators and Dr. Henderson have reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
Intensive home treatment may offer an alternative to inpatient care for patients in acute psychiatric crisis – but the intervention is no outright substitute, new research suggests.
However, there was no difference between treatment groups in improvement in quality of life or patient satisfaction; and a reduction in symptom severity noted after 6 weeks of home treatment faded within 6 months.
“We found no differences in admission rates either, which suggests that intensive home treatment is not a substitute for inpatient care but a different treatment opportunity for psychiatric patients in crisis,” Jurgen Cornelis, MD, Arkin Institute for Mental Health, Amsterdam, and colleagues write.
The findings were published online in The Lancet Psychiatry.
Increasingly popular
“Intensive home treatment is increasingly popular as an alternative to hospitalization. It was developed to prevent or reduce levels of inpatient care and facilitate the transition between inpatient care and low-intensity outpatient care,” the investigators write.
However, there have previously been only two randomized controlled trials published that assessed this type of care, resulting in “somewhat conflicting findings,” they add.
For the current study, participants presented to psychiatric emergency wards at two medical centers in the Netherlands. They were included only if they were able to offer informed consent within 14 days.
The intensive home treatment group (n = 183) worked with a multidisciplinary team that designed a care plan tailored to their specific crisis. Treatment components included pharmacotherapy, up to three home visits each day, psychoeducation, brief supportive and cognitive behavioral therapy, social care, and support and empowerment of the patient’s informal care system.
The usual care group (n = 63) commonly received a combination of highly intensive inpatient treatment in the first phase and outpatient treatment up to two times a week in the second phase. Treatment included similar components as those in intensive home treatment.
The most common primary clinical diagnosis in both groups was mood disorder, followed by psychotic disorders, personality disorders, or anxiety disorders.
The home treatment group had a significantly higher total mean item score on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) at baseline (2.23 vs. 2.04, P = .04).
Mixed results
Results at 6 weeks showed the number of hospital days was 25.3% lower in the home treatment group, compared with those who received usual care.
That trend continued at 1 year, with the intensive home treatment group recording 36.6% fewer hospital days than the usual care group (mean, 42.5 days vs. 67 days, respectively; P = .03).
However, the number of patients who were admitted in the first 6 weeks and at 1 year stayed the same, as did the mean number of admissions per patient over 12 months.
The home treatment group reported significantly fewer symptoms on the BPRS depression and anxiety scale at 6 weeks, compared with the usual treatment group (P = .025), but that difference was not maintained after 6 months.
The number of adverse events, including suicide attempts, was similar between the groups. Three patients in the home treatment group and two in the usual care group died by suicide.
“Future research should focus on which components of intensive home treatment or hospitalization can be used when, for whom, and meet which goals, so that both hospital care and intensive home treatment can be used proportionally and efficiently for patients in psychiatric crisis,” the investigators write.
Not generalizable?
In an accompanying editorial, Claire Henderson, PhD, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at King’s College London, noted that generalizing the study’s results to other countries could be problematic, especially to regions such as North America, which have shorter lengths of stay for psychiatric hospitalization.
“Future trials looking at intensive home treatment would be most informative if done in countries with relatively short lengths of stay, and without separate crisis services for people receiving assertive community treatment,” Dr. Henderson writes.
The study was funded by De Stichting tot Steun Vereniging voor Christelijke Verzorging van Geestes-en Zenuwzieken. The investigators and Dr. Henderson have reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
Intensive home treatment may offer an alternative to inpatient care for patients in acute psychiatric crisis – but the intervention is no outright substitute, new research suggests.
However, there was no difference between treatment groups in improvement in quality of life or patient satisfaction; and a reduction in symptom severity noted after 6 weeks of home treatment faded within 6 months.
“We found no differences in admission rates either, which suggests that intensive home treatment is not a substitute for inpatient care but a different treatment opportunity for psychiatric patients in crisis,” Jurgen Cornelis, MD, Arkin Institute for Mental Health, Amsterdam, and colleagues write.
The findings were published online in The Lancet Psychiatry.
Increasingly popular
“Intensive home treatment is increasingly popular as an alternative to hospitalization. It was developed to prevent or reduce levels of inpatient care and facilitate the transition between inpatient care and low-intensity outpatient care,” the investigators write.
However, there have previously been only two randomized controlled trials published that assessed this type of care, resulting in “somewhat conflicting findings,” they add.
For the current study, participants presented to psychiatric emergency wards at two medical centers in the Netherlands. They were included only if they were able to offer informed consent within 14 days.
The intensive home treatment group (n = 183) worked with a multidisciplinary team that designed a care plan tailored to their specific crisis. Treatment components included pharmacotherapy, up to three home visits each day, psychoeducation, brief supportive and cognitive behavioral therapy, social care, and support and empowerment of the patient’s informal care system.
The usual care group (n = 63) commonly received a combination of highly intensive inpatient treatment in the first phase and outpatient treatment up to two times a week in the second phase. Treatment included similar components as those in intensive home treatment.
The most common primary clinical diagnosis in both groups was mood disorder, followed by psychotic disorders, personality disorders, or anxiety disorders.
The home treatment group had a significantly higher total mean item score on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) at baseline (2.23 vs. 2.04, P = .04).
Mixed results
Results at 6 weeks showed the number of hospital days was 25.3% lower in the home treatment group, compared with those who received usual care.
That trend continued at 1 year, with the intensive home treatment group recording 36.6% fewer hospital days than the usual care group (mean, 42.5 days vs. 67 days, respectively; P = .03).
However, the number of patients who were admitted in the first 6 weeks and at 1 year stayed the same, as did the mean number of admissions per patient over 12 months.
The home treatment group reported significantly fewer symptoms on the BPRS depression and anxiety scale at 6 weeks, compared with the usual treatment group (P = .025), but that difference was not maintained after 6 months.
The number of adverse events, including suicide attempts, was similar between the groups. Three patients in the home treatment group and two in the usual care group died by suicide.
“Future research should focus on which components of intensive home treatment or hospitalization can be used when, for whom, and meet which goals, so that both hospital care and intensive home treatment can be used proportionally and efficiently for patients in psychiatric crisis,” the investigators write.
Not generalizable?
In an accompanying editorial, Claire Henderson, PhD, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at King’s College London, noted that generalizing the study’s results to other countries could be problematic, especially to regions such as North America, which have shorter lengths of stay for psychiatric hospitalization.
“Future trials looking at intensive home treatment would be most informative if done in countries with relatively short lengths of stay, and without separate crisis services for people receiving assertive community treatment,” Dr. Henderson writes.
The study was funded by De Stichting tot Steun Vereniging voor Christelijke Verzorging van Geestes-en Zenuwzieken. The investigators and Dr. Henderson have reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
FROM THE LANCET PSYCHIATRY
B6 a new approach for depression, anxiety?
Investigators compared supplementation with a 1-month course of vitamin B6 or B12 to supplementation with placebo in almost 500 adults. Results showed that vitamin B6 supplementation was associated with reductions in self-reported anxiety and a trend toward decreased depressive symptoms.
In addition, the vitamin B6 group showed increased levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), as indicated by results on a visual test that was administered at the end of the trial. The test results demonstrated subtle changes in participants’ visual performance. The researchers considered this to be consistent with controlled levels of GABA-related brain activity.
However, “before practicing clinicians would recommend taking high doses of vitamin B6, a full-scale clinical trial would have to be carried out to verify the findings, assess any side effects, and find out which types of patients do or don’t benefit,” study investigator David Field, PhD, associate professor, School of Psychological and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading (England), told this news organization.
“My relatively small study can only be considered as an initial proof of concept,” Dr. Field said.
The findings were published online in the Journal of Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental.
Eat Marmite?
“Recent research has connected mood disorders and some other neuropsychiatric conditions with disturbance in this balance, often in the direction of raised levels of brain activity,” Dr. Field noted.
Vitamin B6 is a coenzyme in the synthesis of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, from glutamate. Some previous research has suggested that vitamins B6 and B12 have a role in improving mood-related outcomes.
Dr. Field had reviewed a 2017 study of the effects on visual processing of eating Marmite, a type of food spread rich in vitamin B, every day for a few weeks.
“Remarkably, the results of that study suggested that eating Marmite had increased the level of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in the visual part of the brain, damping down the level of neural activity slightly,” he said.
However, Marmite contains other B vitamins and other ingredients that might potentially account for this result, “plus, a lot of people don’t like the taste of Marmite,” Dr. Field noted.
Therefore, he wanted to “find out which individual ingredients were driving the effect, and B6 and B12 were the most plausible candidates.”
He decided to test these vitamins individually and to compare them to placebo. “I added the measures of anxiety and depression that were not in the Marmite study because I reasoned that if GABA levels were altered, this could improve those disorders, because we know that decreased levels of GABA in the brain occur in both of those conditions,” Dr. Field added.
Over the course of 5 years, investigators recruited 478 participants aged 18-58 years (mean age, 23 years; 381 women). Of these, 265 reported having anxiety, and 146 reported having depression.
The study participants were randomly assigned to receive either vitamin B6 (100 mg pyroxidine hydrochloride), vitamin B12 (1,000 mg methylcobalmin), or placebo tablets once daily for a month.
They also completed the Screen for Adult Anxiety Related Disorders (SCAARED) and the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) long version at baseline and following supplementation (“post test”), and they underwent three sensory tests that acted as assays of inhibitory function at post test.
In addition, 307 participants completed the Visual Contrast Sensitivity and Surround Suppression, which “measures the minimum percentage contrast between the lighter and darker regions of a striped pattern that can be detected (called the contrast threshold),” the investigators note.
The contrast threshold was measured with and without a suppressive surround mask that increases the threshold – an effect mediated by GABAergic connections in the visual cortex.
Participants (n = 172) also completed the Binocular Rivalry test and the Tactile Test Battery (n = 180). Both tests are designed to measure responses requiring GABAergic inhibitory activity.
‘Subtle changes’
ANOVA analyses revealed a “highly significant” reduction in anxiety at post test (F[1,173] = 10.03; P = .002; np 2 = .055), driven primarily by reduced anxiety in the B6 group (t[88] = 3.51; P < .001; d = .37). The placebo group also showed some reduction in anxiety, but it was not deemed significant, and the overall interaction itself did not reach significance.
A comparison of the B12 group with the group that received placebo revealed a significant reduction in anxiety at post test (F[1,175] = 4.08; P = .045; np 2 = .023), similarly driven by reduced anxiety in the B12 group (t[89] = 1.84; P = .069; d = .19) – but the interaction was not significant.
Among the B6 group, there was a highly significant reduction in scores on the generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety subscales of the SCAARED, and there was a trend toward reductions on the other subscales. Among the B12 group, there was a significant reduction only on scores on the separation anxiety subscale. No significant changes were found in the placebo group.
The ANOVA test analysis of the B6 and placebo group data showed “no uniform direction of change” in depression at post test. The researchers found a “tendency” for depression scores to decrease between baseline and post test in the B6 group but to increase in the placebo group – an interaction that “approached” significance (F[1,96] = 3.08; P = .083; np 2 = .031), they report.
The ANOVA analysis of the B12 and placebo group data revealed no significant or trending effects, and the t-test comparing baseline and post-test scores in the B12 group was similarly nonsignificant.
B6 supplementation did change visual contrast thresholds, but only when a suppressive surround was present. There were “no clear effects” of B6 supplementation on other outcome measures, including binocular rivalry reversal rate and the tactile test battery, the investigators note.
“We found that supplementation with B6 produced subtle changes in tests of visual processing in a way that suggested an increase in the level of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA,” Dr. Field reported.
Vitamin B6 is a “cofactor for a metabolic pathway in the brain that converts the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate into the inhibitory/calming GABA,” he said.
“By increasing the quantity of the cofactor, we slightly speed up the rate of this metabolic process, and so you end up with a bit more of the GABA neurotransmitter and a bit less glutamate. The net effect of this is to slightly reduce the amount of activity in the brain,” Dr. Field added.
Most common nutrient deficiency
Carol Johnston, PhD, professor and associate dean for faculty success, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, said vitamin B6 is “the most common nutrient deficiency in the United States;” 16% of men and 32% of women are reportedly B6 deficient.
“Young women on birth control are at higher risk for B6 deficiency due to effects of oral contraceptives on B6 metabolism,” whereas vitamin B12 deficiency is more common in older adults, said Dr. Johnston, who was not involved with the study.
The current study’s population mainly consisted of young women, and the interpretation of the data is “limited” because the researchers did not measure blood status for B6 and B12, Dr. Johnston noted. It is possible the sample was low in B6 and that the supplements “improved cognitive measures.”
Because the population was young – no one was older than 60 years – B12 status was likely “adequate in the sample, and supplementation did not have an impact,” she said.
Overall, Dr. Johnston cautioned that it is important to “alert clinicians and the general public about the concerns of overdosing B6.” For example, supplementation at high amounts can cause potentially irreversible sensory neuropathy, she noted.
“The safe upper limit defined by experts is 100 mg per day – the dosage used in this trial. Daily supplementation should not exceed this level,” Dr. Johnston said.
The vitamin tablets used in the study were supplied by Innopure. The investigators and Dr. Johnston have reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
Investigators compared supplementation with a 1-month course of vitamin B6 or B12 to supplementation with placebo in almost 500 adults. Results showed that vitamin B6 supplementation was associated with reductions in self-reported anxiety and a trend toward decreased depressive symptoms.
In addition, the vitamin B6 group showed increased levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), as indicated by results on a visual test that was administered at the end of the trial. The test results demonstrated subtle changes in participants’ visual performance. The researchers considered this to be consistent with controlled levels of GABA-related brain activity.
However, “before practicing clinicians would recommend taking high doses of vitamin B6, a full-scale clinical trial would have to be carried out to verify the findings, assess any side effects, and find out which types of patients do or don’t benefit,” study investigator David Field, PhD, associate professor, School of Psychological and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading (England), told this news organization.
“My relatively small study can only be considered as an initial proof of concept,” Dr. Field said.
The findings were published online in the Journal of Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental.
Eat Marmite?
“Recent research has connected mood disorders and some other neuropsychiatric conditions with disturbance in this balance, often in the direction of raised levels of brain activity,” Dr. Field noted.
Vitamin B6 is a coenzyme in the synthesis of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, from glutamate. Some previous research has suggested that vitamins B6 and B12 have a role in improving mood-related outcomes.
Dr. Field had reviewed a 2017 study of the effects on visual processing of eating Marmite, a type of food spread rich in vitamin B, every day for a few weeks.
“Remarkably, the results of that study suggested that eating Marmite had increased the level of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in the visual part of the brain, damping down the level of neural activity slightly,” he said.
However, Marmite contains other B vitamins and other ingredients that might potentially account for this result, “plus, a lot of people don’t like the taste of Marmite,” Dr. Field noted.
Therefore, he wanted to “find out which individual ingredients were driving the effect, and B6 and B12 were the most plausible candidates.”
He decided to test these vitamins individually and to compare them to placebo. “I added the measures of anxiety and depression that were not in the Marmite study because I reasoned that if GABA levels were altered, this could improve those disorders, because we know that decreased levels of GABA in the brain occur in both of those conditions,” Dr. Field added.
Over the course of 5 years, investigators recruited 478 participants aged 18-58 years (mean age, 23 years; 381 women). Of these, 265 reported having anxiety, and 146 reported having depression.
The study participants were randomly assigned to receive either vitamin B6 (100 mg pyroxidine hydrochloride), vitamin B12 (1,000 mg methylcobalmin), or placebo tablets once daily for a month.
They also completed the Screen for Adult Anxiety Related Disorders (SCAARED) and the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) long version at baseline and following supplementation (“post test”), and they underwent three sensory tests that acted as assays of inhibitory function at post test.
In addition, 307 participants completed the Visual Contrast Sensitivity and Surround Suppression, which “measures the minimum percentage contrast between the lighter and darker regions of a striped pattern that can be detected (called the contrast threshold),” the investigators note.
The contrast threshold was measured with and without a suppressive surround mask that increases the threshold – an effect mediated by GABAergic connections in the visual cortex.
Participants (n = 172) also completed the Binocular Rivalry test and the Tactile Test Battery (n = 180). Both tests are designed to measure responses requiring GABAergic inhibitory activity.
‘Subtle changes’
ANOVA analyses revealed a “highly significant” reduction in anxiety at post test (F[1,173] = 10.03; P = .002; np 2 = .055), driven primarily by reduced anxiety in the B6 group (t[88] = 3.51; P < .001; d = .37). The placebo group also showed some reduction in anxiety, but it was not deemed significant, and the overall interaction itself did not reach significance.
A comparison of the B12 group with the group that received placebo revealed a significant reduction in anxiety at post test (F[1,175] = 4.08; P = .045; np 2 = .023), similarly driven by reduced anxiety in the B12 group (t[89] = 1.84; P = .069; d = .19) – but the interaction was not significant.
Among the B6 group, there was a highly significant reduction in scores on the generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety subscales of the SCAARED, and there was a trend toward reductions on the other subscales. Among the B12 group, there was a significant reduction only on scores on the separation anxiety subscale. No significant changes were found in the placebo group.
The ANOVA test analysis of the B6 and placebo group data showed “no uniform direction of change” in depression at post test. The researchers found a “tendency” for depression scores to decrease between baseline and post test in the B6 group but to increase in the placebo group – an interaction that “approached” significance (F[1,96] = 3.08; P = .083; np 2 = .031), they report.
The ANOVA analysis of the B12 and placebo group data revealed no significant or trending effects, and the t-test comparing baseline and post-test scores in the B12 group was similarly nonsignificant.
B6 supplementation did change visual contrast thresholds, but only when a suppressive surround was present. There were “no clear effects” of B6 supplementation on other outcome measures, including binocular rivalry reversal rate and the tactile test battery, the investigators note.
“We found that supplementation with B6 produced subtle changes in tests of visual processing in a way that suggested an increase in the level of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA,” Dr. Field reported.
Vitamin B6 is a “cofactor for a metabolic pathway in the brain that converts the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate into the inhibitory/calming GABA,” he said.
“By increasing the quantity of the cofactor, we slightly speed up the rate of this metabolic process, and so you end up with a bit more of the GABA neurotransmitter and a bit less glutamate. The net effect of this is to slightly reduce the amount of activity in the brain,” Dr. Field added.
Most common nutrient deficiency
Carol Johnston, PhD, professor and associate dean for faculty success, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, said vitamin B6 is “the most common nutrient deficiency in the United States;” 16% of men and 32% of women are reportedly B6 deficient.
“Young women on birth control are at higher risk for B6 deficiency due to effects of oral contraceptives on B6 metabolism,” whereas vitamin B12 deficiency is more common in older adults, said Dr. Johnston, who was not involved with the study.
The current study’s population mainly consisted of young women, and the interpretation of the data is “limited” because the researchers did not measure blood status for B6 and B12, Dr. Johnston noted. It is possible the sample was low in B6 and that the supplements “improved cognitive measures.”
Because the population was young – no one was older than 60 years – B12 status was likely “adequate in the sample, and supplementation did not have an impact,” she said.
Overall, Dr. Johnston cautioned that it is important to “alert clinicians and the general public about the concerns of overdosing B6.” For example, supplementation at high amounts can cause potentially irreversible sensory neuropathy, she noted.
“The safe upper limit defined by experts is 100 mg per day – the dosage used in this trial. Daily supplementation should not exceed this level,” Dr. Johnston said.
The vitamin tablets used in the study were supplied by Innopure. The investigators and Dr. Johnston have reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
Investigators compared supplementation with a 1-month course of vitamin B6 or B12 to supplementation with placebo in almost 500 adults. Results showed that vitamin B6 supplementation was associated with reductions in self-reported anxiety and a trend toward decreased depressive symptoms.
In addition, the vitamin B6 group showed increased levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), as indicated by results on a visual test that was administered at the end of the trial. The test results demonstrated subtle changes in participants’ visual performance. The researchers considered this to be consistent with controlled levels of GABA-related brain activity.
However, “before practicing clinicians would recommend taking high doses of vitamin B6, a full-scale clinical trial would have to be carried out to verify the findings, assess any side effects, and find out which types of patients do or don’t benefit,” study investigator David Field, PhD, associate professor, School of Psychological and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading (England), told this news organization.
“My relatively small study can only be considered as an initial proof of concept,” Dr. Field said.
The findings were published online in the Journal of Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental.
Eat Marmite?
“Recent research has connected mood disorders and some other neuropsychiatric conditions with disturbance in this balance, often in the direction of raised levels of brain activity,” Dr. Field noted.
Vitamin B6 is a coenzyme in the synthesis of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, from glutamate. Some previous research has suggested that vitamins B6 and B12 have a role in improving mood-related outcomes.
Dr. Field had reviewed a 2017 study of the effects on visual processing of eating Marmite, a type of food spread rich in vitamin B, every day for a few weeks.
“Remarkably, the results of that study suggested that eating Marmite had increased the level of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in the visual part of the brain, damping down the level of neural activity slightly,” he said.
However, Marmite contains other B vitamins and other ingredients that might potentially account for this result, “plus, a lot of people don’t like the taste of Marmite,” Dr. Field noted.
Therefore, he wanted to “find out which individual ingredients were driving the effect, and B6 and B12 were the most plausible candidates.”
He decided to test these vitamins individually and to compare them to placebo. “I added the measures of anxiety and depression that were not in the Marmite study because I reasoned that if GABA levels were altered, this could improve those disorders, because we know that decreased levels of GABA in the brain occur in both of those conditions,” Dr. Field added.
Over the course of 5 years, investigators recruited 478 participants aged 18-58 years (mean age, 23 years; 381 women). Of these, 265 reported having anxiety, and 146 reported having depression.
The study participants were randomly assigned to receive either vitamin B6 (100 mg pyroxidine hydrochloride), vitamin B12 (1,000 mg methylcobalmin), or placebo tablets once daily for a month.
They also completed the Screen for Adult Anxiety Related Disorders (SCAARED) and the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) long version at baseline and following supplementation (“post test”), and they underwent three sensory tests that acted as assays of inhibitory function at post test.
In addition, 307 participants completed the Visual Contrast Sensitivity and Surround Suppression, which “measures the minimum percentage contrast between the lighter and darker regions of a striped pattern that can be detected (called the contrast threshold),” the investigators note.
The contrast threshold was measured with and without a suppressive surround mask that increases the threshold – an effect mediated by GABAergic connections in the visual cortex.
Participants (n = 172) also completed the Binocular Rivalry test and the Tactile Test Battery (n = 180). Both tests are designed to measure responses requiring GABAergic inhibitory activity.
‘Subtle changes’
ANOVA analyses revealed a “highly significant” reduction in anxiety at post test (F[1,173] = 10.03; P = .002; np 2 = .055), driven primarily by reduced anxiety in the B6 group (t[88] = 3.51; P < .001; d = .37). The placebo group also showed some reduction in anxiety, but it was not deemed significant, and the overall interaction itself did not reach significance.
A comparison of the B12 group with the group that received placebo revealed a significant reduction in anxiety at post test (F[1,175] = 4.08; P = .045; np 2 = .023), similarly driven by reduced anxiety in the B12 group (t[89] = 1.84; P = .069; d = .19) – but the interaction was not significant.
Among the B6 group, there was a highly significant reduction in scores on the generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety subscales of the SCAARED, and there was a trend toward reductions on the other subscales. Among the B12 group, there was a significant reduction only on scores on the separation anxiety subscale. No significant changes were found in the placebo group.
The ANOVA test analysis of the B6 and placebo group data showed “no uniform direction of change” in depression at post test. The researchers found a “tendency” for depression scores to decrease between baseline and post test in the B6 group but to increase in the placebo group – an interaction that “approached” significance (F[1,96] = 3.08; P = .083; np 2 = .031), they report.
The ANOVA analysis of the B12 and placebo group data revealed no significant or trending effects, and the t-test comparing baseline and post-test scores in the B12 group was similarly nonsignificant.
B6 supplementation did change visual contrast thresholds, but only when a suppressive surround was present. There were “no clear effects” of B6 supplementation on other outcome measures, including binocular rivalry reversal rate and the tactile test battery, the investigators note.
“We found that supplementation with B6 produced subtle changes in tests of visual processing in a way that suggested an increase in the level of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA,” Dr. Field reported.
Vitamin B6 is a “cofactor for a metabolic pathway in the brain that converts the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate into the inhibitory/calming GABA,” he said.
“By increasing the quantity of the cofactor, we slightly speed up the rate of this metabolic process, and so you end up with a bit more of the GABA neurotransmitter and a bit less glutamate. The net effect of this is to slightly reduce the amount of activity in the brain,” Dr. Field added.
Most common nutrient deficiency
Carol Johnston, PhD, professor and associate dean for faculty success, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, said vitamin B6 is “the most common nutrient deficiency in the United States;” 16% of men and 32% of women are reportedly B6 deficient.
“Young women on birth control are at higher risk for B6 deficiency due to effects of oral contraceptives on B6 metabolism,” whereas vitamin B12 deficiency is more common in older adults, said Dr. Johnston, who was not involved with the study.
The current study’s population mainly consisted of young women, and the interpretation of the data is “limited” because the researchers did not measure blood status for B6 and B12, Dr. Johnston noted. It is possible the sample was low in B6 and that the supplements “improved cognitive measures.”
Because the population was young – no one was older than 60 years – B12 status was likely “adequate in the sample, and supplementation did not have an impact,” she said.
Overall, Dr. Johnston cautioned that it is important to “alert clinicians and the general public about the concerns of overdosing B6.” For example, supplementation at high amounts can cause potentially irreversible sensory neuropathy, she noted.
“The safe upper limit defined by experts is 100 mg per day – the dosage used in this trial. Daily supplementation should not exceed this level,” Dr. Johnston said.
The vitamin tablets used in the study were supplied by Innopure. The investigators and Dr. Johnston have reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
High rate of mental health problems in transgender children
Transgender children, even those as young as 9 or 10 years old, already show increased susceptibility to mental health problems compared with their cisgender peers, new research suggests.
Investigators assessed a sample of more than 7000 children aged 9-10 years in the general population and found those who reported being transgender scored considerably higher on all six subscales of the DSM-5-oriented Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).
Transgender children had almost sixfold higher odds of suicidality and over twice the odds of depressive and anxiety problems, compared with cisgender children. Moreover, transgender children displayed higher levels of mental health problems compared with previous studies of transgender children recruited from specialist gender clinics.
“Our findings emphasize the vulnerability of transgender children, including those who may not yet have accessed specialist support,” senior author Kenneth C. Pang, MBBS, BMedSc, PhD, associate professor, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, University of Melbourne, Royal Children’s Hospital, Australia, told this news organization.
“Clinicians providing general health care to transgender children should keep this vulnerability in mind and proactively address any mental health problems that exist,” he said.
The findings were published online as a research letter in JAMA Network Open.
Higher levels of support?
“We felt this study was important to conduct because previous studies regarding the mental health of transgender children have been drawn from children receiving specialist gender-related care,” Dr. Pang said.
“Transgender children receiving such care are likely to enjoy higher levels of support than those unable to access such services, and this might create differences in mental health,” he added.
To investigate this issue, the researchers turned to participants (n = 7,169; mean age, 10.3 years) in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study.
“The ABCD study is a longitudinal study of over 11,000 children who were recruited to reflect the sociodemographic variation of the U.S. population,” lead author Douglas H. Russell, MSc, a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, told this news organization.
To be included in the current study, children had to understand and respond to the question “Are you transgender?”
The researchers compared mental health outcomes between transgender and cisgender children (n = 58 and n = 7,111, respectively) using the CBCL, which study participants had completed at baseline.
Key protective factor
The transgender children recorded higher mean T scores for all six subscales of the CBCL, although all children scored in the references range; and the standardized mean difference was “small.”
Suicidality was measured by summing the two suicide-related items in the parent-report CBCL assessing suicidal ideation and attempts.
“For the CBCL, T scores are calculated for measures that are scored on a continuous scale,” Dr. Pang noted. “Responses to the suicidality questions on the CBCL were assessed in a categorical manner (at risk of suicide vs. not), as previously described by others. So T scores were therefore not able to be calculated.”
When the investigators determined the proportion of cisgender and transgender children who scored in the “borderline” or “clinical” range (T score, 65), they found increased odds of transgender children scoring in that range in all six subscales, as well as suicidality.
The researchers note the results for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant problems were not statistically significant.
Previous studies that used clinical samples of young transgender children (aged 5 -11 years) reported lower rates of depression and anxiety than what was found in the current study.
“Transgender children in the general population displayed higher levels of mental health problems compared to previous studies of transgender children recruited from specialist gender clinics,” Mr. Russell said.
One reason for that may be children in specialist clinics “are likely to have support from their families (a key protective factor for the mental health of transgender young people); in comparison, many transgender children in the general population lack parental support for their gender,” the investigators wrote.
“Our findings suggest that by 9 to 10 years of age transgender children already show increased susceptibility to mental health problems compared with their cisgender peers, which has important public health implications,” they added.
The researchers noted that whether this susceptibility “is due to stigma, minority stress, discrimination, or gender dysphoria is unclear, but providing appropriate mental health supports to this vulnerable group is paramount.”
“Pathologizing and damaging”
Commenting for this news organiztion, Jack L. Turban, MD, incoming assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, said that “sadly” the findings are “largely in line with past studies that have shown dramatic mental health disparities” for transgender and gender diverse youth.
“The dramatically elevated odds of suicidality warrants particular public health concern,” said Dr. Turban, who was not involved with the study.
He noted these results “come at a time when transgender youth are under legislative attack in many states throughout the country, and the national rhetoric around them has been pathologizing and damaging.”
Dr. Turban said that he worries “if our national discourse around trans youth doesn’t change soon, that these disparities will worsen.”
Funding was provided to individual investigators by the Hugh Williamson Foundation, the Royal Children’s Hospital foundation, the National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. Mr. Russell and Dr. Pang reported being members of the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health. Dr. Pang is a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and a member of the editorial board of the journal Transgender Health. Dr. Turban reported textbook royalties from Springer Nature, being on the scientific advisory board of Panorama Global (UpSwing Fund), and payments as an expert witness for the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, and Cooley LLP. He has received a pilot research award from AACAP and pharmaceutical partners (Arbor and Pfizer), a research fellowship from the Sorensen Foundation, and freelance payments from the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
Transgender children, even those as young as 9 or 10 years old, already show increased susceptibility to mental health problems compared with their cisgender peers, new research suggests.
Investigators assessed a sample of more than 7000 children aged 9-10 years in the general population and found those who reported being transgender scored considerably higher on all six subscales of the DSM-5-oriented Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).
Transgender children had almost sixfold higher odds of suicidality and over twice the odds of depressive and anxiety problems, compared with cisgender children. Moreover, transgender children displayed higher levels of mental health problems compared with previous studies of transgender children recruited from specialist gender clinics.
“Our findings emphasize the vulnerability of transgender children, including those who may not yet have accessed specialist support,” senior author Kenneth C. Pang, MBBS, BMedSc, PhD, associate professor, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, University of Melbourne, Royal Children’s Hospital, Australia, told this news organization.
“Clinicians providing general health care to transgender children should keep this vulnerability in mind and proactively address any mental health problems that exist,” he said.
The findings were published online as a research letter in JAMA Network Open.
Higher levels of support?
“We felt this study was important to conduct because previous studies regarding the mental health of transgender children have been drawn from children receiving specialist gender-related care,” Dr. Pang said.
“Transgender children receiving such care are likely to enjoy higher levels of support than those unable to access such services, and this might create differences in mental health,” he added.
To investigate this issue, the researchers turned to participants (n = 7,169; mean age, 10.3 years) in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study.
“The ABCD study is a longitudinal study of over 11,000 children who were recruited to reflect the sociodemographic variation of the U.S. population,” lead author Douglas H. Russell, MSc, a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, told this news organization.
To be included in the current study, children had to understand and respond to the question “Are you transgender?”
The researchers compared mental health outcomes between transgender and cisgender children (n = 58 and n = 7,111, respectively) using the CBCL, which study participants had completed at baseline.
Key protective factor
The transgender children recorded higher mean T scores for all six subscales of the CBCL, although all children scored in the references range; and the standardized mean difference was “small.”
Suicidality was measured by summing the two suicide-related items in the parent-report CBCL assessing suicidal ideation and attempts.
“For the CBCL, T scores are calculated for measures that are scored on a continuous scale,” Dr. Pang noted. “Responses to the suicidality questions on the CBCL were assessed in a categorical manner (at risk of suicide vs. not), as previously described by others. So T scores were therefore not able to be calculated.”
When the investigators determined the proportion of cisgender and transgender children who scored in the “borderline” or “clinical” range (T score, 65), they found increased odds of transgender children scoring in that range in all six subscales, as well as suicidality.
The researchers note the results for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant problems were not statistically significant.
Previous studies that used clinical samples of young transgender children (aged 5 -11 years) reported lower rates of depression and anxiety than what was found in the current study.
“Transgender children in the general population displayed higher levels of mental health problems compared to previous studies of transgender children recruited from specialist gender clinics,” Mr. Russell said.
One reason for that may be children in specialist clinics “are likely to have support from their families (a key protective factor for the mental health of transgender young people); in comparison, many transgender children in the general population lack parental support for their gender,” the investigators wrote.
“Our findings suggest that by 9 to 10 years of age transgender children already show increased susceptibility to mental health problems compared with their cisgender peers, which has important public health implications,” they added.
The researchers noted that whether this susceptibility “is due to stigma, minority stress, discrimination, or gender dysphoria is unclear, but providing appropriate mental health supports to this vulnerable group is paramount.”
“Pathologizing and damaging”
Commenting for this news organiztion, Jack L. Turban, MD, incoming assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, said that “sadly” the findings are “largely in line with past studies that have shown dramatic mental health disparities” for transgender and gender diverse youth.
“The dramatically elevated odds of suicidality warrants particular public health concern,” said Dr. Turban, who was not involved with the study.
He noted these results “come at a time when transgender youth are under legislative attack in many states throughout the country, and the national rhetoric around them has been pathologizing and damaging.”
Dr. Turban said that he worries “if our national discourse around trans youth doesn’t change soon, that these disparities will worsen.”
Funding was provided to individual investigators by the Hugh Williamson Foundation, the Royal Children’s Hospital foundation, the National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. Mr. Russell and Dr. Pang reported being members of the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health. Dr. Pang is a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and a member of the editorial board of the journal Transgender Health. Dr. Turban reported textbook royalties from Springer Nature, being on the scientific advisory board of Panorama Global (UpSwing Fund), and payments as an expert witness for the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, and Cooley LLP. He has received a pilot research award from AACAP and pharmaceutical partners (Arbor and Pfizer), a research fellowship from the Sorensen Foundation, and freelance payments from the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
Transgender children, even those as young as 9 or 10 years old, already show increased susceptibility to mental health problems compared with their cisgender peers, new research suggests.
Investigators assessed a sample of more than 7000 children aged 9-10 years in the general population and found those who reported being transgender scored considerably higher on all six subscales of the DSM-5-oriented Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).
Transgender children had almost sixfold higher odds of suicidality and over twice the odds of depressive and anxiety problems, compared with cisgender children. Moreover, transgender children displayed higher levels of mental health problems compared with previous studies of transgender children recruited from specialist gender clinics.
“Our findings emphasize the vulnerability of transgender children, including those who may not yet have accessed specialist support,” senior author Kenneth C. Pang, MBBS, BMedSc, PhD, associate professor, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, University of Melbourne, Royal Children’s Hospital, Australia, told this news organization.
“Clinicians providing general health care to transgender children should keep this vulnerability in mind and proactively address any mental health problems that exist,” he said.
The findings were published online as a research letter in JAMA Network Open.
Higher levels of support?
“We felt this study was important to conduct because previous studies regarding the mental health of transgender children have been drawn from children receiving specialist gender-related care,” Dr. Pang said.
“Transgender children receiving such care are likely to enjoy higher levels of support than those unable to access such services, and this might create differences in mental health,” he added.
To investigate this issue, the researchers turned to participants (n = 7,169; mean age, 10.3 years) in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study.
“The ABCD study is a longitudinal study of over 11,000 children who were recruited to reflect the sociodemographic variation of the U.S. population,” lead author Douglas H. Russell, MSc, a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, told this news organization.
To be included in the current study, children had to understand and respond to the question “Are you transgender?”
The researchers compared mental health outcomes between transgender and cisgender children (n = 58 and n = 7,111, respectively) using the CBCL, which study participants had completed at baseline.
Key protective factor
The transgender children recorded higher mean T scores for all six subscales of the CBCL, although all children scored in the references range; and the standardized mean difference was “small.”
Suicidality was measured by summing the two suicide-related items in the parent-report CBCL assessing suicidal ideation and attempts.
“For the CBCL, T scores are calculated for measures that are scored on a continuous scale,” Dr. Pang noted. “Responses to the suicidality questions on the CBCL were assessed in a categorical manner (at risk of suicide vs. not), as previously described by others. So T scores were therefore not able to be calculated.”
When the investigators determined the proportion of cisgender and transgender children who scored in the “borderline” or “clinical” range (T score, 65), they found increased odds of transgender children scoring in that range in all six subscales, as well as suicidality.
The researchers note the results for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant problems were not statistically significant.
Previous studies that used clinical samples of young transgender children (aged 5 -11 years) reported lower rates of depression and anxiety than what was found in the current study.
“Transgender children in the general population displayed higher levels of mental health problems compared to previous studies of transgender children recruited from specialist gender clinics,” Mr. Russell said.
One reason for that may be children in specialist clinics “are likely to have support from their families (a key protective factor for the mental health of transgender young people); in comparison, many transgender children in the general population lack parental support for their gender,” the investigators wrote.
“Our findings suggest that by 9 to 10 years of age transgender children already show increased susceptibility to mental health problems compared with their cisgender peers, which has important public health implications,” they added.
The researchers noted that whether this susceptibility “is due to stigma, minority stress, discrimination, or gender dysphoria is unclear, but providing appropriate mental health supports to this vulnerable group is paramount.”
“Pathologizing and damaging”
Commenting for this news organiztion, Jack L. Turban, MD, incoming assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, said that “sadly” the findings are “largely in line with past studies that have shown dramatic mental health disparities” for transgender and gender diverse youth.
“The dramatically elevated odds of suicidality warrants particular public health concern,” said Dr. Turban, who was not involved with the study.
He noted these results “come at a time when transgender youth are under legislative attack in many states throughout the country, and the national rhetoric around them has been pathologizing and damaging.”
Dr. Turban said that he worries “if our national discourse around trans youth doesn’t change soon, that these disparities will worsen.”
Funding was provided to individual investigators by the Hugh Williamson Foundation, the Royal Children’s Hospital foundation, the National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. Mr. Russell and Dr. Pang reported being members of the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health. Dr. Pang is a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and a member of the editorial board of the journal Transgender Health. Dr. Turban reported textbook royalties from Springer Nature, being on the scientific advisory board of Panorama Global (UpSwing Fund), and payments as an expert witness for the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, and Cooley LLP. He has received a pilot research award from AACAP and pharmaceutical partners (Arbor and Pfizer), a research fellowship from the Sorensen Foundation, and freelance payments from the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
FROM JAMA NETWORK OPEN
Women with fear of pregnancy call for clinician compassion
Cee Elliot is afraid of pregnancy. The 29-year-old retail manager in Connecticut said she has felt that way since puberty, when she “finally understood” pregnancy and reproduction. Always squeamish around babies and pregnant people, she said, as she learned more about the complications birth can cause, the idea of carrying a child herself became increasingly repulsive.
Later, Ms. Elliot said, she was treated poorly by a partner because of her fears, leading to regular panic attacks. She moved on from that partner, but her fear of pregnancy did not. Along the way, she felt her fears were dismissed by doctors and peers alike.
Tokophobia – a severe fear of childbirth – goes beyond the typical anxieties about birth or pregnancy that women often experience. The condition can intrude on everyday life, crippling social interaction and interrupting regular sleep patterns. Although statistics in the United States don’t exist, as many as 14% of women internationally are thought to have tokophobia.
Although psychiatric treatment focusing on past traumas can help, many women resort to managing the condition themselves. Some seek sterilization, whereas others take multiple forms of contraception simultaneously – combining intrauterine devices and oral birth control, for example, experts said. Some women have sought abortions and some even have attempted suicide rather than face giving birth, according to Leila Frodsham, MbChB, a women’s health expert at King’s College London, who has studied tokophobia.
The International Classification of Diseases added tokophobia to its list of diagnostic codes in 2018. But the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, used by clinicians in the United States, has yet to do the same. Without this designation, some doctors are more inclined to diagnose tokophobia than others, Dr. Frodsham said.
“I think some clinicians struggle to understand how much this condition affects women. There isn’t training in it, and I’d like to see it discussed more,” Dr. Frodsham told this news organization.
Dr. Frodsham said she has seen hundreds of patients seeking help with their fear of pregnancy. Many of these women don’t know that they might have a condition that could benefit from psychiatric treatment.
Tokophobia typically takes two forms: primary, which affects women who have never given birth; and secondary, which stems from a previous traumatic birth experience.
“It’s not the pain of childbirth they are afraid of, but rather their fear comes out of a sense that they lack control over themselves and the situation of being pregnant,” Dr. Frodsham said.
Although the phenomenon has been studied internationally, particularly in Europe, fear of childbirth remains almost entirely unexplored in the United States literature.
One of the only scientific examinations of tokophobia in this country was a 2016 survey of 22 women with the condition by researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Published in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecology & Neonatal Nursing, the survey found that many of the women expressed concern that their race, gender, or level of income might affect the quality of their care. Some women surveyed said they had experienced traumas directly related to systemic inequalities in the health care system.
Lee Roosevelt, PhD, MPH, CNM, a nurse and midwife and a coauthor of the study, said fear of the health care system, coupled with concern over the loss of bodily autonomy, can foster severe aversion to childbirth. In her experience, she said, clinicians often handle these patients poorly.
“If a woman is making the decision not to have children, we want it to be because she has decided for her, and her body, that it is the right thing,” added Lisa Kane Low, PhD, CNM, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan, who worked with Dr. Roosevelt on the survey. “She shouldn’t feel the decision is made because she can’t access what she needs or the health care system is unable to provide it.”
Access to midwives, doulas, or therapists trained in trauma counseling can allow women to have a voice in their treatment, Dr. Roosevelt said.
No specific medication exists to treat tokophobia; however, drugs for depression or anxiety sometimes help, Dr. Low said. “Women with tokophobia may not need medication but would benefit from other therapies like desensitization or biobehavioral approaches or combinations of those,” she said.
Treating triggers
According to Dr. Frodsham, women with tokophobia often experience guilt and isolation. They may avoid speaking to women who are pregnant or avoid discussing pregnancy and childbirth, afraid that doing so may trigger their fear.
“They can’t see how they can get close to this catastrophic thing they think is going to happen to them,” she said. “Many of them think they will die.”
Many patients avoid thinking about memories of traumatic events so as to not trigger extreme emotional responses.
Dr. Roosevelt said developing ways to assess and treat tokophobia has become more urgent, since the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade could lead to more instances of women carrying unwanted pregnancies.
Seeking community
The internet has become a place where women with tokophobia and less severe fears about pregnancy can share their experiences. On the online bulletin board Reddit, r/Tokphobia and r/childfree contain thousands of queries and personal stories about the condition, as well as requests for advice.
Jillian Kilcoyne, who lives in New York and attends college in Michigan, said: “Pregnancy has always freaked me out. A part of me believes it’s a biological injustice that women have to go through such pain and be ignored by the medical community just to give birth.” Ms. Kilcoyne said she has not sought counseling or help from a clinician.
“I’m not sure I even want it,” she told this news organization. “Some people want to get over their phobia because they want families, and others don’t want children at all. I think that those individuals should have the help they need.”
Claudia, a South Carolina resident who asked to be identified only by her first name owing to concerns about her privacy, said her tokophobia began when she started having sex. It grew worse when she developed health conditions that could be exacerbated by pregnancy. She said she stocks up on contraceptives and periodically takes a pregnancy test to ease her nerves.
“This started for me when I realized that having children wasn’t a requirement for life. I didn’t even know there was a name for what I was feeling,” Claudia said in an interview. “So, letting women know they have options, and then not making them feel guilty, or ashamed, is the most important thing. We shouldn’t try to convince women that motherhood is the only, or the correct, path.”
Ms. Elliot urged clinicians to have compassion: “Treat tokophobic patients – especially a pregnant one seeking an abortion – like someone with a life-threatening parasite. Don’t belittle or dismiss them. We’re already going to lose so many lives because of unwanted pregnancies and birth. Don’t add to the number.”
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
Cee Elliot is afraid of pregnancy. The 29-year-old retail manager in Connecticut said she has felt that way since puberty, when she “finally understood” pregnancy and reproduction. Always squeamish around babies and pregnant people, she said, as she learned more about the complications birth can cause, the idea of carrying a child herself became increasingly repulsive.
Later, Ms. Elliot said, she was treated poorly by a partner because of her fears, leading to regular panic attacks. She moved on from that partner, but her fear of pregnancy did not. Along the way, she felt her fears were dismissed by doctors and peers alike.
Tokophobia – a severe fear of childbirth – goes beyond the typical anxieties about birth or pregnancy that women often experience. The condition can intrude on everyday life, crippling social interaction and interrupting regular sleep patterns. Although statistics in the United States don’t exist, as many as 14% of women internationally are thought to have tokophobia.
Although psychiatric treatment focusing on past traumas can help, many women resort to managing the condition themselves. Some seek sterilization, whereas others take multiple forms of contraception simultaneously – combining intrauterine devices and oral birth control, for example, experts said. Some women have sought abortions and some even have attempted suicide rather than face giving birth, according to Leila Frodsham, MbChB, a women’s health expert at King’s College London, who has studied tokophobia.
The International Classification of Diseases added tokophobia to its list of diagnostic codes in 2018. But the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, used by clinicians in the United States, has yet to do the same. Without this designation, some doctors are more inclined to diagnose tokophobia than others, Dr. Frodsham said.
“I think some clinicians struggle to understand how much this condition affects women. There isn’t training in it, and I’d like to see it discussed more,” Dr. Frodsham told this news organization.
Dr. Frodsham said she has seen hundreds of patients seeking help with their fear of pregnancy. Many of these women don’t know that they might have a condition that could benefit from psychiatric treatment.
Tokophobia typically takes two forms: primary, which affects women who have never given birth; and secondary, which stems from a previous traumatic birth experience.
“It’s not the pain of childbirth they are afraid of, but rather their fear comes out of a sense that they lack control over themselves and the situation of being pregnant,” Dr. Frodsham said.
Although the phenomenon has been studied internationally, particularly in Europe, fear of childbirth remains almost entirely unexplored in the United States literature.
One of the only scientific examinations of tokophobia in this country was a 2016 survey of 22 women with the condition by researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Published in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecology & Neonatal Nursing, the survey found that many of the women expressed concern that their race, gender, or level of income might affect the quality of their care. Some women surveyed said they had experienced traumas directly related to systemic inequalities in the health care system.
Lee Roosevelt, PhD, MPH, CNM, a nurse and midwife and a coauthor of the study, said fear of the health care system, coupled with concern over the loss of bodily autonomy, can foster severe aversion to childbirth. In her experience, she said, clinicians often handle these patients poorly.
“If a woman is making the decision not to have children, we want it to be because she has decided for her, and her body, that it is the right thing,” added Lisa Kane Low, PhD, CNM, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan, who worked with Dr. Roosevelt on the survey. “She shouldn’t feel the decision is made because she can’t access what she needs or the health care system is unable to provide it.”
Access to midwives, doulas, or therapists trained in trauma counseling can allow women to have a voice in their treatment, Dr. Roosevelt said.
No specific medication exists to treat tokophobia; however, drugs for depression or anxiety sometimes help, Dr. Low said. “Women with tokophobia may not need medication but would benefit from other therapies like desensitization or biobehavioral approaches or combinations of those,” she said.
Treating triggers
According to Dr. Frodsham, women with tokophobia often experience guilt and isolation. They may avoid speaking to women who are pregnant or avoid discussing pregnancy and childbirth, afraid that doing so may trigger their fear.
“They can’t see how they can get close to this catastrophic thing they think is going to happen to them,” she said. “Many of them think they will die.”
Many patients avoid thinking about memories of traumatic events so as to not trigger extreme emotional responses.
Dr. Roosevelt said developing ways to assess and treat tokophobia has become more urgent, since the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade could lead to more instances of women carrying unwanted pregnancies.
Seeking community
The internet has become a place where women with tokophobia and less severe fears about pregnancy can share their experiences. On the online bulletin board Reddit, r/Tokphobia and r/childfree contain thousands of queries and personal stories about the condition, as well as requests for advice.
Jillian Kilcoyne, who lives in New York and attends college in Michigan, said: “Pregnancy has always freaked me out. A part of me believes it’s a biological injustice that women have to go through such pain and be ignored by the medical community just to give birth.” Ms. Kilcoyne said she has not sought counseling or help from a clinician.
“I’m not sure I even want it,” she told this news organization. “Some people want to get over their phobia because they want families, and others don’t want children at all. I think that those individuals should have the help they need.”
Claudia, a South Carolina resident who asked to be identified only by her first name owing to concerns about her privacy, said her tokophobia began when she started having sex. It grew worse when she developed health conditions that could be exacerbated by pregnancy. She said she stocks up on contraceptives and periodically takes a pregnancy test to ease her nerves.
“This started for me when I realized that having children wasn’t a requirement for life. I didn’t even know there was a name for what I was feeling,” Claudia said in an interview. “So, letting women know they have options, and then not making them feel guilty, or ashamed, is the most important thing. We shouldn’t try to convince women that motherhood is the only, or the correct, path.”
Ms. Elliot urged clinicians to have compassion: “Treat tokophobic patients – especially a pregnant one seeking an abortion – like someone with a life-threatening parasite. Don’t belittle or dismiss them. We’re already going to lose so many lives because of unwanted pregnancies and birth. Don’t add to the number.”
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
Cee Elliot is afraid of pregnancy. The 29-year-old retail manager in Connecticut said she has felt that way since puberty, when she “finally understood” pregnancy and reproduction. Always squeamish around babies and pregnant people, she said, as she learned more about the complications birth can cause, the idea of carrying a child herself became increasingly repulsive.
Later, Ms. Elliot said, she was treated poorly by a partner because of her fears, leading to regular panic attacks. She moved on from that partner, but her fear of pregnancy did not. Along the way, she felt her fears were dismissed by doctors and peers alike.
Tokophobia – a severe fear of childbirth – goes beyond the typical anxieties about birth or pregnancy that women often experience. The condition can intrude on everyday life, crippling social interaction and interrupting regular sleep patterns. Although statistics in the United States don’t exist, as many as 14% of women internationally are thought to have tokophobia.
Although psychiatric treatment focusing on past traumas can help, many women resort to managing the condition themselves. Some seek sterilization, whereas others take multiple forms of contraception simultaneously – combining intrauterine devices and oral birth control, for example, experts said. Some women have sought abortions and some even have attempted suicide rather than face giving birth, according to Leila Frodsham, MbChB, a women’s health expert at King’s College London, who has studied tokophobia.
The International Classification of Diseases added tokophobia to its list of diagnostic codes in 2018. But the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, used by clinicians in the United States, has yet to do the same. Without this designation, some doctors are more inclined to diagnose tokophobia than others, Dr. Frodsham said.
“I think some clinicians struggle to understand how much this condition affects women. There isn’t training in it, and I’d like to see it discussed more,” Dr. Frodsham told this news organization.
Dr. Frodsham said she has seen hundreds of patients seeking help with their fear of pregnancy. Many of these women don’t know that they might have a condition that could benefit from psychiatric treatment.
Tokophobia typically takes two forms: primary, which affects women who have never given birth; and secondary, which stems from a previous traumatic birth experience.
“It’s not the pain of childbirth they are afraid of, but rather their fear comes out of a sense that they lack control over themselves and the situation of being pregnant,” Dr. Frodsham said.
Although the phenomenon has been studied internationally, particularly in Europe, fear of childbirth remains almost entirely unexplored in the United States literature.
One of the only scientific examinations of tokophobia in this country was a 2016 survey of 22 women with the condition by researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Published in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecology & Neonatal Nursing, the survey found that many of the women expressed concern that their race, gender, or level of income might affect the quality of their care. Some women surveyed said they had experienced traumas directly related to systemic inequalities in the health care system.
Lee Roosevelt, PhD, MPH, CNM, a nurse and midwife and a coauthor of the study, said fear of the health care system, coupled with concern over the loss of bodily autonomy, can foster severe aversion to childbirth. In her experience, she said, clinicians often handle these patients poorly.
“If a woman is making the decision not to have children, we want it to be because she has decided for her, and her body, that it is the right thing,” added Lisa Kane Low, PhD, CNM, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan, who worked with Dr. Roosevelt on the survey. “She shouldn’t feel the decision is made because she can’t access what she needs or the health care system is unable to provide it.”
Access to midwives, doulas, or therapists trained in trauma counseling can allow women to have a voice in their treatment, Dr. Roosevelt said.
No specific medication exists to treat tokophobia; however, drugs for depression or anxiety sometimes help, Dr. Low said. “Women with tokophobia may not need medication but would benefit from other therapies like desensitization or biobehavioral approaches or combinations of those,” she said.
Treating triggers
According to Dr. Frodsham, women with tokophobia often experience guilt and isolation. They may avoid speaking to women who are pregnant or avoid discussing pregnancy and childbirth, afraid that doing so may trigger their fear.
“They can’t see how they can get close to this catastrophic thing they think is going to happen to them,” she said. “Many of them think they will die.”
Many patients avoid thinking about memories of traumatic events so as to not trigger extreme emotional responses.
Dr. Roosevelt said developing ways to assess and treat tokophobia has become more urgent, since the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade could lead to more instances of women carrying unwanted pregnancies.
Seeking community
The internet has become a place where women with tokophobia and less severe fears about pregnancy can share their experiences. On the online bulletin board Reddit, r/Tokphobia and r/childfree contain thousands of queries and personal stories about the condition, as well as requests for advice.
Jillian Kilcoyne, who lives in New York and attends college in Michigan, said: “Pregnancy has always freaked me out. A part of me believes it’s a biological injustice that women have to go through such pain and be ignored by the medical community just to give birth.” Ms. Kilcoyne said she has not sought counseling or help from a clinician.
“I’m not sure I even want it,” she told this news organization. “Some people want to get over their phobia because they want families, and others don’t want children at all. I think that those individuals should have the help they need.”
Claudia, a South Carolina resident who asked to be identified only by her first name owing to concerns about her privacy, said her tokophobia began when she started having sex. It grew worse when she developed health conditions that could be exacerbated by pregnancy. She said she stocks up on contraceptives and periodically takes a pregnancy test to ease her nerves.
“This started for me when I realized that having children wasn’t a requirement for life. I didn’t even know there was a name for what I was feeling,” Claudia said in an interview. “So, letting women know they have options, and then not making them feel guilty, or ashamed, is the most important thing. We shouldn’t try to convince women that motherhood is the only, or the correct, path.”
Ms. Elliot urged clinicians to have compassion: “Treat tokophobic patients – especially a pregnant one seeking an abortion – like someone with a life-threatening parasite. Don’t belittle or dismiss them. We’re already going to lose so many lives because of unwanted pregnancies and birth. Don’t add to the number.”
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
Hospital programs tackle mental health effects of long COVID
There’s little doubt that long COVID is real. Even as doctors and federal agencies struggle to define the syndrome, hospitals and health care systems are opening long COVID specialty treatment programs. As of July 25, there’s at least one long COVID center in almost every state – 48 out of 50, according to the patient advocacy group Survivor Corps.
Among the biggest challenges will be treating the mental health effects of long COVID. 
Specialized centers will be tackling these problems even as the United States struggles to deal with mental health needs.
One study of COVID patients found more than one-third of them had symptoms of depression, anxiety, or PTSD 3-6 months after their initial infection. Another analysis of 30 previous studies of long COVID patients found roughly one in eight of them had severe depression – and that the risk was similar regardless of whether people were hospitalized for COVID-19.
“Many of these symptoms can emerge months into the course of long COVID illness,” said Jordan Anderson, DO, a neuropsychiatrist who sees patients at the Long COVID-19 Program at Oregon Health & Science University, Portland. Psychological symptoms are often made worse by physical setbacks like extreme fatigue and by challenges of working, caring for children, and keeping up with daily routines, he said.
“This impact is not only severe, but also chronic for many,” he said.
Like dozens of hospitals around the country, Oregon Health & Science opened its center for long COVID as it became clear that more patients would need help for ongoing physical and mental health symptoms. Today, there’s at least one long COVID center – sometimes called post-COVID care centers or clinics – in every state but Kansas and South Dakota, Survivor Corps said.
Many long COVID care centers aim to tackle both physical and mental health symptoms, said Tracy Vannorsdall, PhD, a neuropsychologist with the Johns Hopkins Post-Acute COVID-19 Team program. One goal at Hopkins is to identify patients with psychological issues that might otherwise get overlooked.
A sizable minority of patients at the Johns Hopkins center – up to about 35% – report mental health problems that they didn’t have until after they got COVID-19, Dr. Vannorsdall says. The most common mental health issues providers see are depression, anxiety, and trauma-related distress.
“Routine assessment is key,” Dr. Vannorsdall said. “If patients are not asked about their mental health symptoms, they may not spontaneously report them to their provider due to fear of stigma or simply not appreciating that there are effective treatments available for these issues.”
Fear that doctors won’t take symptoms seriously is common, says Heather Murray MD, a senior instructor in psychiatry at the University of Colorado at Denver, Aurora.
“Many patients worry their physicians, loved ones, and society will not believe them or will minimize their symptoms and suffering,” said Dr. Murray, who treats patients at the UCHealth Post-COVID Clinic.
Diagnostic tests in long COVID patients often don’t have conclusive results, which can lead doctors and patients themselves to question whether symptoms are truly “physical versus psychosomatic,” she said. “It is important that providers believe their patients and treat their symptoms, even when diagnostic tests are unrevealing.”
Growing mental health crisis
Patients often find their way to academic treatment centers after surviving severe COVID-19 infections. But a growing number of long COVID patients show up at these centers after milder cases. These patients were never hospitalized for COVID-19 but still have persistent symptoms like fatigue, thinking problems, and mood disorders.
Among the major challenges is a shortage of mental health care providers to meet the surging need for care since the start of the pandemic. Around the world, anxiety and depression surged 25% during the first year of the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization.
In the United States, 40% of adults report feelings of anxiety and depression, and one in three high school students have feelings of sadness and hopelessness, according to a March 2022 statement from the White House.
Despite this surging need for care, almost half of Americans live in areas with a severe shortage of mental health care providers, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. As of 2019, the United States had a shortage of about 6,790 mental health providers. Since then, the shortage has worsened; it’s now about 7,500 providers.
“One of the biggest challenges for hospitals and clinics in treating mental health disorders in long COVID is the limited resources and long wait times to get in for evaluations and treatment,” said Nyaz Didehbani, PhD, a neuropsychologist who treats long COVID patients at the COVID Recover program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.
These delays can lead to worse outcomes, Dr. Didehbani said. “Additionally, patients do not feel that they are being heard, as many providers are not aware of the mental health impact and relationship with physical and cognitive symptoms.” .
Even when doctors recognize that psychological challenges are common with long COVID, they still have to think creatively to come up with treatments that meet the unique needs of these patients, said Thida Thant, MD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado who treats patients at the UCHealth Post-COVID Clinic.
“There are at least two major factors that make treating psychological issues in long COVID more complex: The fact that the pandemic is still ongoing and still so divisive throughout society, and the fact that we don’t know a single best way to treat all symptoms of long COVID,” she said.
Some common treatments for anxiety and depression, like psychotherapy and medication, can be used for long COVID patients with these conditions. But another intervention that can work wonders for many people with mood disorders – exercise – doesn’t always work for long COVID patients. That’s because many of them struggle with physical challenges like chronic fatigue and what’s known as postexertional malaise, or a worsening of symptoms after even limited physical effort.
“While we normally encourage patients to be active, have a daily routine, and to engage in physical activity as part of their mental health treatment, some long COVID patients find that their symptoms worsen after increased activity,” Dr. Vannorsdall said.
Patients who are able to reach long COVID care centers are much more apt to get mental health problems diagnosed and treated, doctors at many programs around the country agree. But many patients hardest hit by the pandemic – the poor and racial and ethnic minorities – are also less likely to have ready access to hospitals that offer these programs, said Dr. Anderson.
“Affluent, predominantly White populations are showing up in these clinics, while we know that non-White populations have disproportionally high rates of acute infection, hospitalization, and death related to the virus,” he said.
Clinics are also concentrated in academic medical centers and in urban areas, limiting options for people in rural communities who may have to drive for hours to access care, Dr. Anderson said.
“Even before long COVID, we already knew that many people live in areas where there simply aren’t enough mental health services available,” said John Zulueta, MD, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago who provides mental health evaluations at the UI Health Post-COVID Clinic.
“As more patients develop mental health issues associated with long COVID, it’s going to put more stress on an already stressed system,” he said.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
There’s little doubt that long COVID is real. Even as doctors and federal agencies struggle to define the syndrome, hospitals and health care systems are opening long COVID specialty treatment programs. As of July 25, there’s at least one long COVID center in almost every state – 48 out of 50, according to the patient advocacy group Survivor Corps.
Among the biggest challenges will be treating the mental health effects of long COVID.
Specialized centers will be tackling these problems even as the United States struggles to deal with mental health needs.
One study of COVID patients found more than one-third of them had symptoms of depression, anxiety, or PTSD 3-6 months after their initial infection. Another analysis of 30 previous studies of long COVID patients found roughly one in eight of them had severe depression – and that the risk was similar regardless of whether people were hospitalized for COVID-19.
“Many of these symptoms can emerge months into the course of long COVID illness,” said Jordan Anderson, DO, a neuropsychiatrist who sees patients at the Long COVID-19 Program at Oregon Health & Science University, Portland. Psychological symptoms are often made worse by physical setbacks like extreme fatigue and by challenges of working, caring for children, and keeping up with daily routines, he said.
“This impact is not only severe, but also chronic for many,” he said.
Like dozens of hospitals around the country, Oregon Health & Science opened its center for long COVID as it became clear that more patients would need help for ongoing physical and mental health symptoms. Today, there’s at least one long COVID center – sometimes called post-COVID care centers or clinics – in every state but Kansas and South Dakota, Survivor Corps said.
Many long COVID care centers aim to tackle both physical and mental health symptoms, said Tracy Vannorsdall, PhD, a neuropsychologist with the Johns Hopkins Post-Acute COVID-19 Team program. One goal at Hopkins is to identify patients with psychological issues that might otherwise get overlooked.
A sizable minority of patients at the Johns Hopkins center – up to about 35% – report mental health problems that they didn’t have until after they got COVID-19, Dr. Vannorsdall says. The most common mental health issues providers see are depression, anxiety, and trauma-related distress.
“Routine assessment is key,” Dr. Vannorsdall said. “If patients are not asked about their mental health symptoms, they may not spontaneously report them to their provider due to fear of stigma or simply not appreciating that there are effective treatments available for these issues.”
Fear that doctors won’t take symptoms seriously is common, says Heather Murray MD, a senior instructor in psychiatry at the University of Colorado at Denver, Aurora.
“Many patients worry their physicians, loved ones, and society will not believe them or will minimize their symptoms and suffering,” said Dr. Murray, who treats patients at the UCHealth Post-COVID Clinic.
Diagnostic tests in long COVID patients often don’t have conclusive results, which can lead doctors and patients themselves to question whether symptoms are truly “physical versus psychosomatic,” she said. “It is important that providers believe their patients and treat their symptoms, even when diagnostic tests are unrevealing.”
Growing mental health crisis
Patients often find their way to academic treatment centers after surviving severe COVID-19 infections. But a growing number of long COVID patients show up at these centers after milder cases. These patients were never hospitalized for COVID-19 but still have persistent symptoms like fatigue, thinking problems, and mood disorders.
Among the major challenges is a shortage of mental health care providers to meet the surging need for care since the start of the pandemic. Around the world, anxiety and depression surged 25% during the first year of the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization.
In the United States, 40% of adults report feelings of anxiety and depression, and one in three high school students have feelings of sadness and hopelessness, according to a March 2022 statement from the White House.
Despite this surging need for care, almost half of Americans live in areas with a severe shortage of mental health care providers, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. As of 2019, the United States had a shortage of about 6,790 mental health providers. Since then, the shortage has worsened; it’s now about 7,500 providers.
“One of the biggest challenges for hospitals and clinics in treating mental health disorders in long COVID is the limited resources and long wait times to get in for evaluations and treatment,” said Nyaz Didehbani, PhD, a neuropsychologist who treats long COVID patients at the COVID Recover program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.
These delays can lead to worse outcomes, Dr. Didehbani said. “Additionally, patients do not feel that they are being heard, as many providers are not aware of the mental health impact and relationship with physical and cognitive symptoms.” .
Even when doctors recognize that psychological challenges are common with long COVID, they still have to think creatively to come up with treatments that meet the unique needs of these patients, said Thida Thant, MD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado who treats patients at the UCHealth Post-COVID Clinic.
“There are at least two major factors that make treating psychological issues in long COVID more complex: The fact that the pandemic is still ongoing and still so divisive throughout society, and the fact that we don’t know a single best way to treat all symptoms of long COVID,” she said.
Some common treatments for anxiety and depression, like psychotherapy and medication, can be used for long COVID patients with these conditions. But another intervention that can work wonders for many people with mood disorders – exercise – doesn’t always work for long COVID patients. That’s because many of them struggle with physical challenges like chronic fatigue and what’s known as postexertional malaise, or a worsening of symptoms after even limited physical effort.
“While we normally encourage patients to be active, have a daily routine, and to engage in physical activity as part of their mental health treatment, some long COVID patients find that their symptoms worsen after increased activity,” Dr. Vannorsdall said.
Patients who are able to reach long COVID care centers are much more apt to get mental health problems diagnosed and treated, doctors at many programs around the country agree. But many patients hardest hit by the pandemic – the poor and racial and ethnic minorities – are also less likely to have ready access to hospitals that offer these programs, said Dr. Anderson.
“Affluent, predominantly White populations are showing up in these clinics, while we know that non-White populations have disproportionally high rates of acute infection, hospitalization, and death related to the virus,” he said.
Clinics are also concentrated in academic medical centers and in urban areas, limiting options for people in rural communities who may have to drive for hours to access care, Dr. Anderson said.
“Even before long COVID, we already knew that many people live in areas where there simply aren’t enough mental health services available,” said John Zulueta, MD, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago who provides mental health evaluations at the UI Health Post-COVID Clinic.
“As more patients develop mental health issues associated with long COVID, it’s going to put more stress on an already stressed system,” he said.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
There’s little doubt that long COVID is real. Even as doctors and federal agencies struggle to define the syndrome, hospitals and health care systems are opening long COVID specialty treatment programs. As of July 25, there’s at least one long COVID center in almost every state – 48 out of 50, according to the patient advocacy group Survivor Corps.
Among the biggest challenges will be treating the mental health effects of long COVID.
Specialized centers will be tackling these problems even as the United States struggles to deal with mental health needs.
One study of COVID patients found more than one-third of them had symptoms of depression, anxiety, or PTSD 3-6 months after their initial infection. Another analysis of 30 previous studies of long COVID patients found roughly one in eight of them had severe depression – and that the risk was similar regardless of whether people were hospitalized for COVID-19.
“Many of these symptoms can emerge months into the course of long COVID illness,” said Jordan Anderson, DO, a neuropsychiatrist who sees patients at the Long COVID-19 Program at Oregon Health & Science University, Portland. Psychological symptoms are often made worse by physical setbacks like extreme fatigue and by challenges of working, caring for children, and keeping up with daily routines, he said.
“This impact is not only severe, but also chronic for many,” he said.
Like dozens of hospitals around the country, Oregon Health & Science opened its center for long COVID as it became clear that more patients would need help for ongoing physical and mental health symptoms. Today, there’s at least one long COVID center – sometimes called post-COVID care centers or clinics – in every state but Kansas and South Dakota, Survivor Corps said.
Many long COVID care centers aim to tackle both physical and mental health symptoms, said Tracy Vannorsdall, PhD, a neuropsychologist with the Johns Hopkins Post-Acute COVID-19 Team program. One goal at Hopkins is to identify patients with psychological issues that might otherwise get overlooked.
A sizable minority of patients at the Johns Hopkins center – up to about 35% – report mental health problems that they didn’t have until after they got COVID-19, Dr. Vannorsdall says. The most common mental health issues providers see are depression, anxiety, and trauma-related distress.
“Routine assessment is key,” Dr. Vannorsdall said. “If patients are not asked about their mental health symptoms, they may not spontaneously report them to their provider due to fear of stigma or simply not appreciating that there are effective treatments available for these issues.”
Fear that doctors won’t take symptoms seriously is common, says Heather Murray MD, a senior instructor in psychiatry at the University of Colorado at Denver, Aurora.
“Many patients worry their physicians, loved ones, and society will not believe them or will minimize their symptoms and suffering,” said Dr. Murray, who treats patients at the UCHealth Post-COVID Clinic.
Diagnostic tests in long COVID patients often don’t have conclusive results, which can lead doctors and patients themselves to question whether symptoms are truly “physical versus psychosomatic,” she said. “It is important that providers believe their patients and treat their symptoms, even when diagnostic tests are unrevealing.”
Growing mental health crisis
Patients often find their way to academic treatment centers after surviving severe COVID-19 infections. But a growing number of long COVID patients show up at these centers after milder cases. These patients were never hospitalized for COVID-19 but still have persistent symptoms like fatigue, thinking problems, and mood disorders.
Among the major challenges is a shortage of mental health care providers to meet the surging need for care since the start of the pandemic. Around the world, anxiety and depression surged 25% during the first year of the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization.
In the United States, 40% of adults report feelings of anxiety and depression, and one in three high school students have feelings of sadness and hopelessness, according to a March 2022 statement from the White House.
Despite this surging need for care, almost half of Americans live in areas with a severe shortage of mental health care providers, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. As of 2019, the United States had a shortage of about 6,790 mental health providers. Since then, the shortage has worsened; it’s now about 7,500 providers.
“One of the biggest challenges for hospitals and clinics in treating mental health disorders in long COVID is the limited resources and long wait times to get in for evaluations and treatment,” said Nyaz Didehbani, PhD, a neuropsychologist who treats long COVID patients at the COVID Recover program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.
These delays can lead to worse outcomes, Dr. Didehbani said. “Additionally, patients do not feel that they are being heard, as many providers are not aware of the mental health impact and relationship with physical and cognitive symptoms.” .
Even when doctors recognize that psychological challenges are common with long COVID, they still have to think creatively to come up with treatments that meet the unique needs of these patients, said Thida Thant, MD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado who treats patients at the UCHealth Post-COVID Clinic.
“There are at least two major factors that make treating psychological issues in long COVID more complex: The fact that the pandemic is still ongoing and still so divisive throughout society, and the fact that we don’t know a single best way to treat all symptoms of long COVID,” she said.
Some common treatments for anxiety and depression, like psychotherapy and medication, can be used for long COVID patients with these conditions. But another intervention that can work wonders for many people with mood disorders – exercise – doesn’t always work for long COVID patients. That’s because many of them struggle with physical challenges like chronic fatigue and what’s known as postexertional malaise, or a worsening of symptoms after even limited physical effort.
“While we normally encourage patients to be active, have a daily routine, and to engage in physical activity as part of their mental health treatment, some long COVID patients find that their symptoms worsen after increased activity,” Dr. Vannorsdall said.
Patients who are able to reach long COVID care centers are much more apt to get mental health problems diagnosed and treated, doctors at many programs around the country agree. But many patients hardest hit by the pandemic – the poor and racial and ethnic minorities – are also less likely to have ready access to hospitals that offer these programs, said Dr. Anderson.
“Affluent, predominantly White populations are showing up in these clinics, while we know that non-White populations have disproportionally high rates of acute infection, hospitalization, and death related to the virus,” he said.
Clinics are also concentrated in academic medical centers and in urban areas, limiting options for people in rural communities who may have to drive for hours to access care, Dr. Anderson said.
“Even before long COVID, we already knew that many people live in areas where there simply aren’t enough mental health services available,” said John Zulueta, MD, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago who provides mental health evaluations at the UI Health Post-COVID Clinic.
“As more patients develop mental health issues associated with long COVID, it’s going to put more stress on an already stressed system,” he said.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.
Mental health assessment for gender-diverse patients
Over the past several years, the number of patients seeking gender-affirming services has exponentially increased.1 Unfortunately, the number of patients presenting for treatment has exceeded evidence-based guidelines, research, and the number of providers familiar with gender-affirming care. Many institutions and associations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) advocate for training of providers; however, many patients will be seen by providers who are not qualified in diagnosing gender dysphoria. As a result, many practitioners rely on the mental health evaluation of gender-diverse individuals prior to prescribing hormonal therapy or before planning surgery.
Practitioners qualified to provide mental health services can include persons within in the field of psychology, psychiatry, social work, licensed professional counseling, nursing, or family medicine (with specific training in mental health).2 WPATH also defines specific criteria as part of the mental health assessment. For example, providers should have a master’s degree or higher in clinical behavioral science, competence in using the DSM/ICD, the ability to recognize and diagnose coexisting mental health concerns, and undergo continuing education in the treatment of gender dysphoria.2 Unfortunately, the demand for gender-competent mental health professionals exceeds the number available, and many patients are seen by therapists lacking experience within this field.3 This discrepancy can present an additional barrier to the health needs of transgender patients and sometimes inhibit access to hormone therapy, or even more catastrophically, compromise their presurgical assessment and surgical outcome.
For patients seeking chest surgery (mastectomy or breast augmentation), one letter from a mental health provider is necessary. If a patient is interested in pursuing genital surgery or the removal or reproductive organs, two letters from two separate mental health providers are required. Typically, one letter is from the patient’s primary therapist, and the other is often a second opinion. These letters must include a patient’s general characteristics, psychosocial assessment results, duration of the mental health professional’s relationship with the client, an explanation that the criteria for surgery have been met, a statement supporting the patient’s request for surgery and that informed consent was obtained, and a statement that the mental health professional is available for coordination of care.2 It is crucial to delineate that while a mental health evaluation is mandated, psychotherapy is not.
A therapist’s letter is not essential prior to initiating hormones; however, it is recommended if practitioners are unfamiliar with gender-diverse patients and current standards of care. If a provider such as a family physician, endocrinologist, or obstetrician/gynecologist is knowledgeable about the diagnostic criteria for gender dysphoria, they can prescribe hormones without a therapist’s letter. Additional considerations include establishing whether a patient has persistent gender dysphoria, has the capacity to give informed consent, and has “reasonably well-controlled” mental illness.3 The prevalence of both depression and anxiety is exceptionally high in this population, whereas rates of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia mirror that of the general population.3 Mental illness is not a contraindication to hormone therapy because there is sufficient evidence to support the benefits of gender-affirming hormones in reducing both anxiety and depression.
In contrast, concurrent severe psychiatric illness (i.e., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder) that is not well controlled could prohibit patients from undergoing gender-affirming surgeries. Even the most well-educated patients do not truly understand the process of surgery and the rigorous postoperative care required, particularly after genital surgery. Many patients underestimate the need for a support system in the postoperative period and cannot predict their emotional response after undergoing such complex procedures. During a surgical consultation, the surgeon can help identify any mental, physical, monetary, or social constraints patients may have and work closely with other providers, including a well-trained mental health professional, to optimize a patient’s surgical recovery. Ideally, patients undergoing surgery are seen at multidisciplinary centers with the capabilities of addressing these concerns.
The patient’s perspective on the need for a therapist is often mixed. Historically, therapist letters have been viewed by patients as a form of “gatekeeping” and an additional barrier they are forced to overcome to receive treatment. However, the role of a mental health provider who specializes in gender-affirming care cannot be overstated. In the context of surgery, I often try to reframe the role the therapist as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team. Mental health assessments preoperatively can better prepare patients for their upcoming surgery. More importantly, this multidisciplinary approach can help identify potential issues with coping strategies or exacerbations of other mental health conditions that may arise in the immediate postoperative period.
There is no question that exceptional gender-affirming care requires a multidisciplinary approach. Establishing strong relationships between hormone prescribers, surgeons, and behavioral health specialists in an essential step toward providing competent patient-centered care.
Dr. Brandt is an ob.gyn. and fellowship-trained gender-affirming surgeon in West Reading, Pa.
References
1. Ettner R. Mental health evaluation for gender confirmation surgery. Clin Plastic Surg. 2018;45(3):307-11.
2. Karasic D. Mental health care for the adult transgender patient. In: Ferrando CA, ed. Comprehensive Care of the Transgender Patient. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020:8-11.
3. World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Standards of care for the health of transsexual, transgender, and gender nonconforming people. 7th ed. Minneapolis: WPATH; 2012.
Over the past several years, the number of patients seeking gender-affirming services has exponentially increased.1 Unfortunately, the number of patients presenting for treatment has exceeded evidence-based guidelines, research, and the number of providers familiar with gender-affirming care. Many institutions and associations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) advocate for training of providers; however, many patients will be seen by providers who are not qualified in diagnosing gender dysphoria. As a result, many practitioners rely on the mental health evaluation of gender-diverse individuals prior to prescribing hormonal therapy or before planning surgery.
Practitioners qualified to provide mental health services can include persons within in the field of psychology, psychiatry, social work, licensed professional counseling, nursing, or family medicine (with specific training in mental health).2 WPATH also defines specific criteria as part of the mental health assessment. For example, providers should have a master’s degree or higher in clinical behavioral science, competence in using the DSM/ICD, the ability to recognize and diagnose coexisting mental health concerns, and undergo continuing education in the treatment of gender dysphoria.2 Unfortunately, the demand for gender-competent mental health professionals exceeds the number available, and many patients are seen by therapists lacking experience within this field.3 This discrepancy can present an additional barrier to the health needs of transgender patients and sometimes inhibit access to hormone therapy, or even more catastrophically, compromise their presurgical assessment and surgical outcome.
For patients seeking chest surgery (mastectomy or breast augmentation), one letter from a mental health provider is necessary. If a patient is interested in pursuing genital surgery or the removal or reproductive organs, two letters from two separate mental health providers are required. Typically, one letter is from the patient’s primary therapist, and the other is often a second opinion. These letters must include a patient’s general characteristics, psychosocial assessment results, duration of the mental health professional’s relationship with the client, an explanation that the criteria for surgery have been met, a statement supporting the patient’s request for surgery and that informed consent was obtained, and a statement that the mental health professional is available for coordination of care.2 It is crucial to delineate that while a mental health evaluation is mandated, psychotherapy is not.
A therapist’s letter is not essential prior to initiating hormones; however, it is recommended if practitioners are unfamiliar with gender-diverse patients and current standards of care. If a provider such as a family physician, endocrinologist, or obstetrician/gynecologist is knowledgeable about the diagnostic criteria for gender dysphoria, they can prescribe hormones without a therapist’s letter. Additional considerations include establishing whether a patient has persistent gender dysphoria, has the capacity to give informed consent, and has “reasonably well-controlled” mental illness.3 The prevalence of both depression and anxiety is exceptionally high in this population, whereas rates of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia mirror that of the general population.3 Mental illness is not a contraindication to hormone therapy because there is sufficient evidence to support the benefits of gender-affirming hormones in reducing both anxiety and depression.
In contrast, concurrent severe psychiatric illness (i.e., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder) that is not well controlled could prohibit patients from undergoing gender-affirming surgeries. Even the most well-educated patients do not truly understand the process of surgery and the rigorous postoperative care required, particularly after genital surgery. Many patients underestimate the need for a support system in the postoperative period and cannot predict their emotional response after undergoing such complex procedures. During a surgical consultation, the surgeon can help identify any mental, physical, monetary, or social constraints patients may have and work closely with other providers, including a well-trained mental health professional, to optimize a patient’s surgical recovery. Ideally, patients undergoing surgery are seen at multidisciplinary centers with the capabilities of addressing these concerns.
The patient’s perspective on the need for a therapist is often mixed. Historically, therapist letters have been viewed by patients as a form of “gatekeeping” and an additional barrier they are forced to overcome to receive treatment. However, the role of a mental health provider who specializes in gender-affirming care cannot be overstated. In the context of surgery, I often try to reframe the role the therapist as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team. Mental health assessments preoperatively can better prepare patients for their upcoming surgery. More importantly, this multidisciplinary approach can help identify potential issues with coping strategies or exacerbations of other mental health conditions that may arise in the immediate postoperative period.
There is no question that exceptional gender-affirming care requires a multidisciplinary approach. Establishing strong relationships between hormone prescribers, surgeons, and behavioral health specialists in an essential step toward providing competent patient-centered care.
Dr. Brandt is an ob.gyn. and fellowship-trained gender-affirming surgeon in West Reading, Pa.
References
1. Ettner R. Mental health evaluation for gender confirmation surgery. Clin Plastic Surg. 2018;45(3):307-11.
2. Karasic D. Mental health care for the adult transgender patient. In: Ferrando CA, ed. Comprehensive Care of the Transgender Patient. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020:8-11.
3. World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Standards of care for the health of transsexual, transgender, and gender nonconforming people. 7th ed. Minneapolis: WPATH; 2012.
Over the past several years, the number of patients seeking gender-affirming services has exponentially increased.1 Unfortunately, the number of patients presenting for treatment has exceeded evidence-based guidelines, research, and the number of providers familiar with gender-affirming care. Many institutions and associations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) advocate for training of providers; however, many patients will be seen by providers who are not qualified in diagnosing gender dysphoria. As a result, many practitioners rely on the mental health evaluation of gender-diverse individuals prior to prescribing hormonal therapy or before planning surgery.
Practitioners qualified to provide mental health services can include persons within in the field of psychology, psychiatry, social work, licensed professional counseling, nursing, or family medicine (with specific training in mental health).2 WPATH also defines specific criteria as part of the mental health assessment. For example, providers should have a master’s degree or higher in clinical behavioral science, competence in using the DSM/ICD, the ability to recognize and diagnose coexisting mental health concerns, and undergo continuing education in the treatment of gender dysphoria.2 Unfortunately, the demand for gender-competent mental health professionals exceeds the number available, and many patients are seen by therapists lacking experience within this field.3 This discrepancy can present an additional barrier to the health needs of transgender patients and sometimes inhibit access to hormone therapy, or even more catastrophically, compromise their presurgical assessment and surgical outcome.
For patients seeking chest surgery (mastectomy or breast augmentation), one letter from a mental health provider is necessary. If a patient is interested in pursuing genital surgery or the removal or reproductive organs, two letters from two separate mental health providers are required. Typically, one letter is from the patient’s primary therapist, and the other is often a second opinion. These letters must include a patient’s general characteristics, psychosocial assessment results, duration of the mental health professional’s relationship with the client, an explanation that the criteria for surgery have been met, a statement supporting the patient’s request for surgery and that informed consent was obtained, and a statement that the mental health professional is available for coordination of care.2 It is crucial to delineate that while a mental health evaluation is mandated, psychotherapy is not.
A therapist’s letter is not essential prior to initiating hormones; however, it is recommended if practitioners are unfamiliar with gender-diverse patients and current standards of care. If a provider such as a family physician, endocrinologist, or obstetrician/gynecologist is knowledgeable about the diagnostic criteria for gender dysphoria, they can prescribe hormones without a therapist’s letter. Additional considerations include establishing whether a patient has persistent gender dysphoria, has the capacity to give informed consent, and has “reasonably well-controlled” mental illness.3 The prevalence of both depression and anxiety is exceptionally high in this population, whereas rates of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia mirror that of the general population.3 Mental illness is not a contraindication to hormone therapy because there is sufficient evidence to support the benefits of gender-affirming hormones in reducing both anxiety and depression.
In contrast, concurrent severe psychiatric illness (i.e., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder) that is not well controlled could prohibit patients from undergoing gender-affirming surgeries. Even the most well-educated patients do not truly understand the process of surgery and the rigorous postoperative care required, particularly after genital surgery. Many patients underestimate the need for a support system in the postoperative period and cannot predict their emotional response after undergoing such complex procedures. During a surgical consultation, the surgeon can help identify any mental, physical, monetary, or social constraints patients may have and work closely with other providers, including a well-trained mental health professional, to optimize a patient’s surgical recovery. Ideally, patients undergoing surgery are seen at multidisciplinary centers with the capabilities of addressing these concerns.
The patient’s perspective on the need for a therapist is often mixed. Historically, therapist letters have been viewed by patients as a form of “gatekeeping” and an additional barrier they are forced to overcome to receive treatment. However, the role of a mental health provider who specializes in gender-affirming care cannot be overstated. In the context of surgery, I often try to reframe the role the therapist as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team. Mental health assessments preoperatively can better prepare patients for their upcoming surgery. More importantly, this multidisciplinary approach can help identify potential issues with coping strategies or exacerbations of other mental health conditions that may arise in the immediate postoperative period.
There is no question that exceptional gender-affirming care requires a multidisciplinary approach. Establishing strong relationships between hormone prescribers, surgeons, and behavioral health specialists in an essential step toward providing competent patient-centered care.
Dr. Brandt is an ob.gyn. and fellowship-trained gender-affirming surgeon in West Reading, Pa.
References
1. Ettner R. Mental health evaluation for gender confirmation surgery. Clin Plastic Surg. 2018;45(3):307-11.
2. Karasic D. Mental health care for the adult transgender patient. In: Ferrando CA, ed. Comprehensive Care of the Transgender Patient. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020:8-11.
3. World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Standards of care for the health of transsexual, transgender, and gender nonconforming people. 7th ed. Minneapolis: WPATH; 2012.
Clinical characteristics of recurrent RIME elucidated in chart review
INDIANAPOLIS – , in a single-center retrospective study. In addition, 71% of patients with recurrent disease experienced 1-2 recurrences – episodes that were generally milder and occurred at variable intervals.
Those are among key findings from the study of 50 patients with RIME, presented by Catherina X. Pan at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology.
Reactive infectious mucocutaneous eruption (RIME) is a novel term encompassing an array of rare, parainfectious mucositis diseases, noted Ms. Pan, a fourth-year medical student at Harvard Medical School, Boston. Previously known as Mycoplasma pneumoniae-induced rash and mucositis (MIRM), common clinical characteristics of RIME include less than 10% body surface area involvement of polymorphic skin lesions (vesiculobullous or targetoid macules/papules); erosive oral, genital, and/or ocular mucositis involving more than two sites, and evidence of prior infection including but not limited to upper respiratory infection, fever, and cough.
In addition to M. pneumoniae, other pathogens have been implicated, she said. “While the underlying etiology of the disease is not entirely clear, it’s become increasingly known that RIME tends to recur in a subset of patients.”
A cohort study of 13 patients with RIME found that Black race, male sex, and older age were predominant among the five patients who developed recurrent disease.
The estimated recurrence rate is between 8% and 38%, but the clinical characteristics of patients who develop recurrent RIME tend to be poorly understood, Ms. Pan said.
Along with her mentor, Sadaf Hussain, MD, of the department of dermatology at Boston Children’s Hospital, Ms. Pan conducted a retrospective chart review to characterize the clinical history and course of disease in patients diagnosed with recurrent RIME. They extracted data between January of 2000 and March of 2022 using ICD-10 codes used by board-certified dermatologists at Boston Children’s Hospital, as well as a text search for RIME or MIRM in the dermatology notes. Patients were included if they had a RIME/MIRM diagnosis by a board-certified dermatologist and/or infection on PCR/serology and mucositis involvement with limited skin involvement.
The study population included 50 patients: 24 with recurrent RIME and 26 with isolated RIME. The majority (66%) were male, and the mean age of RIME onset was between 11 and 12 years old, which is up to two years younger than previously reported in the case series of 13 patients. Most of the study participants (79%) were White, but there were no significant differences in patients who had recurrent RIME and those who had isolated RIME in terms of age, sex, or race.
Isolated vs. recurrent RIME
However, compared with patients who had isolated RIME, a greater proportion of those with recurrent RIME had a history of atopic disease (46% vs. 23%, respectively; P = .136), as well as a history of tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (25% vs. 4%; P = .045). “This has not been previously observed, but it may generate a hypothesis that patients with a history of frequent infection as well as amplified immune responses may be associated with disease recurrence,” Ms. Pan said.
The average number of episodes among patients with recurrent RIME was 3.5 and the interval between episodes was variable, at a mean of 10.2 months. Ms. Pan reported that 71% of recurrent RIME patients experienced 1-2 episodes, although one patient experienced 9 episodes.
Clinically, episodes among all patients with RIME were characterized by infectious prodromal symptoms (69%), oral lesions (95%), ocular lesions (60%), genital lesions (41%) and cutaneous lesions (40%). However, RIME recurrences were less severe and more atypical, with 49% involving only one mucosal surface and 29% involving two mucosal surfaces. Also, except for oral lesions, rates of infectious prodromal symptoms and other lesions significantly decreased among recurrences compared with initial RIME.
“Notably, we found that M. pneumoniae was the most common known cause of RIME, particularly among the initial episodes,” Ms. Pan said. “However, 61% of recurrent RIME episodes did not have a known cause in terms of infectious etiology. And, concordant with prior studies, we also found decreased severity [of RIME recurrences] as indicated by decreased rates of emergency department presentation, hospitalization, and duration of hospitalization.”
In other findings, psychiatric complications such as anxiety and depression followed the onset of RIME in 33% of those with recurrent disease and 22% of those with isolated disease. In addition, the three most common treatments among all 50 patients were systemic steroids, topical steroids, and M. pneumoniae-specific antibiotics.
“While RIME is considered as typically milder than Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis with low mortality rates, it can lead to severe complications including conjunctival shrinkage, corneal ulceration and scarring, blindness, and oral, ocular, urogenital synechiae,” Ms. Pan noted. “Increased use of corticosteroids and steroid-sparing agents such as IVIG have also been observed. Multidisciplinary care with ophthalmology, urology, and mental health services is critical.”
She acknowledged certain limitations of the study, including its retrospective, single-center design, and the possibility that milder cases may have been excluded due to a lack of accurate diagnosis or referral.
Carrie C. Coughlin, MD, who was asked to comment on the study results, pointed out that nearly half (24) of patients in the cohort experienced recurrent RIME. “This is a high proportion, suggesting counseling about the possibility of recurrence is more important than previously thought,” said Dr. Coughlin, director of the section of pediatric dermatology Washington University/St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
“Fortunately, recurrent cases tended to be less severe. However, many patients had more than one recurrence, making this challenging for affected patients.”
The researchers reported having no financial disclosures. Dr. Coughlin is on the board of the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) and the International Immunosuppression and Transplant Skin Cancer Collaborative.
INDIANAPOLIS – , in a single-center retrospective study. In addition, 71% of patients with recurrent disease experienced 1-2 recurrences – episodes that were generally milder and occurred at variable intervals.
Those are among key findings from the study of 50 patients with RIME, presented by Catherina X. Pan at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology.
Reactive infectious mucocutaneous eruption (RIME) is a novel term encompassing an array of rare, parainfectious mucositis diseases, noted Ms. Pan, a fourth-year medical student at Harvard Medical School, Boston. Previously known as Mycoplasma pneumoniae-induced rash and mucositis (MIRM), common clinical characteristics of RIME include less than 10% body surface area involvement of polymorphic skin lesions (vesiculobullous or targetoid macules/papules); erosive oral, genital, and/or ocular mucositis involving more than two sites, and evidence of prior infection including but not limited to upper respiratory infection, fever, and cough.
In addition to M. pneumoniae, other pathogens have been implicated, she said. “While the underlying etiology of the disease is not entirely clear, it’s become increasingly known that RIME tends to recur in a subset of patients.”
A cohort study of 13 patients with RIME found that Black race, male sex, and older age were predominant among the five patients who developed recurrent disease.
The estimated recurrence rate is between 8% and 38%, but the clinical characteristics of patients who develop recurrent RIME tend to be poorly understood, Ms. Pan said.
Along with her mentor, Sadaf Hussain, MD, of the department of dermatology at Boston Children’s Hospital, Ms. Pan conducted a retrospective chart review to characterize the clinical history and course of disease in patients diagnosed with recurrent RIME. They extracted data between January of 2000 and March of 2022 using ICD-10 codes used by board-certified dermatologists at Boston Children’s Hospital, as well as a text search for RIME or MIRM in the dermatology notes. Patients were included if they had a RIME/MIRM diagnosis by a board-certified dermatologist and/or infection on PCR/serology and mucositis involvement with limited skin involvement.
The study population included 50 patients: 24 with recurrent RIME and 26 with isolated RIME. The majority (66%) were male, and the mean age of RIME onset was between 11 and 12 years old, which is up to two years younger than previously reported in the case series of 13 patients. Most of the study participants (79%) were White, but there were no significant differences in patients who had recurrent RIME and those who had isolated RIME in terms of age, sex, or race.
Isolated vs. recurrent RIME
However, compared with patients who had isolated RIME, a greater proportion of those with recurrent RIME had a history of atopic disease (46% vs. 23%, respectively; P = .136), as well as a history of tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (25% vs. 4%; P = .045). “This has not been previously observed, but it may generate a hypothesis that patients with a history of frequent infection as well as amplified immune responses may be associated with disease recurrence,” Ms. Pan said.
The average number of episodes among patients with recurrent RIME was 3.5 and the interval between episodes was variable, at a mean of 10.2 months. Ms. Pan reported that 71% of recurrent RIME patients experienced 1-2 episodes, although one patient experienced 9 episodes.
Clinically, episodes among all patients with RIME were characterized by infectious prodromal symptoms (69%), oral lesions (95%), ocular lesions (60%), genital lesions (41%) and cutaneous lesions (40%). However, RIME recurrences were less severe and more atypical, with 49% involving only one mucosal surface and 29% involving two mucosal surfaces. Also, except for oral lesions, rates of infectious prodromal symptoms and other lesions significantly decreased among recurrences compared with initial RIME.
“Notably, we found that M. pneumoniae was the most common known cause of RIME, particularly among the initial episodes,” Ms. Pan said. “However, 61% of recurrent RIME episodes did not have a known cause in terms of infectious etiology. And, concordant with prior studies, we also found decreased severity [of RIME recurrences] as indicated by decreased rates of emergency department presentation, hospitalization, and duration of hospitalization.”
In other findings, psychiatric complications such as anxiety and depression followed the onset of RIME in 33% of those with recurrent disease and 22% of those with isolated disease. In addition, the three most common treatments among all 50 patients were systemic steroids, topical steroids, and M. pneumoniae-specific antibiotics.
“While RIME is considered as typically milder than Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis with low mortality rates, it can lead to severe complications including conjunctival shrinkage, corneal ulceration and scarring, blindness, and oral, ocular, urogenital synechiae,” Ms. Pan noted. “Increased use of corticosteroids and steroid-sparing agents such as IVIG have also been observed. Multidisciplinary care with ophthalmology, urology, and mental health services is critical.”
She acknowledged certain limitations of the study, including its retrospective, single-center design, and the possibility that milder cases may have been excluded due to a lack of accurate diagnosis or referral.
Carrie C. Coughlin, MD, who was asked to comment on the study results, pointed out that nearly half (24) of patients in the cohort experienced recurrent RIME. “This is a high proportion, suggesting counseling about the possibility of recurrence is more important than previously thought,” said Dr. Coughlin, director of the section of pediatric dermatology Washington University/St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
“Fortunately, recurrent cases tended to be less severe. However, many patients had more than one recurrence, making this challenging for affected patients.”
The researchers reported having no financial disclosures. Dr. Coughlin is on the board of the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) and the International Immunosuppression and Transplant Skin Cancer Collaborative.
INDIANAPOLIS – , in a single-center retrospective study. In addition, 71% of patients with recurrent disease experienced 1-2 recurrences – episodes that were generally milder and occurred at variable intervals.
Those are among key findings from the study of 50 patients with RIME, presented by Catherina X. Pan at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology.
Reactive infectious mucocutaneous eruption (RIME) is a novel term encompassing an array of rare, parainfectious mucositis diseases, noted Ms. Pan, a fourth-year medical student at Harvard Medical School, Boston. Previously known as Mycoplasma pneumoniae-induced rash and mucositis (MIRM), common clinical characteristics of RIME include less than 10% body surface area involvement of polymorphic skin lesions (vesiculobullous or targetoid macules/papules); erosive oral, genital, and/or ocular mucositis involving more than two sites, and evidence of prior infection including but not limited to upper respiratory infection, fever, and cough.
In addition to M. pneumoniae, other pathogens have been implicated, she said. “While the underlying etiology of the disease is not entirely clear, it’s become increasingly known that RIME tends to recur in a subset of patients.”
A cohort study of 13 patients with RIME found that Black race, male sex, and older age were predominant among the five patients who developed recurrent disease.
The estimated recurrence rate is between 8% and 38%, but the clinical characteristics of patients who develop recurrent RIME tend to be poorly understood, Ms. Pan said.
Along with her mentor, Sadaf Hussain, MD, of the department of dermatology at Boston Children’s Hospital, Ms. Pan conducted a retrospective chart review to characterize the clinical history and course of disease in patients diagnosed with recurrent RIME. They extracted data between January of 2000 and March of 2022 using ICD-10 codes used by board-certified dermatologists at Boston Children’s Hospital, as well as a text search for RIME or MIRM in the dermatology notes. Patients were included if they had a RIME/MIRM diagnosis by a board-certified dermatologist and/or infection on PCR/serology and mucositis involvement with limited skin involvement.
The study population included 50 patients: 24 with recurrent RIME and 26 with isolated RIME. The majority (66%) were male, and the mean age of RIME onset was between 11 and 12 years old, which is up to two years younger than previously reported in the case series of 13 patients. Most of the study participants (79%) were White, but there were no significant differences in patients who had recurrent RIME and those who had isolated RIME in terms of age, sex, or race.
Isolated vs. recurrent RIME
However, compared with patients who had isolated RIME, a greater proportion of those with recurrent RIME had a history of atopic disease (46% vs. 23%, respectively; P = .136), as well as a history of tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (25% vs. 4%; P = .045). “This has not been previously observed, but it may generate a hypothesis that patients with a history of frequent infection as well as amplified immune responses may be associated with disease recurrence,” Ms. Pan said.
The average number of episodes among patients with recurrent RIME was 3.5 and the interval between episodes was variable, at a mean of 10.2 months. Ms. Pan reported that 71% of recurrent RIME patients experienced 1-2 episodes, although one patient experienced 9 episodes.
Clinically, episodes among all patients with RIME were characterized by infectious prodromal symptoms (69%), oral lesions (95%), ocular lesions (60%), genital lesions (41%) and cutaneous lesions (40%). However, RIME recurrences were less severe and more atypical, with 49% involving only one mucosal surface and 29% involving two mucosal surfaces. Also, except for oral lesions, rates of infectious prodromal symptoms and other lesions significantly decreased among recurrences compared with initial RIME.
“Notably, we found that M. pneumoniae was the most common known cause of RIME, particularly among the initial episodes,” Ms. Pan said. “However, 61% of recurrent RIME episodes did not have a known cause in terms of infectious etiology. And, concordant with prior studies, we also found decreased severity [of RIME recurrences] as indicated by decreased rates of emergency department presentation, hospitalization, and duration of hospitalization.”
In other findings, psychiatric complications such as anxiety and depression followed the onset of RIME in 33% of those with recurrent disease and 22% of those with isolated disease. In addition, the three most common treatments among all 50 patients were systemic steroids, topical steroids, and M. pneumoniae-specific antibiotics.
“While RIME is considered as typically milder than Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis with low mortality rates, it can lead to severe complications including conjunctival shrinkage, corneal ulceration and scarring, blindness, and oral, ocular, urogenital synechiae,” Ms. Pan noted. “Increased use of corticosteroids and steroid-sparing agents such as IVIG have also been observed. Multidisciplinary care with ophthalmology, urology, and mental health services is critical.”
She acknowledged certain limitations of the study, including its retrospective, single-center design, and the possibility that milder cases may have been excluded due to a lack of accurate diagnosis or referral.
Carrie C. Coughlin, MD, who was asked to comment on the study results, pointed out that nearly half (24) of patients in the cohort experienced recurrent RIME. “This is a high proportion, suggesting counseling about the possibility of recurrence is more important than previously thought,” said Dr. Coughlin, director of the section of pediatric dermatology Washington University/St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
“Fortunately, recurrent cases tended to be less severe. However, many patients had more than one recurrence, making this challenging for affected patients.”
The researchers reported having no financial disclosures. Dr. Coughlin is on the board of the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) and the International Immunosuppression and Transplant Skin Cancer Collaborative.
AT SPD 2022
‘Ecotrauma’: The effects of climate change on mental health
In June of this year, the World Health Organization launched a policy report to confront the increasingly strong and lasting impacts that climate change is having directly and indirectly on people’s mental health and psychosocial well-being.
In addition to the increasingly high incidence of mental disorders (for instance, emotional distress, stress, depression, and suicidal behavior) affecting people worldwide This term refers to anxiety in the face of the apocalyptic scenario predicted to result from the transformation of ecosystems by anthropogenic activity.
Two weeks after the release of the policy report, which integrates key policies for countries to address one of the biggest challenges, the WHO published its largest review of global mental health since the turn of the century. The work provides a model for governments, academics, health professionals, and civil society to become key players when dealing with the mental health problems that our society is going through.
As the document highlights, almost 1 billion people, including 14% of the world’s adolescents, were living with a mental health disorder in 2019. Suicide accounted for more than 1 in 100 deaths, and 58% of cases occurred before age 50 years. Mental health disorders are already the leading cause of disability in the world, and people with serious but preventable diseases die on average 10-20 years earlier than the general population.
The COVID-19 crisis has significantly aggravated mental health disorders, especially in populations such as minors. Consequently, many experts refer to this public health phenomenon as the new major pandemic. “I’m not sure it’s correct to call a set of mental health problems a pandemic, but the reality is that many countries are ignoring or largely forgetting this crisis,” Sarah Sheppard, WHO communications officer, told this news organization. According to Ms. Sheppard, “stigma and lack of understanding are key drivers of these problems and have been one of the reasons for the lack of mental health funding for decades. Mental health receives less than 1% of international health aid.” We recently interviewed Ms. Sheppard about these challenges.
Univadis: As the data provided in the recently released Mental Health and Climate Change Policy Brief indicate, there are large gaps in many countries between mental health needs and the services and systems available to address them. Where can we start to change this reality?
Ms. Sheppard: The simplest answer to improve the situation we face begins with a change in people’s priorities when it comes to valuing mental health. This would lead to greater investment in human and financial resources for mental health services and systems. However, the challenge lies in the complexity of the problem. In the report we just published, we provide comprehensive recommendations on how to transform mental health systems for all, such as trying to integrate climate change considerations into policies and programs for mental health or building on existing global commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or the Paris Agreement.
Univadis: Is there evidence that mental illnesses and disorders affect some populations more than others, such as women, for example?
Ms. Sheppard: The prevalence of mental disorders varies according to conditions and according to sex and age. In general, I don’t think we can say that mental health conditions or disorders affect women more than men. There are groups at risk, but vulnerability depends on the context and varies a lot. Of course, social determinants such as poverty, unstable housing, and exposure to adversity can significantly increase risk.
Univadis: According to the statistics recently provided by the WHO, changes in the environment are directly and indirectly affecting people’s mental health and psychosocial well-being. The new report highlights the gap between countries when it comes to addressing this complex problem. Is there any country that is carrying out political or innovative initiatives in this regard?
Ms. Sheppard: Yes, there are many case studies in the policy brief that highlight important work in the area. There are strong examples that are highlighted in the summary. One of them is India and its resilient cities program. Focused on the reduction of disaster risk, climate resilience, and mental health and psychosocial support at city level, this project resulted from a collaboration between the United Nations Development Program and the Indian National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, which began in 2017.
Univadis: In addition to its effects on mental health, we are seeing how climate change is causing the appearance and resurgence of zoonoses, such as the pandemic caused by coronavirus and now monkeypox.
Ms. Sheppard: Mike Ryan, head of emergency situations at WHO, stated at the beginning of June that the increase in zoonoses raises the risk of new pandemics. Infections transmitted from animals to humans, such as Ebola, COVID-19, or monkeypox, have multiplied in recent years. Climate change alters the conditions for pathogens and zoonotic disease vectors and their distribution. The intensification of travel, for example, allows them to spread more quickly and in a more uncontrolled way.
Human health, including mental health, is connected to animal health. As various materials available to us from our World Health Day 2022 campaign examine, the links between planetary health and human health are inextricable.
Univadis: How is it possible that while scientific progress advances and more powerful and efficient technologies are developed, we become increasingly vulnerable to environmental phenomena?
Ms. Sheppard: Scientific advancement improves our understanding of the quality and scale of the health impacts of climate change, including the identification of the most vulnerable groups, as well as the adaptation and mitigation measures that would work to reduce the consequences on health. At the same time, climate change is widespread, rapid, and intensifying. Technological advances have a role to play in mitigation, particularly those tools that reduce our dependence on burning fossil fuels, as well as adaptation to climate change. For example, early warning systems for extreme weather events could reduce those vulnerabilities your question mentioned.
On the other hand, the measures proposed by the latest report on mental health and climate change have multiple effects. Some are particularly powerful and are not overly dependent on new technology. These include changing our mode of transport to low-emission, physically active ways to get around (walking, cycling), the benefits of which are already more than proven for both the environment and human health.
This article was translated from Univadis Spain.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
In June of this year, the World Health Organization launched a policy report to confront the increasingly strong and lasting impacts that climate change is having directly and indirectly on people’s mental health and psychosocial well-being.
In addition to the increasingly high incidence of mental disorders (for instance, emotional distress, stress, depression, and suicidal behavior) affecting people worldwide This term refers to anxiety in the face of the apocalyptic scenario predicted to result from the transformation of ecosystems by anthropogenic activity.
Two weeks after the release of the policy report, which integrates key policies for countries to address one of the biggest challenges, the WHO published its largest review of global mental health since the turn of the century. The work provides a model for governments, academics, health professionals, and civil society to become key players when dealing with the mental health problems that our society is going through.
As the document highlights, almost 1 billion people, including 14% of the world’s adolescents, were living with a mental health disorder in 2019. Suicide accounted for more than 1 in 100 deaths, and 58% of cases occurred before age 50 years. Mental health disorders are already the leading cause of disability in the world, and people with serious but preventable diseases die on average 10-20 years earlier than the general population.
The COVID-19 crisis has significantly aggravated mental health disorders, especially in populations such as minors. Consequently, many experts refer to this public health phenomenon as the new major pandemic. “I’m not sure it’s correct to call a set of mental health problems a pandemic, but the reality is that many countries are ignoring or largely forgetting this crisis,” Sarah Sheppard, WHO communications officer, told this news organization. According to Ms. Sheppard, “stigma and lack of understanding are key drivers of these problems and have been one of the reasons for the lack of mental health funding for decades. Mental health receives less than 1% of international health aid.” We recently interviewed Ms. Sheppard about these challenges.
Univadis: As the data provided in the recently released Mental Health and Climate Change Policy Brief indicate, there are large gaps in many countries between mental health needs and the services and systems available to address them. Where can we start to change this reality?
Ms. Sheppard: The simplest answer to improve the situation we face begins with a change in people’s priorities when it comes to valuing mental health. This would lead to greater investment in human and financial resources for mental health services and systems. However, the challenge lies in the complexity of the problem. In the report we just published, we provide comprehensive recommendations on how to transform mental health systems for all, such as trying to integrate climate change considerations into policies and programs for mental health or building on existing global commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or the Paris Agreement.
Univadis: Is there evidence that mental illnesses and disorders affect some populations more than others, such as women, for example?
Ms. Sheppard: The prevalence of mental disorders varies according to conditions and according to sex and age. In general, I don’t think we can say that mental health conditions or disorders affect women more than men. There are groups at risk, but vulnerability depends on the context and varies a lot. Of course, social determinants such as poverty, unstable housing, and exposure to adversity can significantly increase risk.
Univadis: According to the statistics recently provided by the WHO, changes in the environment are directly and indirectly affecting people’s mental health and psychosocial well-being. The new report highlights the gap between countries when it comes to addressing this complex problem. Is there any country that is carrying out political or innovative initiatives in this regard?
Ms. Sheppard: Yes, there are many case studies in the policy brief that highlight important work in the area. There are strong examples that are highlighted in the summary. One of them is India and its resilient cities program. Focused on the reduction of disaster risk, climate resilience, and mental health and psychosocial support at city level, this project resulted from a collaboration between the United Nations Development Program and the Indian National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, which began in 2017.
Univadis: In addition to its effects on mental health, we are seeing how climate change is causing the appearance and resurgence of zoonoses, such as the pandemic caused by coronavirus and now monkeypox.
Ms. Sheppard: Mike Ryan, head of emergency situations at WHO, stated at the beginning of June that the increase in zoonoses raises the risk of new pandemics. Infections transmitted from animals to humans, such as Ebola, COVID-19, or monkeypox, have multiplied in recent years. Climate change alters the conditions for pathogens and zoonotic disease vectors and their distribution. The intensification of travel, for example, allows them to spread more quickly and in a more uncontrolled way.
Human health, including mental health, is connected to animal health. As various materials available to us from our World Health Day 2022 campaign examine, the links between planetary health and human health are inextricable.
Univadis: How is it possible that while scientific progress advances and more powerful and efficient technologies are developed, we become increasingly vulnerable to environmental phenomena?
Ms. Sheppard: Scientific advancement improves our understanding of the quality and scale of the health impacts of climate change, including the identification of the most vulnerable groups, as well as the adaptation and mitigation measures that would work to reduce the consequences on health. At the same time, climate change is widespread, rapid, and intensifying. Technological advances have a role to play in mitigation, particularly those tools that reduce our dependence on burning fossil fuels, as well as adaptation to climate change. For example, early warning systems for extreme weather events could reduce those vulnerabilities your question mentioned.
On the other hand, the measures proposed by the latest report on mental health and climate change have multiple effects. Some are particularly powerful and are not overly dependent on new technology. These include changing our mode of transport to low-emission, physically active ways to get around (walking, cycling), the benefits of which are already more than proven for both the environment and human health.
This article was translated from Univadis Spain.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
In June of this year, the World Health Organization launched a policy report to confront the increasingly strong and lasting impacts that climate change is having directly and indirectly on people’s mental health and psychosocial well-being.
In addition to the increasingly high incidence of mental disorders (for instance, emotional distress, stress, depression, and suicidal behavior) affecting people worldwide This term refers to anxiety in the face of the apocalyptic scenario predicted to result from the transformation of ecosystems by anthropogenic activity.
Two weeks after the release of the policy report, which integrates key policies for countries to address one of the biggest challenges, the WHO published its largest review of global mental health since the turn of the century. The work provides a model for governments, academics, health professionals, and civil society to become key players when dealing with the mental health problems that our society is going through.
As the document highlights, almost 1 billion people, including 14% of the world’s adolescents, were living with a mental health disorder in 2019. Suicide accounted for more than 1 in 100 deaths, and 58% of cases occurred before age 50 years. Mental health disorders are already the leading cause of disability in the world, and people with serious but preventable diseases die on average 10-20 years earlier than the general population.
The COVID-19 crisis has significantly aggravated mental health disorders, especially in populations such as minors. Consequently, many experts refer to this public health phenomenon as the new major pandemic. “I’m not sure it’s correct to call a set of mental health problems a pandemic, but the reality is that many countries are ignoring or largely forgetting this crisis,” Sarah Sheppard, WHO communications officer, told this news organization. According to Ms. Sheppard, “stigma and lack of understanding are key drivers of these problems and have been one of the reasons for the lack of mental health funding for decades. Mental health receives less than 1% of international health aid.” We recently interviewed Ms. Sheppard about these challenges.
Univadis: As the data provided in the recently released Mental Health and Climate Change Policy Brief indicate, there are large gaps in many countries between mental health needs and the services and systems available to address them. Where can we start to change this reality?
Ms. Sheppard: The simplest answer to improve the situation we face begins with a change in people’s priorities when it comes to valuing mental health. This would lead to greater investment in human and financial resources for mental health services and systems. However, the challenge lies in the complexity of the problem. In the report we just published, we provide comprehensive recommendations on how to transform mental health systems for all, such as trying to integrate climate change considerations into policies and programs for mental health or building on existing global commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or the Paris Agreement.
Univadis: Is there evidence that mental illnesses and disorders affect some populations more than others, such as women, for example?
Ms. Sheppard: The prevalence of mental disorders varies according to conditions and according to sex and age. In general, I don’t think we can say that mental health conditions or disorders affect women more than men. There are groups at risk, but vulnerability depends on the context and varies a lot. Of course, social determinants such as poverty, unstable housing, and exposure to adversity can significantly increase risk.
Univadis: According to the statistics recently provided by the WHO, changes in the environment are directly and indirectly affecting people’s mental health and psychosocial well-being. The new report highlights the gap between countries when it comes to addressing this complex problem. Is there any country that is carrying out political or innovative initiatives in this regard?
Ms. Sheppard: Yes, there are many case studies in the policy brief that highlight important work in the area. There are strong examples that are highlighted in the summary. One of them is India and its resilient cities program. Focused on the reduction of disaster risk, climate resilience, and mental health and psychosocial support at city level, this project resulted from a collaboration between the United Nations Development Program and the Indian National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, which began in 2017.
Univadis: In addition to its effects on mental health, we are seeing how climate change is causing the appearance and resurgence of zoonoses, such as the pandemic caused by coronavirus and now monkeypox.
Ms. Sheppard: Mike Ryan, head of emergency situations at WHO, stated at the beginning of June that the increase in zoonoses raises the risk of new pandemics. Infections transmitted from animals to humans, such as Ebola, COVID-19, or monkeypox, have multiplied in recent years. Climate change alters the conditions for pathogens and zoonotic disease vectors and their distribution. The intensification of travel, for example, allows them to spread more quickly and in a more uncontrolled way.
Human health, including mental health, is connected to animal health. As various materials available to us from our World Health Day 2022 campaign examine, the links between planetary health and human health are inextricable.
Univadis: How is it possible that while scientific progress advances and more powerful and efficient technologies are developed, we become increasingly vulnerable to environmental phenomena?
Ms. Sheppard: Scientific advancement improves our understanding of the quality and scale of the health impacts of climate change, including the identification of the most vulnerable groups, as well as the adaptation and mitigation measures that would work to reduce the consequences on health. At the same time, climate change is widespread, rapid, and intensifying. Technological advances have a role to play in mitigation, particularly those tools that reduce our dependence on burning fossil fuels, as well as adaptation to climate change. For example, early warning systems for extreme weather events could reduce those vulnerabilities your question mentioned.
On the other hand, the measures proposed by the latest report on mental health and climate change have multiple effects. Some are particularly powerful and are not overly dependent on new technology. These include changing our mode of transport to low-emission, physically active ways to get around (walking, cycling), the benefits of which are already more than proven for both the environment and human health.
This article was translated from Univadis Spain.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
Growing evidence gardening cultivates mental health
The results of the small pilot study add to the growing body of evidence supporting the therapeutic value of gardening, study investigator Charles Guy, PhD, professor emeritus, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Gainesville, told this news organization.
“If we can see therapeutic benefits among healthy individuals in a rigorously designed study, where variability was as controlled as you will see in this field, then now is the time to invest in some large-scale multi-institutional studies,” Dr. Guy added.
The study was published online in PLOS ONE.
Horticulture as therapy
Horticulture therapy involves engaging in gardening and plant-based activities facilitated by a trained therapist. Previous studies found that this intervention reduces apathy and improves cognitive function in some populations.
The current study included healthy, nonsmoking, and non–drug-using women, whose average age was about 32.5 years and whose body mass index was less than 32. The participants had no chronic conditions and were not allergic to pollen or plants.
Virtually all previous studies of therapeutic gardening included participants who had been diagnosed with conditions such as depression, chronic pain, or PTSD. “If we can see a therapeutic benefit with perfectly healthy people, then this is likely to have a therapeutic effect with whatever clinical population you might be interested in looking at,” said Dr. Guy.
In addition, including only women reduced variability, which is important in a small study, he said.
The researchers randomly assigned 20 participants to the gardening intervention and 20 to an art intervention. Each intervention consisted of twice-weekly 60-minute sessions for 4 weeks and a single follow-up session.
The art group was asked not to visit art galleries, museums, arts and crafts events, or art-related websites. Those in the gardening group were told not to visit parks or botanical gardens, not to engage in gardening activities, and not to visit gardening websites.
Activities in both groups involved a similar level of physical, cognitive, and social engagement. Gardeners were taught how to plant seeds and transplant and harvest edible crops, such as tomatoes, beans, and basil. Those in the art group learned papermaking and storytelling through drawing, printmaking, and mixed media collage.
At the beginning and end of the study, participants completed six questionnaires: the Profile of Mood States 2-A (POMS) short form, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults, the Satisfaction With Participation in Discretionary Social Activities, and the 36-item Short-Form Survey.
Participants wore wrist cuff blood pressure and heart rate monitors.
The analysis included 15 persons in the gardening group and 17 in the art group.
Participants in both interventions improved on several scales. For example, the mean preintervention POMS TMD (T score) for gardeners was 53.1, which was reduced to a mean of 46.9 post intervention (P = .018). In the art group, the means score was 53.5 before the intervention and 47.0 after the intervention (P = .009).
For the PSS, mean scores went from 14.9 to 9.4 (P = .002) for gardening and from 15.8 to 10.0 (P = .001) for artmaking.
For the BDI-II, mean scores dropped from 8.2 to 2.8 (P = .001) for gardening and from 9.0 to 5.1 (P = .009) for art.
However, gardening was associated with less trait anxiety than artmaking. “We concluded that both interventions were roughly equally therapeutic, with one glaring exception, and that was with trait anxiety, where the gardening resulted in statistical separation from the art group,” said Dr. Guy.
There appeared to be dose responses for total mood disturbance, perceived stress, and depression symptomatology for both gardening and artmaking.
Neither intervention affected heart rate or blood pressure. A larger sample might be needed to detect treatment differences in healthy women, the investigators noted.
The therapeutic benefit of gardening may lie in the role of plants in human evolution, during which “we relied on plants for shelter; we relied on them for protection; we relied on them obviously for nutrition,” said Dr. Guy.
The study results support carrying out large, well-designed, rigorously designed trials “that will definitively and conclusively demonstrate treatment effects with quantitative descriptions of those treatment effects with respect to dosage,” he said.
Good for the mind
Commenting on the study, Sir Richard Thompson, MD, past president, Royal College of Physicians, London, who has written about the health benefits of gardening, said this new study provides “more evidence that both gardening and art therapy are good for the mind” with mostly equal benefits for the two interventions.
“A much larger study would be needed to strengthen their case, but it fits in with much of the literature,” said Dr. Thompson.
However, he acknowledged the difficulty of carrying out scientifically robust studies in the field of alternative medicine, which “tends to be frowned upon” by some scientists.
Dr. Thompson identified some drawbacks of the study. In trying to measure so many parameters, the authors “may have had to resort to complex statistical analyses,” which may have led to some outcome changes being statistically positive by chance.
He noted that the study was small and that the gardening arm was “artificial” in that it was carried out in a greenhouse. “Maybe being outside would have been more beneficial; it would be interesting to test that hypothesis.”
As well, he pointed out initial differences between the two groups, including income and initial blood pressure, but he doubts these were significant.
He agreed that changes in cardiovascular parameters wouldn’t be expected in healthy young women, “as there’s little room for improvement.
“I wonder whether more improvement might have been seen in participants who were already suffering from anxiety, depression, etc.”
The study was supported by the Horticulture Research Institute, the Gene and Barbara Batson Endowed Nursery Fund, Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Wilmot Botanical Gardens, the Center for Arts in Medicine, Health Shands Arts in Medicine, and the department of environmental horticulture at the University of Florida. The authors disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
The results of the small pilot study add to the growing body of evidence supporting the therapeutic value of gardening, study investigator Charles Guy, PhD, professor emeritus, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Gainesville, told this news organization.
“If we can see therapeutic benefits among healthy individuals in a rigorously designed study, where variability was as controlled as you will see in this field, then now is the time to invest in some large-scale multi-institutional studies,” Dr. Guy added.
The study was published online in PLOS ONE.
Horticulture as therapy
Horticulture therapy involves engaging in gardening and plant-based activities facilitated by a trained therapist. Previous studies found that this intervention reduces apathy and improves cognitive function in some populations.
The current study included healthy, nonsmoking, and non–drug-using women, whose average age was about 32.5 years and whose body mass index was less than 32. The participants had no chronic conditions and were not allergic to pollen or plants.
Virtually all previous studies of therapeutic gardening included participants who had been diagnosed with conditions such as depression, chronic pain, or PTSD. “If we can see a therapeutic benefit with perfectly healthy people, then this is likely to have a therapeutic effect with whatever clinical population you might be interested in looking at,” said Dr. Guy.
In addition, including only women reduced variability, which is important in a small study, he said.
The researchers randomly assigned 20 participants to the gardening intervention and 20 to an art intervention. Each intervention consisted of twice-weekly 60-minute sessions for 4 weeks and a single follow-up session.
The art group was asked not to visit art galleries, museums, arts and crafts events, or art-related websites. Those in the gardening group were told not to visit parks or botanical gardens, not to engage in gardening activities, and not to visit gardening websites.
Activities in both groups involved a similar level of physical, cognitive, and social engagement. Gardeners were taught how to plant seeds and transplant and harvest edible crops, such as tomatoes, beans, and basil. Those in the art group learned papermaking and storytelling through drawing, printmaking, and mixed media collage.
At the beginning and end of the study, participants completed six questionnaires: the Profile of Mood States 2-A (POMS) short form, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults, the Satisfaction With Participation in Discretionary Social Activities, and the 36-item Short-Form Survey.
Participants wore wrist cuff blood pressure and heart rate monitors.
The analysis included 15 persons in the gardening group and 17 in the art group.
Participants in both interventions improved on several scales. For example, the mean preintervention POMS TMD (T score) for gardeners was 53.1, which was reduced to a mean of 46.9 post intervention (P = .018). In the art group, the means score was 53.5 before the intervention and 47.0 after the intervention (P = .009).
For the PSS, mean scores went from 14.9 to 9.4 (P = .002) for gardening and from 15.8 to 10.0 (P = .001) for artmaking.
For the BDI-II, mean scores dropped from 8.2 to 2.8 (P = .001) for gardening and from 9.0 to 5.1 (P = .009) for art.
However, gardening was associated with less trait anxiety than artmaking. “We concluded that both interventions were roughly equally therapeutic, with one glaring exception, and that was with trait anxiety, where the gardening resulted in statistical separation from the art group,” said Dr. Guy.
There appeared to be dose responses for total mood disturbance, perceived stress, and depression symptomatology for both gardening and artmaking.
Neither intervention affected heart rate or blood pressure. A larger sample might be needed to detect treatment differences in healthy women, the investigators noted.
The therapeutic benefit of gardening may lie in the role of plants in human evolution, during which “we relied on plants for shelter; we relied on them for protection; we relied on them obviously for nutrition,” said Dr. Guy.
The study results support carrying out large, well-designed, rigorously designed trials “that will definitively and conclusively demonstrate treatment effects with quantitative descriptions of those treatment effects with respect to dosage,” he said.
Good for the mind
Commenting on the study, Sir Richard Thompson, MD, past president, Royal College of Physicians, London, who has written about the health benefits of gardening, said this new study provides “more evidence that both gardening and art therapy are good for the mind” with mostly equal benefits for the two interventions.
“A much larger study would be needed to strengthen their case, but it fits in with much of the literature,” said Dr. Thompson.
However, he acknowledged the difficulty of carrying out scientifically robust studies in the field of alternative medicine, which “tends to be frowned upon” by some scientists.
Dr. Thompson identified some drawbacks of the study. In trying to measure so many parameters, the authors “may have had to resort to complex statistical analyses,” which may have led to some outcome changes being statistically positive by chance.
He noted that the study was small and that the gardening arm was “artificial” in that it was carried out in a greenhouse. “Maybe being outside would have been more beneficial; it would be interesting to test that hypothesis.”
As well, he pointed out initial differences between the two groups, including income and initial blood pressure, but he doubts these were significant.
He agreed that changes in cardiovascular parameters wouldn’t be expected in healthy young women, “as there’s little room for improvement.
“I wonder whether more improvement might have been seen in participants who were already suffering from anxiety, depression, etc.”
The study was supported by the Horticulture Research Institute, the Gene and Barbara Batson Endowed Nursery Fund, Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Wilmot Botanical Gardens, the Center for Arts in Medicine, Health Shands Arts in Medicine, and the department of environmental horticulture at the University of Florida. The authors disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
The results of the small pilot study add to the growing body of evidence supporting the therapeutic value of gardening, study investigator Charles Guy, PhD, professor emeritus, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Gainesville, told this news organization.
“If we can see therapeutic benefits among healthy individuals in a rigorously designed study, where variability was as controlled as you will see in this field, then now is the time to invest in some large-scale multi-institutional studies,” Dr. Guy added.
The study was published online in PLOS ONE.
Horticulture as therapy
Horticulture therapy involves engaging in gardening and plant-based activities facilitated by a trained therapist. Previous studies found that this intervention reduces apathy and improves cognitive function in some populations.
The current study included healthy, nonsmoking, and non–drug-using women, whose average age was about 32.5 years and whose body mass index was less than 32. The participants had no chronic conditions and were not allergic to pollen or plants.
Virtually all previous studies of therapeutic gardening included participants who had been diagnosed with conditions such as depression, chronic pain, or PTSD. “If we can see a therapeutic benefit with perfectly healthy people, then this is likely to have a therapeutic effect with whatever clinical population you might be interested in looking at,” said Dr. Guy.
In addition, including only women reduced variability, which is important in a small study, he said.
The researchers randomly assigned 20 participants to the gardening intervention and 20 to an art intervention. Each intervention consisted of twice-weekly 60-minute sessions for 4 weeks and a single follow-up session.
The art group was asked not to visit art galleries, museums, arts and crafts events, or art-related websites. Those in the gardening group were told not to visit parks or botanical gardens, not to engage in gardening activities, and not to visit gardening websites.
Activities in both groups involved a similar level of physical, cognitive, and social engagement. Gardeners were taught how to plant seeds and transplant and harvest edible crops, such as tomatoes, beans, and basil. Those in the art group learned papermaking and storytelling through drawing, printmaking, and mixed media collage.
At the beginning and end of the study, participants completed six questionnaires: the Profile of Mood States 2-A (POMS) short form, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults, the Satisfaction With Participation in Discretionary Social Activities, and the 36-item Short-Form Survey.
Participants wore wrist cuff blood pressure and heart rate monitors.
The analysis included 15 persons in the gardening group and 17 in the art group.
Participants in both interventions improved on several scales. For example, the mean preintervention POMS TMD (T score) for gardeners was 53.1, which was reduced to a mean of 46.9 post intervention (P = .018). In the art group, the means score was 53.5 before the intervention and 47.0 after the intervention (P = .009).
For the PSS, mean scores went from 14.9 to 9.4 (P = .002) for gardening and from 15.8 to 10.0 (P = .001) for artmaking.
For the BDI-II, mean scores dropped from 8.2 to 2.8 (P = .001) for gardening and from 9.0 to 5.1 (P = .009) for art.
However, gardening was associated with less trait anxiety than artmaking. “We concluded that both interventions were roughly equally therapeutic, with one glaring exception, and that was with trait anxiety, where the gardening resulted in statistical separation from the art group,” said Dr. Guy.
There appeared to be dose responses for total mood disturbance, perceived stress, and depression symptomatology for both gardening and artmaking.
Neither intervention affected heart rate or blood pressure. A larger sample might be needed to detect treatment differences in healthy women, the investigators noted.
The therapeutic benefit of gardening may lie in the role of plants in human evolution, during which “we relied on plants for shelter; we relied on them for protection; we relied on them obviously for nutrition,” said Dr. Guy.
The study results support carrying out large, well-designed, rigorously designed trials “that will definitively and conclusively demonstrate treatment effects with quantitative descriptions of those treatment effects with respect to dosage,” he said.
Good for the mind
Commenting on the study, Sir Richard Thompson, MD, past president, Royal College of Physicians, London, who has written about the health benefits of gardening, said this new study provides “more evidence that both gardening and art therapy are good for the mind” with mostly equal benefits for the two interventions.
“A much larger study would be needed to strengthen their case, but it fits in with much of the literature,” said Dr. Thompson.
However, he acknowledged the difficulty of carrying out scientifically robust studies in the field of alternative medicine, which “tends to be frowned upon” by some scientists.
Dr. Thompson identified some drawbacks of the study. In trying to measure so many parameters, the authors “may have had to resort to complex statistical analyses,” which may have led to some outcome changes being statistically positive by chance.
He noted that the study was small and that the gardening arm was “artificial” in that it was carried out in a greenhouse. “Maybe being outside would have been more beneficial; it would be interesting to test that hypothesis.”
As well, he pointed out initial differences between the two groups, including income and initial blood pressure, but he doubts these were significant.
He agreed that changes in cardiovascular parameters wouldn’t be expected in healthy young women, “as there’s little room for improvement.
“I wonder whether more improvement might have been seen in participants who were already suffering from anxiety, depression, etc.”
The study was supported by the Horticulture Research Institute, the Gene and Barbara Batson Endowed Nursery Fund, Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Wilmot Botanical Gardens, the Center for Arts in Medicine, Health Shands Arts in Medicine, and the department of environmental horticulture at the University of Florida. The authors disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
FROM PLOS ONE