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Childhood Trauma Linked to Worse Impulse Control

The scars of childhood abuse and neglect affect adults’ brains for decades to come—including their ability to pro- cess and act on information quickly and accurately, new research in Psychiatry Research suggests.

Researchers set out to see if individuals with bipolar disorder had more impulsive and inaccurate responses on a quick task than those without the disorder, as measured on standard timed “Go/No-Go” tests. The tests measure how well an individual can stop himself/ herself from reacting incorrectly to rapid prompts that sometimes require a “go” response or to hold back the impulse to respond (“no-go”). They found no differences between the two groups.

Instead they found a common thread among individuals with more impulsive responses.

Among the >320 individuals in the study who took the tests, 134 reported a history of childhood trauma in sur- veys, including physical abuse or ne- glect, emotional abuse or neglect, and sexual abuse. Histories did not include one-time traumatic events. No par- ticipants had active substance abuse issues, and those without bipolar disor-

der did not have other mental health conditions.

Participants with bipolar disorder and a history of trauma performed signif- icantly worse on the “Go/No-Go” test than those with bipolar disorder alone. However, participants without bipolar disorder who had a history of trauma performed just as poorly.

The new findings highlight the importance of continuous treatment for individuals with bipolar disorder, and early detection and attention to the effects of childhood trauma.

Source. “Childhood Trauma Associated with Worse Impulse Control in Adulthood, U-M Study Finds.” (2016, January 20). Retrieved March 2, 2016, from http://bit. ly/24DWWef.

Smokers More Likely to Have Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders

A new study in Molecular Psychiatry has found that although cigarette smoking rates have declined among younger individuals in the United States, those who smoke are more

likely to have a psychiatric or substance use disorder compared with those who began smoking in earlier decades.

Researchers investigated 25,000 indi- viduals who participated in the National Epidemiological Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions. Participants were divided into five birth groups: those who were born in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s.

The study revealed that as overall rates of smoking decreased, begin- ning in the 1960s, the proportion of nicotine-dependent smokers increased. The study also found that the likeli- hood of having a substance use disorder increased among all smokers with each decade, regardless of their dependence on nicotine. Nicotine-dependent smokers who began smoking in the 1980s were also more likely than older smokers to have a psychiatric condition (e.g., attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, antisocial personality disorder).

Additional studies are needed to determine if there is a causal relation-

Panic Attacks in Minority Individuals Linked to Discrimination, Alcohol, and Tobacco

A new study has identified discrimi- nation, alcohol, and tobacco as signifi- cant predictors of minority American individuals’ experiencing panic attacks. Researchers studied demographic and socioeconomic variables in relation to panic attacks among African American, Afro-Caribbean, Hispanic, and Asian individuals.

The study found that minority Ameri- can individuals are more likely to experi- ence panic attacks when they smoke or consume excessive amounts of alcohol. In the study, individuals who abused alcohol were two times more likely to have a panic attack. Smokers had a 52% higher chance than nonsmokers of having a panic attack.

Source. “Discrimination, Alcohol and Tobacco Linked to Panic Attacks in Minorities.” (2016, January 22). Retrieved March 2, 2016, from http://bit.ly/21KrMQ6.

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ship between biological or genetic factors and mental health or sub- stance use problems in smokers.

Source. “Incidence of Psychiatric Disorders Has Increased in a Shrinking Population of Smokers.” (2016, January 25). Retrieved March 2, 2016, from http:// bit.ly/1oSzhpD.

Sexual-Minority Youths’ Development Hindered by Bullying

When compared with their het- erosexual peers, sexual-minority youth (i.e., having both-gender at- tractions or same-gender attractions only) score lower on key indicators of positive youth development—and those disparities may be due in part to more bullying of these adolescents, according to University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health researchers.

Researchers used data from a survey of 1,870 adolescents at U.S. schools and after-school programs in 45 states that measured positive youth development using the Five Cs model, which assesses competence, confidence, connection, charac- ter, and caring/compassion. Higher levels of the Five Cs are associated with positive contributions to society and lower levels are linked to myriad risky behaviors, including cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and younger sexual initiation. The survey also asked participants whether they had been bullied several times in the past several months.

Of the participants, 127 (6.8%) were identified as sexual-minority youths. Approximately 24% of these participants reported being a victim of bullying compared with 12% of heterosexual youths.

Sexual-minority youths scored significantly lower than their het- erosexual counterparts in three of the Five Cs: competence (i.e., hav- ing a positive view of one’s actions in social, academic, cognitive, and vocational arenas), confidence (i.e., an internal sense of overall positive

self-worth), and connection (i.e., having supportive and positive bonds with peers, family, school, and com- munity).

Source. “Bullying Hinders Positive Youth Development for Sexual-Minority Youth.” (2016, January 25). Retrieved March 2, 2016, from http://bit.ly/1oSIDBI.

Gaps Exist in Research for Psychosocial Interventions Used Together With Medications

Psychosocial interventions, used to- gether with effective medications, are a key part of recommended treatment for opioid addiction. However, although research generally supports the effec- tiveness of psychosocial treatments, gaps exist in the evidence on their use in conjunction with medications, ac- cording to a review and update in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.

To assess the current state of the evi- dence, researchers assembled and ana- lyzed the findings of previous research, including three previous reviews and 27 new studies. However, the review found major limitations in the amount and quality of evidence—particularly

in terms of identifying the safest and most effective combinations of medi- cations and psychosocial treatments. Few studies compared different types of psychosocial approaches or assessed their effectiveness at different treat- ment stages and in different patient subgroups.

Of the 27 newer studies, 14 evalu- ated psychosocial treatments in con- junction with methadone maintenance therapy. Nine of these studies showed significant benefits of psychosocial interventions in patients taking metha- done, including reduced drug use and increased treatment attendance.

Source. “Use of Psychosocial Treatments in Conjunc- tion with Medication for Opioid Addiction—Recommended, but Supporting Research is Sparse.” (2016, January 26). Retrieved March 2, 2016, from http://bit.ly/1p4lVaB.

Obesity in Adulthood Linked to Childhood Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

The incidence of childhood and adult obesity has increased significantly over the past three decades. New research in Mayo Clinic Proceedings shows that there is an

Increased Risk of Death for Individuals With Eating Disorders

Results from a new study in the International Journal of Eating Dis- orders indicate that individuals with eating disorders are at increased risk of death compared to the general population. Researchers found that individuals with anorexia nervosa had a five times higher mortality rate than their same-age peers. Individuals with bulimia nervosa and eating disorders not otherwise specified, including binge eating disorder, also—to a lesser extent—had elevated mortality.

The study revealed that risk factors for premature death included a higher number of lifetime eating disorder hospitalizations, premature discharge from a hospital program, developing an eating disorder at an older age, poor social adjustment, and lower body mass index at time of hospitalization.

Source. “Individuals with Eating Disorders are at Increased Risk of Death.” (2016, January 21). Retrieved March 2, 2015, from http://bit.ly/1T9sO5h.

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association between obesity develop- ment during adulthood and child- hood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The study included 336 individuals with childhood ADHD born from 1976 to 1982 and matched with 665 non-ADHD controls of the same age and sex. Weight, height, and stimulant treatment measurements were gathered from medical records detailing care provided from January 1, 1976 through August 31, 2010. Cox models were used to assess the link between ADHD and obesity.

Researchers found that females with childhood ADHD were at a two- fold greater risk of developing obe- sity during childhood and adulthood compared to those without ADHD. Obesity was not associated with stim- ulant treatment among childhood ADHD cases.

Source. “Study Shows Association Among Childhood ADHD, Sex and Obesity.” (2016, February 1). Retrieved March 2, 2016, from http://bit.ly/21Nytkj.

Pregnancy May Help Reduce Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

For most women, expecting a baby brings intense joy—and a fair amount of worry. But what about women who experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Contrary to what researchers expected, a new study in Depression and Anxiety showed that pregnancy may reduce PTSD symptoms or at least will not cause a flare-up.

Nurses at prenatal clinics run by three academic health centers, including ones that served mostly women who rely on public insurance, invited thousands of women to par- ticipate in the larger STACY study.

The new data come from the subset of women who met the formal diag- nostic criteria for PTSD either at the time of their pregnancy or in their past, based on detailed interviews using standard measures.

The team interviewed the women at two points during their pregnancy and were able to interview approxi- mately one half of them again in the first 6 weeks of motherhood.

Researchers saw four groups emerge from the results of the surveys conducted during pregnancy: those who started high and got either mod-

erately or substantially better, those who started low and stayed the same, and those who started relatively low but got worse.

Women with the strongest social support networks during pregnancy appeared to be protected from the risk

of worsening PTSD, meaning part- ners, relatives, and friends can make a difference for a pregnant woman. More than one half of the 319 women in the study had high PTSD symptoms in the first part of pregnancy—and all members of this group experienced a decrease as they got closer to giving birth. Women who had low levels of symptoms early on stayed about the same. However, PTSD got worse for some women as pregnancy progressed. Those who experienced a new stress or trauma during pregnancy, or who had the most anxiety about giving

birth, had the worst experience with PTSD symptoms during pregnancy and post-birth problems.

Source. “Pregnancy & PTSD: Surprising Findings Could Help Moms-to-Be at Risk.” (2016, February 10). Retrieved March 2, 2016, from http://bit.ly/1QXZhNd.

doi:10.3928/02793695-20160318-02

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Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.