More veterans are screening positive for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), even as measures of suicide risk and alcohol-use disorder show modest improvement, according to a large new study of more than 3.6 million veterans receiving care through the VA.
An Increasing Percentage of Veterans Not Being Treated for Major Depressive Disorder
Most veterans with major depressive disorder (MDD) received recommended treatment within the VHA, but a new study warned that there was an increasing trend in the proportion who did not.
More Veterans Screening Positive for Depression and PTSD
More veterans are screening positive for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), even as measures of suicide risk and alcohol-use disorder show modest improvement, according to a large new study of more than 3.6 million veterans receiving care through the VA.
Depression After War Experiences Persist; Suicide Risk Actually Can Increase Over Time
Mental health assessments should not only focus on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but also depression in military personnel, veterans and others exposed to war or terrorist related traumas, according to a new study.
Computerized CBT-Enhanced Collaborative Care Shows Promise for Depression
A new study examined the feasibility, acceptability and potential health effects of computerized cognitive behavioral therapy-enhanced collaborative care (cCBT-CC) vs. usual primary care (UC).
Addressing the Complexity of Depression in Veterans and Servicemembers
Depression represents one of the most prevalent and challenging mental health conditions affecting U.S. servicemembers and veterans with a significant impact on force readiness, reintegration into civilian life, long-term health, and suicide risk.
Five Things to Know about Augmentation for Treatment Resistant Depression
Approximately half of patients with major depressive disorder fail to achieve adequate response to initial antidepressant treatment. An inadequate response is generally defined as less than 50 percent improvement in depression severity after six to eight weeks of treatment at therapeutic doses. Even partial responders, those who experience some benefit but continue to have significant symptoms, may benefit from treatment optimization or augmentation.
Special Forces Soldiers Less Likely to Attempt Suicide; More Likely to Succeed
U.S. Army special operations forces (SOF) operators—elite soldiers trained in unconventional warfare—are less likely than other soldiers to engage in suicidal behavior. But, because their attempts are more often fatal, SOF have similar rates of self-inflicted death as other soldiers.
Preexisting Depression Worsens Prostate Cancer Survival
Preexisting depression was associated with a 2.5-fold increase in mortality risk for patients with prostate cancer (PCa), exacerbating disease progression and worsening survival, according to a new research letter.
Depression Is a Significant Risk Factor for Heart Failure in U.S. Veterans
Depression raised the risk of heart failure in U.S. veterans by 14%, even after adjusting for traditional risk factors, according to a new study.
What Factors Link Bipolar Disorder so Strongly to Veteran Suicidality?
Bipolar disorders (Types I and II) are serious mental health conditions characterized by extreme mood swings. Those include periods of intense emotional highs—mania or hypomania, according to which type—and periods of intense depression.
Novel Psychotherapy Targeting Unresolved Trauma Reduces Chronic Pain in Older Adults Better Than Traditional CBT
Chronic pain in older adults can be significantly reduced using a newly developed psychotherapy called emotional awareness and expression therapy (EAET), which confronts past trauma and stress-related emotions that can exacerbate pain symptoms, according to a new study.
Navy Investigates Sailor Suicides; Exacerbated by Shipyard Maintenance Periods
The Navy has been under public scrutiny in recent years after experiencing a rash of suicides aboard multiple ships, many of them undergoing maintenance at shipyards.
Intravenous Ketamine Treatment Improves Depression in Veterans
Veterans who received intravenous ketamine treatments had improved symptoms of depression within the first 6 weeks, and these improvements were sustained over at least 6 months with decreasing infusion frequency, according to a recent study.
Study: Vietnam War-Era Veterans Not at Increased Risk of Suicide Mortality
Veterans who served in the Vietnam War era, either in theater or not deployed, are not at increased risk of suicide mortality compared with the U.S. population, although the number of suicides among these veterans is noteworthy and merits the attention of mental health professionals and policymakers, according to a recent study.
Groups Funded to Help Prevent Veterans Suicides Overwhelmed by Paperwork
For the past two years, VA has overseen the distribution of grants to community organizations whose work is designed to help prevent veteran suicide.
Bright Light Therapy Remains Underused Within VA Healthcare System
Since the 1980s, when seasonal affective disorder was first identified, one of the first-line treatments has been Bright Light Therapy.
Despite Expanded Efforts by VA, Veteran Suicides Rose Slightly in Recent Report
A new VA report revealed that 6,392 veterans died by suicide in 2021, the most-recent year for which data was available. That was 114 more than in 2020.
What Happens to Veterans Discontinuing Depression Treatment?
Nearly half of veterans who discontinue treatment for depression end up going back within six months, with reengagement rates higher in those receiving both psychotherapy and antidepressant medications.
No Benefit From Hospital Stay for Some Suicidal Veterans
Hospitalization for patients seeking emergency care immediately after a suicide attempt appeared beneficial, but that was not the case with those who had suicide ideation or whose attempt occurred more than a day before, according to a new study.
Veteran Firearm Owners Support Some Safety Counseling in Clinical Settings
Most U.S. veterans who own firearms believe that clinicians should discuss firearm safety, if the patient or the patient’s family members are at increased risk of firearm injury, according to a recent study.
Ketamine Appears to Be as Effective as ECT for Treatment-Resistant Depression
Ketamine was found to be noninferior to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as therapy for treatment-resistant major depression without psychosis, according to a new study.
Second Medication Improves Well-Being in Treatment-Resistant Depression
In older adults with treatment-resistant depression, adding a second medication to their existing antidepressant medication leads to greater improvements in psychological well-being and a higher remission rate from depression, compared to switching to a different medication, according to a new study.
Clozapine Underused in Veterans With Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder
Although clozapine is the only pharmacologic intervention approved for treating patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who have had suicidal behaviors or inadequate response to other antipsychotics, the medication is underutilized in veterans with these mental health issues, according to a new study.
Identified: Genes Associated With Risk of Suicidal Thoughts in Veterans
Multiple genes linked to an increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors in U.S. military veterans have been identified, according to a new study.
DoD and VA Update Guideline for Management of Major Depressive Disorder
Expansion of interventional psychiatry and updated algorithms to help guide physicians in making choices about therapies for depression are among important updates included in the newly revised 2022 VA-DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Major Depressive Disorder.
Pharmacogenomic Testing Had Positive Results for Major Depression Patients
Pharmacogenomic testing can help clinicians avoid prescribing antidepressant medications that might have undesirable outcomes.
Depression Can Affect Dual-Task Walking in Multiple Sclerosis
Dual-task walking (DTW) can be a complex process for multiple sclerosis patients. A new study looks at what functions it requires.
Veterans Suffered Myriad Mental Health Outcomes After COVID-19 Infection
More than two years into the pandemic, studies are showing the long-term effects COVID-19 can have on the heart, lungs, kidneys and other organ systems.
Are DoD’s Suicide Prevention Efforts Failing? Some Legislators Think So
When it comes to suicide prevention, is the DoD putting its time and money in the right place? That was the question asked at a recent House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing.