8 minute read
Mental Health
Substantial Mental Health Impact From COVID-19 Measures Found in New Research
Findings from new University of Texas Medical Branch research suggest a substantial mental health impact of COVID-related mitigation measures such as stay-at-home orders. The study, which was published today in the JAMA Network Open, found an increase in the use of psychiatric medications coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic among both men and women, with a substantially higher increase among women. “We hope that this study highlights the disproportionate effect of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, sex as a priority in research on the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for interventions to address these sex disparities in the consequences of the pandemic,” said Dr. Sadaf Milani, Department of Internal Medicine assistant professor and one of the study’s authors. Using data from Clinformatics Data Mart, one of the largest commercial health insurance databases in the United States, researchers identified qualified enrollees and their prescribed medicine from Jan. 1, 2018 to March 31, 2021. The study focused on prescriptions of benzodiazepines, Z-hypnotics and serotonergic drugs, which are commonly used to treat insomnia, anxiety and depressive disorders. Benzodiazepine prescriptions decreased from Jan. 2018 to March 2021, except for a slight increase from January 2020 to April 2020 among women; Z-hypnotic prescriptions increased from Jan. 2020 for women and from February 2020 for men through October 2020; and serotonergic prescriptions increased from January 2018 to April 2020 for men and to October 2020 for women. The study noted that the decrease in benzodiazepine may be explained by current efforts to reduce its prescriptions. Women had a higher rate of prescription use for all three psychiatric drug classes and larger changes in prescription rates over time compared to men, the data showed. “The substantially higher impact of the ongoing pandemic on women underscores the need for all providers across all settings of medical contact with women to incorporate a screening process for mental health conditions in their routine practice,” Milani said. “This is especially critical in moments of natural disasters, which our study suggests disproportionately impact women than men – vis-à-vis psychological toll.” The study discusses several factors that may explain why women are disproportionately affected, including having higher rates of mental health conditions, comprising more than 75% of health care workers and serving as primary caregivers with an increased burden of childcare due to closures of schools and childcare centers during the pandemic. “Providers and patients should have heightened awareness of the substantially higher rates of occurrence of anxiety, depressive symptoms and sleep disorders – both short- and long-term – in women compared to men, especially during periods of natural disasters, social disruptions and economic upheavals leading to school closure and social isolation with heavier load of childcare falling on women,” Milani said.
Advertisement
WHOSE INTERESTS
does your malpractice insurer have at heart?
Yet another Texas medical liability insurer has transitioned from focusing on doctors to focusing on Wall Street. This leaves you with an important question to ask: Do you want an insurer that’s driven by investors? Or do you want an insurer that’s driven to serve you—one that’s already paid $120 million in awards to its members when they retire from the practice of medicine? Join us and discover why delivering the best imaginable service and unrivaled rewards is at the core of who we are.
Hospital News
MD Anderson and the Rare Cancer Research Foundation Launch Collaboration to Accelerate the Development of Treatments for Rare Cancers
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Rare Cancer Research Foundation today announced the launch of a collaboration designed to accelerate the development of new treatments for rare cancers by empowering all patients in the United States to contribute tumor samples directly to MD Anderson for translational research efforts. This initiative is designed to overcome a major obstacle that has long prevented significant progress in rare cancer research — the lack of available samples. The Rare Cancer Research Foundation will use its Pattern.org online engagement platform to enable patients to donate tumor biopsies and surgical samples for research purposes. With these samples, MD Anderson researchers will perform comprehensive analyses and will work to develop laboratory models that can be used to pursue new therapeutic strategies for rare cancers. New discoveries then can be used to design and launch clinical trials to evaluate these strategies for patients in need. “The development of new rare cancer treatments is often stymied not by hard scientific questions but rather by the lack of patient models and datasets necessary to conduct research,” explained Mark Laabs, founder and chairman of the Rare Cancer Research Foundation. “We are delighted that this collaboration will empower patients nationwide to contribute their samples and medical information to cutting-edge work at MD Anderson and to accelerate the development of new treatments for rare cancers.” Rare cancers are defined as those with fewer than 40,000 new cases diagnosed annually in the U.S. Taken together, rare cancers represent roughly 25% of all cancer cases and are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The Rare Cancer Research Foundation is committed to advancing research for these cancer types through strategic investments and innovative collaborations. MD Anderson is a world leader in the diagnosis and treatment of these cancers; more than 5,000 patients with the rarest diagnoses seek treatment at the institution each year. “Our collaboration with the Rare Cancer Research Foundation allows rare cancer patients having surgery anywhere in the U.S. to join in the research effort by contributing excess tumor tissue, giving them the opportunity to truly make an impact on the entire community of these patients,” said Andy Futreal, Ph.D., chair of Genomic Medicine at MD Anderson. “Each piece of data or model generated is a potentially transformative tool that can advance our understanding and bring us closer
see Hospital News...page 13
UTMB Celebrates 130th Anniversary
One hundred and thirty years ago, 23 students and 13 faculty gathered on Galveston Island and began a tradition of improving health through education, research and patient care. It was the first class meeting of the state’s first medical school. Now with more than 3,500 students and nearly 14,000 employees, The University of Texas Medical Branch will mark its 130th anniversary on Oct. 5, 2021. “Over the years, UTMB has weathered many storms and celebrated many triumphs,” said Dr. Ben Raimer, president ad interim of UTMB. “We have trained generations of health care providers and biomedical scientists and have made countless research discoveries. We see the benefits of that training and research during the COVID-19 pandemic and future generations will reap the benefits of the hard work, education and research happening on our campuses today.” In 1891, UTMB had one hospital – the original John Sealy Hospital, made possible through a $50,000 bequest from its namesake. Today, UTMB is a comprehensive health system with four campuses and 90 clinics throughout the region that serve thousands of patients every year. The university also operates an extensive Correctional Managed Care program. UTMB’s educational options have also grown from the original medical school and soon after a nursing program, to now the School of Health Professions and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Soon UTMB will be adding a School of Public and Population Health to the academic enterprise. UTMB currently offer 59 accredited residency and fellowship programs and will soon be adding a 60th with a new Emergency Medicine residency. And its internationally recognized research enterprise includes the Galveston National Laboratory. “All of this growth and success has been possible because of one thing,” Raimer said. “Our people have been a shining beacon of hope and healing for the communities we serve. I want to thank our students, faculty and staff, along with countless friends, philanthropists, elected officials and the University of Texas System Board of Regents, who have believed in our mission and supported us unwaveringly throughout our history.” Among the long-time supporters of UTMB is The Sealy & Smith Foundation, which carries on the giving legacy of the Sealy family and will celebrate its centennial in 2022.
Because of the ongoing pandemic, UTMB will not host a large, public gathering to commemorate the 130th anniversary, but instead will have a series of smaller celebrations for employees and students at each of the four campuses. The celebrations will begin on the Galveston Campus on Oct. 5 and will continue on Oct. 8 on the Angleton Danbury, Clear Lake and League City campuses.
Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital recently opened its third cardiac catheterization lab, giving patients even more access to leading-edge cardiovascular treatments and procedures. “By adding this space, it allows us to take on a higher volume of patients needing heart and vascular care in the Katy area,” said Jerry Ashworth, SVP and CEO of Memorial Hermann Katy and Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospitals. “We pride ourselves in serving the community so that our patients can get the highest quality care while close to home. We are constantly looking for ways to expand our space and services to better serve Katy and Greater Houston.” The Katy Area Chamber attended a ribbon cutting in the new space with the clinic staff and affiliated physicians at Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital. Memorial Hermann Health System’s Heart & Vascular Services are dedicated to the detection, treatment and prevention of diseases of the heart throughout Greater Houston. To learn more, please visit Heart & Vascular Service.
