Research News

In May 2018 the US Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs created a 16-point Joint Action Plan to improve the mental health resources for service members transitioning from active duty to civilian life. The VA now reports that 7 of the 16 points have been completed and early data is very encouraging. In one month, for example, one-third of the 8,000 service members who participated in the Transition Assistance Program registered early for VA health care. For more on this report, please visit the VA website.  

Many people who experienced abuse as children also experience cognitive decline as adults. A new study has shown that the hormone interleukin-6 (IL-6) is commonly found in very high levels in these individuals. IL-6, which is involved in processes of swelling and inflammation, can be controlled with medication. Understanding the role of IL-6 may be an important new step to improve the lives of people who experience childhood abuse. For more information about this study, please visit the NIH website.

In a new study of the human microbiome, the complex ecosystem of microorganisms that exists inside a person’s body, researchers have found links between specific bacteria and depression. People with treatment-resistant depression had microbiomes that were less likely to contain serotonin- and dopamine-creating bacteria. Although more investigation is needed, this is a fascinating direction for future research. For more information on this study, please see this article in Forbes.

A new study examining the brain structure and activity of combat veterans with PTSD may help explain why some people experience symptoms of PTSD much more severely than others. Certain areas of the brain involved in learning and emotional response, most noticeably the amygdala, were meaningfully different in veterans with more severe symptoms. For more information about this study, please visit the NIH website.  

The NIH’s monumental All of Us Research Program has launched a new way for participants to contribute data with the Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) project. In addition to sharing information through surveys, electronic health records, and biological samples, participants with any Fitbit device can now choose to share data such as physical activity, sleep, weight, heart rate, nutrition, and water intake. For more about the BYOD project and All of Us, please visit the NIH website.  

In 2016, more than 6,000 individuals under the age of 25 died by suicide. The majority of young people who die by suicide visit a health care provider in the month before their death, indicating that a universal screening program in medical settings could be a powerful intervention tool. An international committee of clinicians and researchers has created a 3-tiered clinical pathway system as a flexible and resource-conscious way to implement universal suicide risk screening within pediatric health care settings. To learn more about new resource, please visit the NIMH website.

A new NIMH study of activity levels, energy levels, sleep patterns, and mood among people with depression and bipolar disorder indicates that treatments focused on increasing activity and energy levels may be more effective than treatments focused on elevating and stabilizing mood. The study combined real-time activity and sleep tracking data with participant diaries to find that activity levels affect mood, but mood does not affect activity levels – contrary to current theories of depression. For more information about this study, please visit the NIMH website.

The FDA has granted clearance to a prescription cognitive behavioral therapy mobile phone app for people with opioid use disorder (OUD). The reSET-O app acts as a training, monitoring, and reminder tool to support patients and increase the amount of time they participate in an outpatient OUD treatment program, including buprenorphine treatment and traditional behavior therapy. To learn more about the reSET-O app, please visit the FDA website.

New findings from NIMH’s Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode (RAISE) project show that team-based coordinated specialty care (CSC) for first episode psychosis results in more optimal prescribing of antipsychotics and fewer side effects when compared to typical community care. Earlier studies had shown that CSC for first episode psychosis results in improved outcomes, but this study adds more detail and evidence for CSC as a best practice. For more about CSC, please visit the NIMH website.    

An estimated 14% of U.S. adults (34 million) were current cigarette smokers in 2017, the lowest level ever recorded. New data published by the CDC, the FDA, and the National Cancer Institute shows that the number of adults who were current cigarette smokers has declined by 67% since 1965. Adults who experience “serious psychological distress,” however, are still more than twice as likely to use tobacco products compared to adults who do not experience distress. For more information about this study, please visit the CDC website.