JAMA news releases are made available to the public after 3 pm US Central time on the first 4 Tuesdays of each month. the Archives of Journals news releases are made available to the public after 3 pm Central time on Mondays. We also provide a list of previous news releases.
THIS WEEK'S CONTENTS
ARCHIVES OF GENERAL PSYCHIATRY NEWS RELEASES
(Embargoed Until: 3 P.M. (CT), Monday, February 4, 2008)
SEVERE STRESSFUL EVENTS EARLY IN PREGNANCY MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA AMONG OFFSPRING
OLDER WOMEN MORE LIKELY TO BECOME, REMAIN DEPRESSED THAN OLDER MEN
ARCHIVES OF PEDIATRICS & ADOLESCENT MEDICINE NEWS RELEASES
(Embargoed Until: 3 P.M. (CT), Monday, February 4, 2008)
EXPOSURE TO WORLD TRADE CENTER ATTACKS AND OTHER TRAUMATIC EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH MORE SEVERE BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS AMONG PRESCHOOL CHILDREN
REFERENCES TO EXPLICIT SUBSTANCE USE COMMON IN POPULAR MUSIC
CROATIAN CHILDREN HAVE INCREASED RISK OF DEATH FROM WEAPONS-RELATED INJURIES DURING AND AFTER HOMELAND WAR
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EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, February 4, 2008
Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Kathryn M. Abel, M.R.C.P., M.R.C.Psych., Ph.D., e-mail kathryn.m.abel@manchester.ac.uk.
SEVERE STRESSFUL EVENTS EARLY IN PREGNANCY MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA AMONG OFFSPRING
CHICAGO—Children of women who undergo an extremely stressful event—such as the death of a close relative—during the first trimester of pregnancy appear more likely to develop schizophrenia, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
"The common conception that a mother’s psychological state can influence her unborn baby is to some extent substantiated by the literature," the authors write as background information in the article. "Severe life events during pregnancy are consistently associated with an elevated risk of low birth weight and prematurity." Schizophrenia, a disabling condition associated with abnormal brain structure and function, is increasingly believed to begin in early brain development. Environmental factors, including those occurring during pregnancy, and susceptibility genes may interact to influence risk.
Ali S. Khashan, M.Sc., of the University of Manchester, England, and colleagues used data from 1.38 million Danish births occurring between 1973 and 1995. Women were linked to close family members using a national registry, and the same registry was used to determine if any of these relatives died or received a diagnosis of cancer, heart attack or stroke during each mother’s pregnancy. Their children were followed from the 10th birthday through June 30, 2005 or until they died, moved out of the country, or developed schizophrenia.
During the study period, mothers of 21,987 children were exposed to the death of a relative during pregnancy, 14,206 were exposed to a relatives’ serious illness during pregnancy and 7,331 of the offspring developed schizophrenia. The risk of schizophrenia and related disorders was approximately 67 percent greater among the offspring of women who were exposed to the death of a relative during the first trimester. However, death of a relative up to six months before or any other time during pregnancy was not related to risk for schizophrenia in the child, nor was exposure to serious illness in a relative. The association between a family death and risk of schizophrenia appeared to be significant only for individuals without a family history (parents, grandparents or siblings) of mental illness.
"Risk associated with exposure to a well-defined, objective stressful event confined to the first trimester of pregnancy suggests a number of possible mechanisms," the authors write. Chemicals released by the mother’s brain in response to stress may have an effect on the fetus’ developing brain. These effects may be strongest in early pregnancy, when protective barriers between the mother and fetus are not fully constructed.
(Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008;65[2]:146-152. Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org).
Editor's Note: This study was funded by Tommy’s the Baby Charity and the Stanley Medical Research Institute. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations{at}jama-archives.org.
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EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, February 4, 2008
Media Advisory: To contact Lisa C. Barry, Ph.D., M.P.H., call Jacqueline Weaver at 203-432-8555.
OLDER WOMEN MORE LIKELY TO BECOME, REMAIN DEPRESSED THAN OLDER MEN
CHICAGO—Older women appear more susceptible to depression and more likely to stay depressed but less likely to die while depressed than older men, factors that contribute to the higher burden of depression among older women, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Major depression affects approximately 1 percent to 2 percent of older adults living in the community, but as many as 20 percent experience symptoms of depression, according to background information in the article. These symptoms are more likely to affect older women than older men for reasons that are unclear.
Lisa C. Barry, Ph.D., M.P.H., of Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., and colleagues evaluated a group of 754 individuals age 70 and older (average age 78.4) beginning in 1998. At the beginning of the study and at follow-up assessments conducted every 18 months, participants were asked to provide demographic information, take cognitive tests and report any medical conditions. They also were screened for symptoms of depression—such as lack of appetite, feeling sad or sleep problems—during the previous week.
Over the course of the study, 269 (35.7 percent) of the participants were depressed at some point. Of those, 48 (17.8 percent) remained depressed during two consecutive time periods, 30 (11.2 percent) at three time points, 17 (6.3 percent) at four points and 12 (4.5 percent) at all five. More women than men were depressed at each 18-month follow-up and women were more likely than men to experience depression at subsequent time points. "Adjusting for other demographic characteristics, women had a higher likelihood of transitioning from non-depressed to depressed and a lower likelihood of transitioning from depressed to non-depressed or death," the authors write.
The findings were consistent over the four time intervals, providing strong evidence that depression is more persistent in older women than older men, the authors note. This is surprising, because women are more likely to receive medications or other treatment for depression. "Whether women are treated less aggressively than men for late-life depression or are less likely to respond to conventional treatment is not known but should be the focus of future research," the authors write. "In addition, nearly 40 percent of the depressed participants in this study were depressed during at least two consecutive time points, highlighting the need to initiate and potentially maintain antidepressant treatment after resolution of the initial depressive episode."
(Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008;65[2]:172-178. Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org).
Editor's Note: This study was supported by grants from the National Institute on Aging. The study was conducted at the Yale Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations{at}jama-archives.org.
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EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, February 4, 2008
Media Advisory: To contact Claude M. Chemtob, Ph.D., call Mount Sinai Newsroom at 212-241-9200.
EXPOSURE TO WORLD TRADE CENTER ATTACKS AND OTHER TRAUMATIC EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH MORE SEVERE BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS AMONG PRESCHOOL CHILDREN
CHICAGO—Preschool children exposed to both the World Trade Center attacks and another traumatic event were more likely to experience behavioral problems than children exposed only to one event or to none, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Young children may be especially vulnerable to the adverse psychological consequences of trauma, according to background information in the article. However, little is known about the effect of terrorism on preschoolers.
Claude M. Chemtob, Ph.D., of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, and colleagues studied 116 preschool children (average age 3.9) directly exposed to the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks. Between March 2003 and December 2005—an average of 35 months after the attacks—the parents of children who lived or attended preschool in lower Manhattan filled out a questionnaire about their children, providing information on demographics, level of exposure to the attacks, occurrence of other traumatic events (such as the death of a family member, being in a natural disaster or seeing a serious accident) and emotional and behavioral factors.
Of the children participating, 23 percent were exposed to one or more high-intensity WTC events, meaning that they saw the towers collapse, saw injured people, saw dead bodies or saw people jumping out of buildings. Overall, these children had nearly five times the odds of having trouble sleeping and had almost three times the odds of being depressed and anxious than those who were not exposed.
These behavior problems appeared more severe among children who had also experienced another traumatic event. Compared with children who were not exposed to high-intensity WTC events or to other trauma, those who were exposed to both had 21 times the odds of having emotional problems or being anxious or depressed and 16 times the odds of having attention problems. Those who were exposed only to high-intensity WTC events and not to other traumatic events were not significantly more likely to have behavioral problems than those with only less intense exposure to the attacks.
The findings are consistent with an allostatic load theory of stress, which holds that accumulated exposure to difficult events increases the risk of psychological effects, the authors note. "Physicians seeking to assess the impact of terrorism and disaster on very young children should assess for disaster-related exposure and for other trauma," they write. "More vigorous outreach to trauma-exposed preschool children should become a post-disaster public health policy."
(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162[2]:126-133. Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org)
Editor's Note: This study was partially supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health and by grants from the New York Times Foundation’s September 11 Fund, National Philanthropic Trust/Sept. 11th Children’s Fund, United Jewish Communities, UJA Federation of New York, the UBS September 11 Fund, the Robin Hood Foundation, the Picower Foundation, an anonymous donor, the American Red Cross, Andor Capital Management and Strook, Strook and Lavan LLP. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations{at}jama-archives.org.
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EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, February 4, 2008
Media Advisory: To contact Brian A. Primack, Ed.M., M.D., call Megan Grote at 412-802-6131.
REFERENCES TO EXPLICIT SUBSTANCE USE COMMON IN POPULAR MUSIC
CHICAGO—Approximately one-third of popular songs include reference to explicit drug, alcohol or tobacco use, although this portrayal varies widely by musical genre, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
The influence of music on humans has been recognized for centuries, according to background information in the article. "While 15- to 18-year-old adolescents are forming health attitudes and behaviors that will last a lifetime, they are exposed to 2.4 hours of music per day, according to a large nationally representative study," the authors write. Most (98 percent) children and adolescents have a radio and CD or MP3 player in their home and many of them have these in their bedrooms.
Brian A. Primack, Ed.M., M.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and colleagues analyzed Billboard magazine’s 279 most popular songs of 2005. They noted every mention of substance use in pop, rock, R&B/hip-hop, country and rap songs and determined the motivations for, associations with and consequences of use within each genre.
"Overall, 116 of the 279 unique songs (41.6 percent) had a substance use reference of any kind. Ninety-three songs (33.3 percent) contained explicit substance use references," the authors note. One or more references to substance use were found in three of 35 pop songs (9 percent), nine of 66 rock songs (14 percent), 11 of 55 R&B/hip-hop songs (20 percent), 22 of 61 country songs (36 percent) and 48 of 62 rap songs (77 percent). "While only 2.9 percent of the 279 songs portrayed tobacco use, 23.7 depicted alcohol use, 13.6 percent depicted marijuana use and 11.5 percent depicted other or unspecified substance use."
In the 93 songs referencing substance use, the behavior was most often motivated by peer/social pressure (48 percent) or sex (30 percent). Use of the substance(s) was frequently associated with partying (54 percent), sex (46 percent), violence (29 percent) and/or humor (24 percent). "Only four songs (4 percent) contained explicit anti-use messages, and none portrayed substance refusal," the authors write. "Most songs with substance use (63 [68 percent]) portrayed more positive than negative consequences; these positive consequences were most commonly social, sexual, financial or emotional."
"In summary, children and adolescents are heavily exposed to substance use in popular music, and this exposure varies widely by genre. Substance use in music is frequently motivated by peer acceptance and sex, and it has highly positive associations and consequences," the authors conclude. "Research is needed to (1) determine the potency of exposure to substance use messages in music in adolescents and (2) determine the effects of various types of substance abuse messages, such as those with certain associations and consequences."
(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162[2]:169-175. Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org)
Editor's Note: This study was supported in part by a career development award from the National Cancer Institute; by a Physician Faculty Scholar Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; by a grant from the Maurice Falk Foundation; and in part by a career development award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations{at}jama-archives.org.
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EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, February 4, 2008
Media Advisory: To contact corresponding author Corinne Peek-Asa, M.P.H., Ph.D., call Dave Pedersen at 319-335-8032.
CROATIAN CHILDREN HAVE INCREASED RISK OF DEATH FROM WEAPONS-RELATED INJURIES DURING AND AFTER HOMELAND WAR
CHICAGO—The Homeland War in Croatia, which occurred from 1991 to 1995, led to an increase in weapon-related deaths of children during and five years after the end of the war, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
"After World War II until the beginning of the Homeland War in 1991, most children in Croatia were not exposed to firearms and explosives in their homes or communities," the authors write as background information in the article. "Unlike many countries, personal weapon ownership was not a custom in Croatia." This changed as the Homeland War—also called the Third Balkan War—moved into Croatian land. Citizens began purchasing grenades, firearms and other weapons on the black market or taking them from military barracks after the Yugoslav army left Croatia. The population remained overly militarized in the wake of the war; in 2007, 371,684 weapons were legally owned by Croatians.
Aida Mujkic, M.D., of the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and colleagues studied Croatian children from birth through age 19 who died of weapon-related injuries between 1986 and 2005. Statistics were obtained from Croatia’s national vital statistics system and included traumatic injury deaths classified by intent, including homicide, suicide and unintentional categories.
Compared with the period before the war, rates of homicide and suicide with weapons more than tripled during the war—from .22 to .73 homicides and .51 to 1.64 suicides per 100,000 children. Unintentional weapon-related deaths also increased by more than six-fold, from .25 to 1.63 per 100,000 children.
"These increases persisted for five years following the end of the war and decreased more than five years after the war," the authors write. Weapons-related deaths in the early postwar period—1996 to 2000—remained more than twice as high as before the war, and the weapon-related suicide rate remained more than three times that of the pre-war period. Homicide and unintentional injury deaths decreased significantly in the late post-war period, 2001 to 2005, and suicide rates were the same as in the pre-war period. The number of children who died from causes other than weapons did not change over the course of the study.
"Programs that focus on the prevention of weapon-related injuries should be integrated into programs that assist countries in rebuilding after political unrest," the authors conclude. "The combination of psychological effects of war on children with an increased presence of weapons may present a particularly important area for prevention."
(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162[2]:140-144. Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org)
Editor's Note: This study was supported by an NIH grant from the University of Iowa/Fogarty International Traumatic Injury Training Program. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations{at}jama-archives.org.
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