Theravive Home

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association looked at a longitudinal treatment effect analysis of antipsychotics on the behavior of residents in long-term care. “Our study was focused on the use of advanced statistical methods to evaluate the effects of antipsychotic use among nursing home residents who do not have existing conditions associated with psychosis,” study author, Dr. John Hirdes told us. Dr. Hirdes is a professor in the School of Public Health Sciences. “These drugs are often use ‘off label’ to manage behaviours in persons with dementia. We wanted to determine whether these drugs would be effective in managing behaviour problems in long-term care.” [More]

A new study published in Science Direct looked at bereavement and mental health and the generational consequences of a grandparent's death. “We were interested in examining whether adolescents who experience the death of a grandparent between the ages of nine and 15 showed evidence of lasting mental health challenges that might predict subsequent difficulties in schooling,” study author Dr. Ashton M Verdery told us. [More]

A new study published in Frontiers in Public Health looked at antidepressant use and suicide rates in adults aged 75 and older. “The study is about suicide in Swedish older adults aged 75+ residing in long-term care facilities (LTCF),” study author Khedidja Hedna told us. “We also aimed to investigate risk factors including use of psychoactive medications and psychiatric and medical conditions.” [More]

Do you find that the time of year affects how well you are able to think? While studies have found this to be the case with young adults, there are few studies that look at the effects on thinking according to different seasons in older adults with and without dementia. [More]