West Newsmagazine 12-16-20

48 I HEALTH I
December 16, 2020
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
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A recent survey found that young adults who may be kept apart from their
families this holiday season are feeling high levels of anxiety. (Source: Adobe Stock)
Health
Capsules
By LISA RUSSELL
Holiday stress coming from
a different source this year
The rush of holiday activities that are an
annual source of anxiety for most people
– shopping, baking, parties, cleaning, giftwrapping
and more – has been replaced
by a different type of stress this year: the
fear of getting COVID-19 or giving it to
someone you care about. According to a
Kaiser Family Foundation health-tracking
poll conducted in October, two-thirds of
Americans are worried they or their family
members will get the virus.
That stress is perhaps being felt most keenly
among younger adults, many of whom live
away from home and are facing the cold reality
of celebrating the holiday season alone
for the first time. A recent CDC Household
Pulse Survey shows that those between the
ages of 18 and 29 report the highest levels
of anxiety and depression symptoms of any
age group; between Sept. 30 and Oct. 12,
the latest survey dates available, nearly half
reported symptoms of one or both conditions.
However, young people won’t have a
monopoly on anxiety this holiday season.
For many others, too, the loss of the
gatherings and traditions surrounding the
holidays will undoubtedly increase depression
and cause extra stress on top of what
has already been a very anxiety-inducing
year. The National Alliance on Mental Illness
(NAMI) offers a number of commonsense
tips to help keep prevent unhealthy
levels of stress this holiday season:
• Stay active. Physical activity can boost
your mood, both in the short and long term.
Even a 10-15 minute walk can help when
you feel anxious or sad.
• Address loneliness. Make an effort to
call, text or video chat with those who are
important to you. Staying occupied every
As the drug addiction crisis continues throughout Missouri,
the state is set to receive $25 million in funding from the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in
each of the next two years. That total will include nearly $2.8
million for the University of Missouri – St. Louis. These funds
will help in a number of fronts in the battle against addiction and
overdose, according to Associate Research Professor Rachel
Winograd, who leads the addiction science team at UMSL’s
Missouri Institute of Mental Health.
While much of the money will be used to obtain doses of the
opioid overdose-reversing medication naloxone and to hire the
personnel required to distribute it effectively, the new funding
will also enable more focus on the rising problem of stimulant
use, mainly methamphetamine and cocaine, Winograd said.
“These are not strictly opioid grants anymore, which is good
because most people who use opioids don’t only use opioids,”
Winograd said. “This is a poly-drug overdose crisis, not just an
opioid overdose crisis.”
day is also helpful – an occupied and
engaged mind is less likely to dwell on
feelings of loneliness and sadness.
• Eat and drink well. Food impacts
mood, so make sure to eat healthy most of
the time and watch your intake of holiday
treats. Also remember that while alcohol
might lift your mood and reduce stress in
the moment, it actually increases anxiety
and depression over the long term.
• Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation
can heighten negative emotions and cause
unnecessary added stress.
• Keep expectations realistic. Not everyone
is on the same page when it comes to
COVID-19 … and these differences have
the potential to cause disappointment and
disagreements. Have a clear and frank discussion
with family up front.
Wash U study identifies potential
early COVID-19 treatment
Scientists worldwide have been searching
diligently for possible COVID-19
treatments that could be given in the
virus’ early stages, to prevent people from
becoming more seriously ill. A research
team at Washington University in St. Louis
has identified one drug that may help to
meet this urgent need: the serotonin reuptake
inhibitor (SSRI) fluvoxamine.
UMSL team awarded new funding to combat ‘poly-drug’ overdose crisis
Sold under the brand name Luvox among
others, fluvoxamine is an antidepressant
which has been prescribed since the mid-
1990s, and is used primarily to treat those
with obsessive-compulsive disorder. In
a preliminary study conducted between
April and August in the St. Louis area, the
Wash U scientists found that fluvoxamine
seems to prevent some of the most serious
COVID-19 complications and make hospitalization,
along with the need for supplemental
oxygen, less likely.
During this “contactless” study, 152
patients with mild to moderate COVID-19
who were attempting to recover at home
received either fluvoxamine or a placebo
along with monitoring supplies.
After 15 days, none of the 80 patients
who received fluvoxamine experienced
serious worsening of their symptoms.
Meanwhile, six of the 72 patients given the
placebo (8.3%) became seriously ill, with
four needing to be hospitalized.
“Most investigational treatments for
COVID-19 have been aimed at the very
sickest patients, but it’s also important to
find therapies that prevent patients from
getting sick enough to require supplemental
oxygen or to have to go to the hospital.
Our study suggests fluvoxamine may help
fill that niche.” said Dr. Eric Lenze of the
Wash University School of Medicine.
To help address prevention, for example, the Missouri
Institute of Mental Health is partnering with Big Brothers
Big Sisters for the first time. It has added a partnership with
local nonprofit The T, a St. Louis area health education and
resource center. Some funding will also support expansion of
the Behavioral Health Network of Greater St. Louis’ EPICC
project – Engaging Patients in Care Coordination – which connects
people who have recently survived an overdose to treatment
and recovery resources.
Winograd added that the COVID-19 pandemic has also
increased the challenge for combatting the drug crisis. It has disrupted
supplies, making these dangerous drugs even more volatile
and unpredictable. It also has increased the stress and feelings
of anxiety that can lead people to begin using drugs in the first
place, while creating more barriers for people seeking treatment.
“People are getting left behind, and it’s not any specific entity’s
fault,” she said. “It’s just the reality of how our society is
structured and our society’s response to this pandemic.”