The Weekly Mind Reader: Long COVID, Social Networks, Cheese Dreams

From a long COVID explainer to cheesy nightmares, here are this week’s top stories related to psychiatry and CNS disorders. 

Monday

Brain fog is a persistent problem among COVID patients, sometimes even long after they recover from the virus. This piece by Monica Parpal Stockbridge explains what we know (and what we don’t know) about this vexing condition. And perhaps a surprising conclusion comes from this excellent investigation in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry looking at the strength versus the size of one’s social network as a factor in suicide prevention. 

Tuesday

A new The Primary Care Companion of CNS Disorders report reviews the educational qualifications, licensure requirements, and scope of practice for these midlevel psychiatric providers. Although the focus is on New York State, many of its conclusions apply to other areas of the country. In a series of short videos, Rutgers University students explain to Psychiatrist.com just how hard the pandemic has been on their mental health.

Wednesday

When COVID is so severe it leads to hospitalization, patients have a tough time mentally recovering from the experience. They show symptoms of PTSD six months after their release, and a new study links this persistent problem to dissociative experiences while hospitalized. And be sure to review this important guide on how to think critically about a study looking at antidepressant side effects that was widely covered in the media. 

Thursday

Our top 10 lists are out! The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry and The Primary Care Companion For CNS Disorders published their most read psychiatry and primary care research of 2022. There is commentary by the editor in chief of each journal, Marlene Freeman, MD and Larry Culpepper, MD respectively. JCP is here. And PCC is here. 

Friday

Céline Dion revealed in a Facebook and Instagram post that she has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder known as stiff-person syndrome. Characterized by stiff muscles in the trunk and limbs, high sensitivity to noise, touch, and stress, and hunched posture, the disease is thought to be caused by an abnormal autoimmune response. Though not necessarily fatal in adults, there is no cure for this painful and progressive condition. Ending on a weird and slightly unscientific note,  a new poll of 2,000 Brits found 23 percent report having bad dreams after eating cheese. Cheddar was the worst culprit, followed by mozzarella and brie. The clinical name for fear of cheese is turophobia and these nightmarish claims have been reported for over a century, according to the authors of the survey.