MedPage Today (3/23, Henderson) reports a study found that “a sharp increase in the number of young people hospitalized with eating disorders immediately after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic had returned to pre-pandemic levels.” Researchers observed that “eating disorder-related hospital discharges among 8- to 25-year-olds increased by 30.9 per month through the first year of the pandemic to a peak of about 600 per month across 41 hospitals.” They noted that after April 2021, “eating disorder-related hospitalizations remained stable or modestly declined before a sharp drop in October 2024 put the pattern and volume of patients back to a level statistically indistinguishable from the pre-pandemic period, averaging in the range of roughly 350 per month through June 2025.” The studywas discussed in a JAMA Pediatrics research letter.

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Psychiatric News (3/23) reports a survey study found that “about half of adults have used apps to monitor their sleep, and while feedback is generally positive, adults with insomnia report that these apps can increase sleep-related anxiety.” The results showed that “among 1,002 adults in Norway (51% male) who completed an online questionnaire on sleep habits, 46% reported using sleep apps; app use was more prevalent in women and adults under 50.” They noted that “only 15% of respondents believed the app improved their sleep quality; about 2% believed the app worsened sleep.” Furthermore, “adults with insomnia were not more likely to use sleep apps than those without. However, adults with insomnia who used apps were more likely to report being worried about their sleep or that something was wrong with their sleep.” The study was published in Frontiers in Psychology.

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— “Sleep Tracking Apps May Increase Stress for Adults With Insomnia, Psychiatric News, March 23, 2026

HealthDay (3/20, Neff) reported a study suggests “that the very patients who could benefit from ADHD medication the most – those also struggling with drug or alcohol addiction – are the least likely to receive it.” For the study, researchers “analyzed the health records of more than 1.2 million people between 15 and 25 years of age with ADHD.” They observed that when young adults with ADHD and a substance use disorder “stayed on their ADHD medication, they saw a 30% reduction in their risk of death over five years. These patients also had fewer accidental overdoses and were less likely to harbor thoughts of self-harm.” The study “noted that patients on stimulants had a 4% lower rate of suicide attempts compared to those on non-stimulant alternatives.” Despite these benefits, “the study pointed to hesitation on the part of some doctors because some ADHD meds, particularly central nervous system stimulants, are controlled substances.” The study was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

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— “Some Patients With ADHD and Addiction History Missing Out,”Deanna Neff, HealthDay, March 20, 2026

Psychiatric News (3/20) reported a study found that “young women are far more likely to seek psychotherapy for depression and anxiety than young men,” but the “gender gap narrows among older adults, with more men over 50 seeking psychotherapy for depression than women of the same age.” Researchers observed that “among adults with depression, women were significantly more likely than men to receive psychotherapy (43% vs 34%). The female gender gap was widest among young adults ages 18 to 25 at 22%; the gap shrank to 12% among adults ages 26 to 49 and reversed for adults 50 and older, with 1% more men seeking psychotherapy for depression in this age group.” Regarding adults with daily anxiety, “36% of women received psychotherapy overall compared with 27% of men. The female gender gap narrowed from 13% among 18- to 25-year-olds to 12% among 26- to 49-year-olds and 4% among those 50 and older.” The studywas published in The American Journal of Psychotherapy.

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— “Psychotherapy Significantly More Common Among Women—Until They Turn 50, Psychiatric News, March 20, 2026

MedPage Today (3/18, Monaco) reports a study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that “psilocybin plus psychotherapy showed limited efficacy for easing depressive symptoms in individuals with treatment-resistant depression.” According to researchers, “after withdrawal from antidepressants, 17% and 12.5% of patients who received one dose of 25 mg and 5 mg psilocybin, respectively, achieved at least a 50% reduction in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-17 (HAMD17) at week 6 compared with 10.6% of controls who received placebo in the form of nicotinamide.” They noted that “for 25 mg psilocybin vs nicotinamide, the adjusted was OR 1.73. Because the first hierarchical comparison was nonsignificant, no further formal testing was performed.” Furthermore, a systematic review and meta-analysis, also published in JAMA Psychiatry, concluded that “psychedelic-assisted therapy was no more effective than open-label treatment with traditional antidepressants.”

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