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Latest News Around the Web

Public Health, National Security Experts Skeptical About Administration’s Declaration Of Fentanyl As A Weapon Of Mass Destruction

The Washington Post (12/16, Ovalle) reports some policy and health experts say the President’s recent declaration “that illicit fentanyl is a weapon of mass destruction” is “a stretch,” adding that “the move may have little practical impact on curbing drug supply, addiction and overdose deaths.” The Administration “has cited the deadly drug crisis in enacting tariffs on China and Mexico, labeling criminal groups terrorist organizations and launching military strikes on suspected smuggling drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.” Experts in national security and transnational crime “say such heavy handed measures could harm global alliances needed to combat traffickers.” Public health experts “say the designation may also exaggerate fears about fentanyl.”

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Study Finds Women Physicians, Early-Career Physicians Face Higher Social Isolation, Correlating With Increased Burnout And Suicidal Ideation

Medical Economics (12/16, Payerchin) reports “a national study found” that women physicians “and early-career physicians face higher social isolation, correlating with increased burnout and suicidal ideation.” Investigators found that “specialties like pathology, emergency medicine, and settings like veterans’ hospitals report the highest isolation levels.” The researchers said, “Physicians have the same innate need for connection as all other human beings. … Efforts by both organizations and physicians to prioritize and nurture personal and professional relationships and social connections may enhance well-being and physicians’ ability to care for others.” The findings were published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Related Links:

— “Social isolation contributes to physician feelings of burnout, workplace satisfaction, suicidal ideation,”Richard Payerchin, Medical Economics, December 16, 2025

Six Midlife Depression Symptoms Linked To Higher Dementia Risk, Study Suggests

MedPage Today (12/15, George) reports a study found that “six midlife symptoms of depression were tied to an increased risk of dementia.” Results show that “depressive symptoms that emerged as midlife indicators of increased dementia risk” include: losing confidence in oneself; not able to face up to problems; not feeling warmth and affection for others; feeling nervous and strung-up all the time; not satisfied with the way tasks are carried out; and difficulty concentrating. Researchers noted “these associations were independent of established dementia risk factors like APOE4 status, cardiometabolic conditions, and lifestyle factors.” The study was published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Pediatric Behavioral Healthcare Spending Surged To Nearly $42B In 2022, Study Finds

Psychiatric News (12/15) reports a study found that “in 2022, national spending on behavioral health care for children ages 6 to 17 was nearly $42 billion – including nearly $3 billion in out-of-pocket spending from families.” That figure “represented 40% of all pediatric health care expenditures, nearly twice as much as in 2011.” Researchers noted that “overall pediatric behavioral health expenditures rose from about $18 billion in 2011 to $41.8 billion in 2022. Spending on in-person and telehealth outpatient visits increased from 2011-2022, while spending on medications decreased and spending on emergency department or inpatient services remained stable.” The study was published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Pediatric Behavioral Health Spending Rising Dramatically, Psychiatric News, December 15, 2025

Smokers who vape are more likely to event

HealthDay (12/12, Thompson) reported, “Smokers who use cigarettes and vape devices interchangeably might not be doing themselves as much of a disservice as once feared, a new study says.” Investigators found that “these ‘dual users’ are more likely to eventually quit smoking than people who smoke without vaping.” Additionally, “dual users…are more likely to reduce their cigarette smoking rate, and thus reduce the amount of harmful chemicals they inhale from smoke.” The findings were published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

Related Links:

— “Smokers Who Vape More Likely To Quit Or Cut Back, Study Argues,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, December 12, 2025

Foundation News

The Foundation Talks About Job Loss and Anxiety in These Trying Times

Losing your job can feel like losing a part of yourself. The financial and emotional strain can be very painful. The Foundation covers the current job loss in the federal workforce and economic instability in their latest Public Service Announcement.

Loss of EmploymentLoss of Employment, MP3, 1.3MB

You can listen to the ad using the player in the upper right of the website’s homepage. All past public service spots are also available for listening or to download on our Radio Advertisements page.

Latest Foundation Radio PSA Examine How Extreme Weather Changes Affect Mental Health

Hotter summers and more severe storms can seriously affect people with psychiatric disorders. Medicines prodded can make one more prone to heat stroke, and each degree rise in temperature has been shown to cause significant rises in hospitalizations for mental disorders. The Foundation covers this and more in their latest Public Service Announcement.

How Extreme Weather Changes Affect Mental HealthHow Extreme Weather Changes Affect Mental Health, MP3, 1.0MB

You can listen to the ad using the player in the upper right of the website’s homepage. All past public service spots are also available for listening or to download on our Radio Advertisements page.

Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller to Receive MFP Anti-Stigma Advocacy Award

The 2024 Maryland Foundation for Psychiatry (MFP) Anti-Stigma Advocacy Prize will be awarded to Maryland Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller for her Personal Interview on May 23, 2023 with WBAL News.
Lt. Gov. Miller was very helpful, conveying to the public in a very personal way the impact of her father’s mental illness – not only on him, but on their family. Her experience also demonstrated that one can live through this kind of experience and still become very successful adults. She also made an important point that mental illness isn’t a moral failing, but is a chronic health condition.

The Anti-Stigma Advocacy Award will be formally presented at the Maryland Psychiatric Society annual meeting on April 18.

The Foundation established this annual prize for a worthy media piece, preferably local or regional, that accomplishes one or more of the following:

  • Shares with the public their experience with mental illness in themselves, a family member, or simply in the community.
  • Helps others to overcome their inability to talk about mental illness or their own mental illness.
  • Imparts particularly insightful observations on the general subject of mental illness.

Click here for information about past winners.

PSA Examines Anxiety from Political and Social Media

The Foundation has re-released a Public Service Announcement to local Maryland radio stations that examines anxiety caused by political and social media. People experience a wide variety of feelings after a particularly divisive political campaign or a significant event getting 24 hour coverage across networks and online. Those feelings can include alienation from family and friends, anger at a system or event out of their control, and grief or helplessness at what may come. There are things that can be done to help, ranging from breaks from Facebook and TikTok and similar sites to seeking actual help from professionals.

Listen to the PSA on our home page or from our PSA collection, where you can listen to or download other advice given in past PSAs.

Call for Nominations for Anti-Stigma Advocacy Award

The Maryland Foundation for Psychiatry presents an annual award to recognize a worthy piece published in a major newspaper or on public media that accomplishes one or more of the following:

· Shares with the public their experience with mental illness in themselves, a family member, or in the community.
· Helps others to overcome their inability to talk about mental illness or their own mental illness.
· Imparts particularly insightful observations on the general subject of mental illness.

The article should be published or produced during the period from January 15, 2023 to January 9, 2024. A Maryland author and/or newspaper or major media outlet is preferred. Click here for past winners and published articles.

The award carries a $500 prize, which is given at the Maryland Psychiatric Society annual meeting in April. Please send nominations to mfp@mdpsych.org by January 10, 2024.