Psychiatric News (5/28) reports a study found that the “expiration of federal and state laws enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic to suspend housing evictions was associated with increases in both outpatient visits for serious mental illness and the number of people receiving prescriptions for psychotropic medications.” The study “focused on two periods corresponding to the staggered expiration of state eviction moratoriums in summer 2020 (phase 1) and the expiration of the federal moratorium in August 2021 (phase 2).” Researchers observed that “in phase 1, eviction moratorium expirations were associated with a statistically significant increase of 0.57% in the weekly number of patients who were prescribed psychotropic medication and a 3.42% increase in the number of patients who received outpatient care for serious mental illness (SMI). In phase 2, the federal eviction moratorium expiration was associated with a 1.17% increase in patients receiving psychotropic prescriptions and a 3.13% increase in patients with SMI receiving outpatient care.” The study was published in JAMA Health Forum.

Related Links:

— “Expiration of COVID-Era Eviction Moratoriums Associated With Increase in Mental Health Care Utilization, Psychiatric News, May 28, 2026

HealthDay (5/26, Thompson) reports a study found that “almost 60% of college students who seek mental health care after a psychotic episode do not get the recommended treatment.” The investigators “looked at responses from more than 2,800 U.S. college students, all of whom were diagnosed with psychosis.” They found that “nearly 60% said they believed they did require help dealing with their psychosis.” Researchers observed that “while 8 in every 10 students interviewed said they’d sought counseling or therapy over the prior 12 months, only 4 in 10 had taken an antipsychotic medication. It’s not clear why so few of the students obtained medication,” but investigators believe “stigma around mental health issues could play a role.” The study was published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.

Related Links:

— “Many U.S. College Students With Psychosis Are Not Receiving Treatment,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay , May 26, 2026

The AP (5/24, Stobbe) reported, “Frustrated family members and others have been pushing for law changes in New York and other states that would allow the release of mental health records of long-dead ancestors.” These “efforts have resulted in access policy changes in some states…but elsewhere reforms are happening slowly or not at all.” The AP added, “Such records have drawn the interest of some people whose families are struggling with depression, suicide or other issues.”

Related Links:

— “How state laws can stymie research into your ancestors’ psychiatric records,”Mike Stobbe , AP , May 24, 2026

Psychiatry Advisor (5/22, Kuhns) reported, “Girls with tic disorders appear to have a greater burden of depression, self-injurious behaviors, and suicidality compared with boys, highlighting important sex-specific risks in this population, according to study results.” Researchers came to this conclusion after conducting a cross-sectional study that used caregiver-reported data “to assess clinical characteristics and psychiatric comorbidities in children and adolescents with tic disorders.” The findings were presented at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.

Related Links:

— “Girls vs Boys With Tic Disorders Show Higher Risk for Depression and Suicide,”Lisa Kuhns, Psychiatry Advisor, May 22, 2026

MedPage Today (5/21, George) reports a study suggests that “greater structural brain integrity appeared to buffer the cognitive consequences of Alzheimer’s disease pathology.” The researchers “evaluated two markers of brain reserve – brain-predicted age difference (brain-PAD) and a volumetric Alzheimer’s disease signature – in cognitively unimpaired older adults. Brain-PAD, a marker of overall structural brain health, uses MRI data to determine how much older or younger a brain appears relative to chronological age.” Overall, researchers observed that “brain-PAD moderated the association between Alzheimer’s pathology and multiple cognitive domains, including episodic memory (β = -0.09), processing speed (β = -0.08), working memory (β = -0.10), and executive function/attentional control (β = -0.08).” The study was published in Neurology.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)