Psychiatric News (4/28) reported, “People who begin to experience problem drinking after the age of 60 can benefit from treatment and may have better mental functioning than those who develop problem drinking earlier in life,” researchers concluded in the findings of a 780-participant study published in the April issue of the journal Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Related Links:

— “Age at Onset of Problem Drinking May be Poor Predictor of Outcomes, Study Finds, Psychiatric News, April 28, 2023

According to MedPage Today (4/28, Monaco), many children experiencing symptoms associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) “may not be getting the treatment they need,” investigators concluded. The study revealed that “of 1,206 children with parent-reported” AD/HD, “only 26.2% ever received any form of outpatient mental healthcare.” What’s more, “only 12.9% of kids were currently receiving” AD/HD “medications; 8% were receiving stimulants and 5.1% were receiving atomoxetine (Strattera), guanfacine, or clonidine.”

HCPlive (4/28, Walter) reported that “11,723 patients” were included in the study, the findings of which were published online April 28 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

NBC News (4/29, Hopkins) reported, “Hospitalizations for eating disorders spiked during the pandemic, doubling among adolescent girls, according to” data published online Feb. 25, 2022, in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, and even though “most teens have returned to a normal life of in-person school, sports and social activities, eating disorders, especially anorexia, remain at an all-time high, experts warn.” However, “with a shift in the way psychiatrists, psychologists and physicians diagnose them, it’s possible more cases are being recognized, rather than more teens developing new disorders.” A decade ago, “the American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental disorders – the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, or D.S.M.-5 – included binge eating as an official eating disorder for the first time” and also “drove greater recognition of eating disorders, including among boys.”

Related Links:

— “Eating disorders among teens more severe than ever “Caroline Hopkins, NBC News, April 29, 2023

HCP Live (4/27, Smith) reports, “Unawareness of memory decline—as opposed to greater awareness—is associated strongly with future clinical progression of Alzheimer’s disease in older adults, according to new findings.” The research was published online April 25 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Unawareness of Memory Decline Associated with Greater Risk of Alzheimer’s “Tim Smith, HCP Live, April 27, 2023

According to CNN (4/27, Howard), a report from the CDC indicates that approximately “1 in 5 high school students in the United States has seen violence first-hand among people who are not related, including homicides involving guns.” CNN adds, “In 2021, the most recent year for which data were available, 19.9% of high school students reported ever witnessing community violence and 3.5% reported carrying a gun during the past year, according to the CDC’s biennial Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance reports.” Additionally, “the data…showed that students who witnessed community violence were more likely to report carrying a gun, engaging in substance use and considering or attempting suicide.”

Related Links:

— “About 1 in 5 high school students have witnessed community violence, new CDC report says ” Jacqueline Howard, CNN, April 27, 2023

ABC News (4/27, Kekatos, Benadjaoud) reports, “The percentage of high school female students who seriously considered attempting suicide rose from 24.1% to about one-third, or 30%, between 2019 and 2021, according to the latest results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” Data also show that “the percentage of those who made a suicide plan increased from 19.9% to 23.6% and there was also an increase in suicide attempts from 11.0% to 13.3%.” Some “differences were seen when it came to students’ ages, race/ethnicity or gender identity.” When “compared to white female students, Hispanic female students had increased rates of suicide attempts requiring medical attention,” and “LGBQ+ students had higher rates of reporting attempted suicide than heterosexual students, the CDC said.”

Related Links:

— “One-third of US teen girls seriously considered attempting suicide in 2021: CDC “Mary Kekatos and Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, April 27, 2023

The Washington Post (4/26, Reynolds) reports a study “found that incorporating simple workouts such as jogging or weight training into treatment improved the likelihood of recovery from a variety of substance-use disorders, including to cocaine, opioids, cannabis and alcohol.” The study was published online April 26 in PLOS One. The study’s findings “build on other research, some with animals, showing that exercise changes our brains and thinking in ways that can reduce drug cravings and relapse and might even stave off addictions in the first place.”

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Healio (4/26, VanDewater) reports, “On days when youth in the LGBTQ+ community reported more external and internal identity-related stressors, they also reported more intense thoughts of suicide and non-suicidal self-injury, data showed.” The study included 92 individuals 12 to 19 years old “who self-identified as a sexual and/or gender minority.” Healio adds, “Analyses of diary entries revealed that experiencing external and internal minority stressors on a particular day was associated with a greater intensity of suicidal ideation and non-suicidal self-injury ideation on that day.” Additionally, “participants…reported greater negative affect, lower positive affect and more emotion dysregulation on these days.” The findings were published online in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science.

Related Links:

— “Suicidality, self-harm ideation among LGBTQ+ youth vary based on daily stressors “Kalie VanDewater, Healio, April 26, 2023

Healio (4/26, Welsh) reports, “Among women with a history [of] depression, risk for postpartum depression was greater for those whose prior depression was associated with use of hormonal contraception, according to a cohort study.”

MedPage Today (4/26) reports that investigators found, “in the analysis of over 188,000 first-time mothers who had used hormonal contraception (HC) in the past, those with a history of HC-related depression had a 35% higher chance of experiencing postpartum depression than those with a history of depression not related to HC.” The findings were published online April 26 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Hormonal contraception-associated depression linked to higher postpartum depression risk “Erin T. Welsh, Healio, April 26, 2023

HealthDay (4/25, Murez) reports 67% of Americans over 50 said in a poll that they were interested in cutting back on prescription medications. The findings are in line with a growing movement toward “deprescribing.” However, researchers “emphasized that it’s important for patients and providers to communicate about deprescribing.”

Related Links:

— “Lots of Older Americans Would Like to Take Fewer Meds, Poll Finds “Cara Murez, HealthDay, April 25, 2023