The New York Times (5/1, Richtel) reported, “Mental health-related visits to emergency” departments (EDs) “by children, teenagers and young adults soared from 2011 to 2020, according to” findings published online May 2 in JAMA. The study also revealed that “the sharpest increase was for suicide-related visits, which rose fivefold.” The research team arrived at these conclusions after using “data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey” to examine “the annual number of mental health-related” ED “visits by people six to 24 years old.”

Related Links:

— “Emergency Room Visits Have Risen Sharply for Young People in Mental Distress, Study Finds “Matt Richtel, The New York Times, May 1, 2023

CNN (5/1, LaMotte) reports, “Up to 60% of all stroke survivors develop memory and thinking problems within a year, and one-third go on to develop dementia within five years, according to” a scientific statement issued by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and published online ahead of print in the journal Stroke. Most “common within the first two weeks after a stroke,” cognitive impairment “may go hand in hand with other conditions associated with a stroke such as behavioral and personality changes, depression, physical disability and disruption in sleep, all of which can contribute to a lower quality of life.” Still, “about 20% of people who experience mild cognitive impairment after a stroke fully recover their cognitive function, typically within the first six months.”

Related Links:

— “Up to 60% of stroke survivors may develop cognitive decline within a year “Sandee LaMotte, CNN, May 1, 2023

NBC News (5/1, Edwards) reports, “Teenagers engaged in toxic, controlling dating relationships may be at risk for a variety of problems as they enter adulthood, including drug use, as well as mental and physical health struggles…research [suggests].” The study “also showed that such teens are likely to repeat patterns of unhealthy – potentially dangerous – intimate relationships.” The findings were published online in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Troubled teenage relationships can have lasting health consequences “Erika Edwards, NBC News , May 1, 2023

Psychiatric News (5/1) reports, “A meta-analysis” and systematic review of 53 “longitudinal studies of children and adolescents from 12 countries” and encompassing some 40,000 young people reveals that “symptoms of depression in youth around the world increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.” The findings were published online May 1 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Depression Symptoms in Youth Worsened During COVID-19 Pandemic, Meta-Analysis Finds, Psychiatric News, May 1, 2023

The Hill (5/1, Migdon) reports, “Close to a third of LGBTQ youth say laws and policies that target LGBTQ people have had a substantial and negative impact on their mental health over the past year, according to an annual report published…by The Trevor Project, a national LGBTQ youth suicide prevention group.” The report indicated that “nearly 1 in 3 LGBTQ young people said their mental health is poor either ‘most of the time’ or ‘always’ because of policies and legislation that takes aim at their sexual orientation or gender identity.” The report “analyzed survey responses from more than 28,000 LGBTQ young people ages 13 to 24 across the U.S.”

Related Links:

— “More than 30 percent of LGBTQ youth attribute poor mental health to anti-LGBTQ laws “Brooke Migdon, The Hill , May 1, 2023

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