HealthDay (1/30, Thompson) reports, “An adult living in a ‘legal’ state is not more likely to develop any sort of substance abuse disorder than their twin residing in a state where marijuana remains outlawed, researchers” concluded after analyzing “data on more than 4,000 twins who have been participating in long-term studies conducted by research teams at the University of Minnesota and the University of Colorado.” The findings were published online Jan. 5 in the journal Psychological Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Legalizing Marijuana Doesn’t Raise Drug, Alcohol Abuse: Study “Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, January 30, 2023

Healio (1/30, Herpen) reports, “In children with familial high risk of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, evidence of motor impairment skills may indicate neurodevelopmental vulnerability for psychosis,” researchers concluded in a study that “included 437 children…born in Denmark between Sept. 1, 2004, and Aug. 31, 2009, with no, one or two parents born in Denmark with a diagnosis of either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.” The findings were published online Jan. 4 ahead of print in the February issue of The Lancet Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Impaired motor skills may indicate psychosis for kids in families with psych disorders “Robert Herpen, Healio, January 30, 2023

On Friday, Kaiser Health News (1/27, Schulte) “released details of 90 previously secret government audits that reveal millions of dollars in overpayments to Medicare Advantage health plans for seniors.” These “audits, which cover billings from 2011 through 2013, are the most recent financial reviews available, even though enrollment in the health plans has exploded over the past decade to over 30 million and is expected to grow further.” KHN “published the audit spreadsheets as the industry girds for a final regulation that could order health plans to return hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars or more in overcharges to the Treasury Department;” this decision by CMS “is expected by Feb 1.”

Related Links:

— “Did Your Health Plan Rip Off Medicare? “Fred Schulte, Kaiser Health News, January 27, 2023

Healio (1/27, Herpen) reported, “States that enacted medical and recreational policies on cannabis did not see significant increases in rates of psychosis-related health outcomes compared with those that did not,” researchers concluded in a study that “examined commercial and Medicare Advantage claims data between 2003 and 2017, to identify more than 63 million beneficiaries at least 16 years of age, from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.” The findings were published online Jan. 25 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Rate of increase low for psychosis-related outcomes in states with cannabis laws “Robert Herpen, Healio, January 27, 2023

Psychiatric News (1/27) reported, “Substance use disorders (SUDs) cost employer-sponsored health insurance plans $35.3 billion in the United States in 2018,” with “alcohol use disorder…the most costly at $10.2 billion a year, followed by opioid use disorder at $7.3 billion a year,” CDC researchers concluded after examining insurance data on “the medical costs of 210,225 people who had an SUD diagnosis with those of 1,049,539 people who did not have an SUD diagnosis.” The findings were published online Jan. 24 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Substance Use Disorders Cost Employer Health Insurance $35 Billion in 2018, Psychiatric News, January 27, 2023

Healio (1/27, Bascom) reported, “Telehealth was a comparable alternative to in-person care for opioid use disorder” (OUD) “during the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating that telehealth can safely be used to expand access to this care,” researchers concluded in a study that “evaluated de-identified administrative claims data from 11,801 patients with a mean age of 53.9 years…who had OUD and were enrolled in either commercial insurance or Medicare Advantage plans.” The findings were published online Jan. 24 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Study: Telehealth just as effective as in-person care for opioid use disorder treatment “Emma Bascom, Healio, January 27, 2023

The Washington Post (1/26, Timsit) reports, “A new study of more than 29,000 older adults” has identified six “healthy lifestyle factors” that are tied to “a lower risk of dementia and a slower rate of memory decline.” The study revealed that “eating a balanced diet, exercising the mind and body regularly, having regular contact with others, and not drinking or smoking…were associated with better cognitive outcomes in older adults, in a large Chinese study conducted over a decade.”

According to MedPage Today (1/26, George), the study found that “memory decline was slower for older adults who had a healthy lifestyle, even for people with high genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” that is, for people with the APOE ε4 allele. The findings were published online in the BMJ.

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Healio (1/26, Herpen) reports, “Individuals diagnosed with a personality disorder benefited from interventions delivered in community or outpatient settings, with all therapeutic approaches demonstrating similar efficacy,” investigators concluded in the findings of a 54-study systematic review and meta-analysis published online Jan. 21 in the journal BMC Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Interventions benefit those with personality disorder in community, outpatient setting “Robert Herpen, Healio, January 26, 2023

Healio (1/26) reports, “According to a recently released” online poll from Lifeworks, “mental health among U.S. workers has improved minimally from the depth of the COVID-19 pandemic, with about half of respondents stating they would like online assessments of their mental well-being.” The poll, which was “conducted from Nov. 11-18, among 5,000 respondents employed within the prior six months, revealed that 40% expressed wishes to connect with a mental health professional online, 36% preferred an in-person assessment, 6% opted for a phone consultation and 18% had no preference.” The poll’s findings were disclosed in December in a detailed report (PDF).

Related Links:

— “Poll: 40% of U.S. workers prefer online mental health evaluation “Shenaz Bagha, Healio, January 26, 2023

Healio (1/25, Herpen) reports, “The needs of families are largely unmet when a parent is hospitalized for a mental illness, with the need for a broad range of care models required to address these gaps,” researchers concluded in the findings of an eight-study qualitative systematic review published online Jan. 20 in the journal BMC Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Needs of family members unmet with parent hospitalization for mental illness “Robert Herpen, Healio, January 25, 2023