Medscape (1/5, Brooks, Subscription Publication) reports researchers have proposed “a conceptual model of personal recovery after attempted suicide” called “the COURAGE model.” The model, which was “developed by a panel of mental health professionals and individuals who have attempted suicide…has seven themes: choosing life, optimizing identity, understanding oneself, rediscovering meaning, acceptance, growing connectedness, and empowerment.” It places its focus “on nonclinical factors such as helping people find meaning and purpose in their lives.” The model was described in findings published online Nov. 17 in BJPsych Open.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

According to Healio (1/5), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) “announced the results of its annual national survey on drug use and” mental “health for 2021” in a Jan. 4 press release. This report“includes selected estimates by race, ethnicity and age group, comprising the most comprehensive report on substance use and mental health indicators SAMHSA has released to date.”

MedPage Today (1/5, Monaco) reports, “Both adolescents and adults pinned some blame on the COVID-19 pandemic for negatively impacting their mental health,” with nearly “half of adolescents who experienced a major depressive episode and half of adults with a serious mental illness” saying that “the pandemic negatively affected their mental health ‘quite a bit or a lot.’”

Related Links:

— “SAMHSA releases 2021 survey on mental health, substance use “Shenaz Bagha, Healio, January 5, 2023

Healio (1/4, Herpen) reports, “For those with major depressive disorder” (MDD), “early intervention is crucial to address treatment-resistant depression” (TRD), “which may lead to higher disease burden on the patient and health care system,” investigators concluded in a study that “identified a total of 158,169 unipolar MDD episodes among 145,577 individuals between January 2012 and December 2017.” From this group of patients, “12,793 episodes (11%) qualified for consideration as TRD.” The findings were published online Dec. 14 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Intervention key for major depressive disorder to prevent treatment-resistant depression “Robert Herpen, Healio, January 4, 2023

NBC News (1/4, Dunn, Snow) reports on the growing number of “ketamine clinics, which offer the drug off-label as either an infusion or an injection for a wide variety of mental health problems.” Because ketamine “has FDA approval, any doctor can prescribe it off-label.” Smita Das, MD, PhD, MPH, Chair of the American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Addiction Psychiatry, stated, “The concern with these clinics’ popping up is that people are getting treatments that haven’t been well-proven, well-studied or following any guidelines.” Dr. Das added, “My concern is that people who need treatment will spend their money and energy in these ketamine clinics that aren’t well-proven.” To date, “only a few small studies have looked at its benefits for other mental health conditions beyond treatment-resistant depression, and the American Psychiatric Association doesn’t provide specific guidelines for its use.”

Related Links:

— “Ketamine clinics for mental health are popping up across the U.S. Does the treatment work? “Lauren Dunn and Kate Snow, NBC News, January 4, 2023

Psychiatric News (1/4) reports, “Youth who make threats of violence against others at school often have a range of psychiatric and learning disorders,” researchers concluded in a study that “included 157 youth aged five to 18 years…51.6% were receiving special education services.” Additionally, the study revealed that “many of these youth report having been bullied, and more than half have a history of traumatic family events.” The findings were published online ahead of print Jan. 2 in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Youth Who Threaten Violence at School May Have Psychiatric, Learning Problems, Psychiatric News, January 4, 2023

According to the New York Times (1/3, Barry), “children who habitually checked their social media feeds at around age 12 showed a distinct trajectory, with their sensitivity to social rewards from peers heightening over time,” while “teenagers with less engagement in social media followed the opposite path, with a declining interest in social rewards.” Researchers arrived at these conclusions after conducting “successive” functional magnetic resonance imaging “brain scans of middle schoolers between the ages of 12 and 15, a period of especially rapid brain development.” The findings were published online in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/03/health/social-media-brain-adolescents.html “Ellen Barry, The New York Times, January 3, 2023

According to Healio (1/3), in a Dec. 23 statement posted to its website, “the American Psychiatric Association said it is pleased that provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 will promote access to mental health and substance use disorder care.” The APA voiced concern, “however, that Congress is restoring only 2.5% of a 4.5% Medicare payment cut for all physicians beginning Jan. 1,” saying, “This runs counter to the need to improve access to care for patients, and we urge Congress to revisit this continuing challenge as soon as possible in the new year.”

Related Links:

— “APA lauds mental health provisions in Federal spending package, criticizes payment cut “Mindy Valcarcel, Healio, January 3, 2023

Psychiatric News (1/3) reports, “At the end of each year, members of the American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP) Editorial Board select the studies they found particularly impactful in the previous 12 months,” and for 2022 have selected nine studiesthat “have expanded the understanding of the impact of stress hormones on brain development, revealed new insights into how and when the brains of infants who go on to develop autism diverge from their peers, exposed the long-term cognitive effects of cannabis use, and more.” The American Journal of Psychiatry is a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “AJP Editors Identify Top Studies in 2022 That May Have Significant Impact in Psychiatry, Psychiatric News, January 3, 2023

MedPage Today (1/3, Monaco) reports, “Physical activity can help alleviate depressive symptoms in teens,” investigators concluded in the findings of a 21-study systematic review and meta-analysis published online Jan. 3 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

According to Healio (12/31, Young), research published online in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology reveals that “patients with familial hypercholesterolemia may have elevated risk for developing eating disorders. “ In arriving at that conclusion, the study team “used the Norwegian Patient Registry and the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry to identify FH…and control…populations.”

Related Links:

— “Patients with familial hypercholesterolemia may be more vulnerable to eating disorders “Kate Young, Healio, December 31, 2022