Psychiatric News (12/15) reports a study found that “in 2022, national spending on behavioral health care for children ages 6 to 17 was nearly $42 billion – including nearly $3 billion in out-of-pocket spending from families.” That figure “represented 40% of all pediatric health care expenditures, nearly twice as much as in 2011.” Researchers noted that “overall pediatric behavioral health expenditures rose from about $18 billion in 2011 to $41.8 billion in 2022. Spending on in-person and telehealth outpatient visits increased from 2011-2022, while spending on medications decreased and spending on emergency department or inpatient services remained stable.” The study was published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Pediatric Behavioral Health Spending Rising Dramatically, Psychiatric News, December 15, 2025

HealthDay (12/12, Thompson) reported, “Smokers who use cigarettes and vape devices interchangeably might not be doing themselves as much of a disservice as once feared, a new study says.” Investigators found that “these ‘dual users’ are more likely to eventually quit smoking than people who smoke without vaping.” Additionally, “dual users…are more likely to reduce their cigarette smoking rate, and thus reduce the amount of harmful chemicals they inhale from smoke.” The findings were published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

Related Links:

— “Smokers Who Vape More Likely To Quit Or Cut Back, Study Argues,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, December 12, 2025

Psychiatric News (12/12) reported a systematic review and meta-analysis of 76 clinical trials found that “when it comes to preventing depression or anxiety relapse, slowly tapering off an antidepressant while receiving psychological support is comparable to remaining on the medication.” Researchers observed that “slow tapering with support and medication continuation both reduced relapse risk by about 50% compared with abrupt discontinuation – with moderate evidence to support the finding. Dose reduction reduced relapse risk by 38% compared with abrupt discontinuation, though this approach was supported by low levels of evidence.” Furthermore, “slow tapering without support and fast tapering with or without support were not superior to abrupt discontinuation.” The review was published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Slow Tapering of Medication and Psychological Support Limits Depression Relapse, Psychiatric News, December 12, 2025

Medical Economics (12/10, Littrell) reports that a study “takes a close look at a simple but increasingly popular idea in physician practices: setting aside protected time during the workday for electronic health record (EHR) tasks.” In the study, “one ambulatory network reserved a dedicated appointment slot each half day for activities such as patient messaging, prescription refills and prior authorizations. Researchers tracked what happened to productivity, after-hours work and message volume over nearly three years.” Study “results suggest that small scheduling changes can have an outsized impact on physician workload. After-hours and weekend EHR time dropped quickly after protected time was introduced, while productivity took only a modest short-term dip and then stabilized.” The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Protected EHR time cuts after-hours work with little productivity loss, study finds,”Austin Littrell, Medical Economics, December 10, 2025

Healio (12/10, Herpen) reports, “Individuals with epilepsy and depression had a higher psychiatric comorbidity burden linked to shorter duration of initial therapy and a higher risk of treatment failure, data show.” According to the “results, patients with depression remained on [first-line epilepsy therapy] for a shorter time (median 145 days) than those who did not have depression (median 173 days), although durations across subsequent [lines of therapy] were similar between cohorts, featuring modest declines over time.” The findings were presented at the American Epilepsy Society annual meeting.

Related Links:

— “Depression in epilepsy linked to higher comorbidity burden, risk of treatment failure,”Robert Herpen, MA , Healio, December 10, 2025

Gastroenterology Advisor (12/9, Nye) reports, “Patients with Crohn disease (CD) experiencing post-traumatic stress (PTS) are more likely to have undergone multiple operations and to have experienced surgical complications, according to study findings.” The researchers said, “Surgery has posed both physical challenges and psychological stress for patients. Therefore, conducting thorough assessments and providing comprehensive care after surgery is crucial in reducing patients’ psychological maladjustment.” The findingswere published in Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology.

Related Links:

— “Multiple Surgeries and Complications Predict Post-Traumatic Stress in CD,”Jessica Nye, PhD, Gastroenterology Advisor, December 9, 2025

USA Today (12/9, Mitchell, Hale) reports, “Starting Dec. 10, Australia is the first country to ban social media for kids under 16.” It is “up to social media companies…to ensure children under 16 aren’t using their platforms, and companies who fail to block kids [from] their sites will face substantial fines.” Under the ban, “there are no penalties for kids who gain access to these platforms, or their parents or caregivers.” Although “the ban is controversial in some circles, many parents and mental health advocates are celebrating – and wondering if something similar could ever be enforced in the United States.” However, “Whitney Raglin Bignall, pediatric psychologist and associate clinical director at The Kids Mental Health Foundation, said she hasn’t seen movement toward a nationwide social media ban in the United States.”

Related Links:

— “Australia is first nation to ban social media for kids. Is the US next?,”Madeline Mitchell & Rachel Hale, USA TODAY, December 9, 2025

HealthDay (12/8, Gotkine) reports a study found that “for sexual minority youth, identity disclosure is associated with an increased risk for suicide intention, plan, and attempt.” Study results indicate that “identity disclosure to a family member was associated with a within-person increased risk for suicide intention, plan, and attempt (8, 10, and 6 percentage points, respectively). Increased risks for suicide intention, plan, and attempt were also seen in association with identity disclosure to a friend (10, 12, and 6 percentage points, respectively).” According to researchers, “these increases in suicide risk occurred around the timing of identity disclosure; in subsequent years, they increased in magnitude.” The study was published in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “‘Coming Out’ Linked to Increased Suicide Risk in Sexual Minority Youth,”Elana Gotkine , HealthDay, December 8, 2025

The New York Times (12/8, Barry) reports, “A study of nearly 200,000 California schoolchildren found that their mental health had improved significantly after schools reopened for in-person learning in 2021, evidence that its authors said shows that the risks of prolonged shutdowns were greater than policymakers understood at the time.” Researchers found that “nine months after schools reopened, the probability that a child would be seen by a [healthcare professional] for a mental health condition was reduced by 43 percent.” Additionally, “spending on mental health medications decreased by 7.5 percent, and spending on other treatments, like therapy, decreased by 10.6 percent.” The improvements were said to be more striking among girls. The study was published in Epidemiology

The Washington Post (12/8, Malhi) adds that return to in-person schooling during the pandemic was “associated with significant declines in diagnoses of anxiety, depression and other conditions.”

The American Journal of Managed Care (12/8, Shaw) also provides coverage.

Related Links:

— The New York Times (requires login and subscription)

The Hill (12/5, Cochran) reported that a federal appeals court on Thursday halted an effort by the Administration “to block grants to hire more school mental health workers. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the administration’s appeal of a district court decision to restore grants given by the Biden administration to hire more counselors and social workers, particularly in low-income and rural schools.” The appeals court ruled the Administration “has not shown a strong likelihood of success and noted the district court is likely to reach a final decision soon.”

Related Links:

— “Court blocks Trump administration effort to halt school mental health worker grants,”Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, December 5, 2025