Psychiatric News (5/12) reports a research letter published in JAMA Pediatrics says that “about one-quarter of children in the United States may be living in a household where one or more parents have a substance use disorder.” Researchers calculated national estimates of children “exposed to parental SUDs using data from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.” They found that “nearly 19 million children lived with a parent who met DSM-5 criteria for past-year SUD. Of this total, around 11.3 million children had a parent with mild SUD, while 7.6 million had a parent with moderate to severe SUD.” They observed the “most common parental SUD was alcohol use disorder, which affected more than 12 million children, followed distantly by cannabis use disorder and then prescription medication use disorder.

Related Links:

— “Nearly 19 Million Children May Be Living With a Parent With SUD,” Psychiatric News, May , 2025

The Washington Post (5/12, Docter-Loeb) reports new research published in JAMA Network Open shows that “more U.S. high-schoolers used nicotine pouches – smokeless nicotine powder products – last year than the year before.” The study used data from a 2023-2024 survey of 10,146 youths, revealing that “5.4 percent of 10th- and 12th-graders reported having used nicotine pouches, up from 3 percent the year before. The 10th- and 12th-graders’ use of pouches in the 12 months and 30 days before the surveys also increased year to year.” According to the study, teens who are male, white, and living in rural areas showed higher usage. The study also noted increased dual use with e-cigarettes, “but the sole use of e-cigarettes decreased across a lifetime, as well as in the previous 12 months and past 30 days.”

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

MedPage Today (5/9, Lou ) reported, “Users of illicit stimulants were at elevated risk of ventricular arrhythmia (VA) and mortality, according to a longitudinal cohort study from California.” Investigators found that “a record of methamphetamine use was associated with increased incident VA…and mortality…over nearly 10-year follow-up.” Meanwhile, “cocaine use was similarly tied to VA…and mortality.” The findings were published in the European Heart Journal.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (5/9, Thompson ) reported researchers have found that “psychotherapy is assuming a larger role in mental health care, while medications prescribed without accompanying therapy are becoming less common.” Investigators found that “of Americans relying on outpatient mental health care, the percentage relying on psychotherapy alone rose to 15% in 2021 from less than 12% in 2018.” Meanwhile, “those relying on medication alone to help their mental health dropped from 68% to 62%.” The findings were published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Talk Therapy On The Rise, Psychiatric Meds Used Less Often,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, May 9, 2025

Writing in the journal Drug Safety, Besag et al conducted a systematic literature review to explore the current state of knowledge regarding tardive dyskinesia with antipsychotic medication in children and adolescents. The authors found 13 relevant studies, concluding that the risk of TD in this population is very real, despite a low overall incidence. There are limited treatment options for minors developing TD, leading the authors to conclude that “antipsychotics should be prescribed only if necessary, at the minimum effective dose and for the minimum necessary duration.”

Related Links:

— “Tardive Dyskinesia with Antipsychotic Medication in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review,” Frank M. C. Besag, et.al., Drug Safety, June 11, 2024

Psychiatric News reports a study found that “adults ages 65 and older with tardive dyskinesia (TD) given valbenazine for up to 48 weeks experienced substantial and sustained improvements in symptoms while maintaining psychiatric stability.” Researchers observed that “40% of older participants experienced a meaningful response to valbenazine (≥50% improvement in AIMS) at eight weeks, which rose to 65% at 24 weeks and 82% at 48 weeks; the improvements in older adults were comparable to those seen in younger participants.” Researchers concluded, “This article reports on data indicating that once-daily valbenazine is effective and well-tolerated in the ≥65-year age group.” The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Valbenazine Significantly Improves Tardive Dyskinesia in Older Adults Over Long-Term,” Psychiatric News, April 30, 2025

In a study published in Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, Frei et al employed an expert Delphi panel to address longstanding confusion over the terms “tardive dyskinesia” and “tardive syndrome.” The panel of neurologists and psychiatrists agreed that “tardive syndrome” should serve as the umbrella term for all persistent involuntary movements induced by dopamine receptor blocking agents (DRBAs), reserving “tardive dyskinesia” specifically for classic manifestations involving orobuccolingual stereotypy and chorea of the extremities. The study emphasized the importance of consistent terminology.

Related Links:

— “Tardive dyskinesia versus tardive syndrome. What is in a name?,” Karen Frei, et. al., Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, April, 2025

Psychiatric News (5/8) reports a study found that “individuals with serious mental illness who received assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) experienced improvements across a broad range of clinical outcomes, including adherence to treatment, symptoms, and self-reported quality of life.” Researchers saw patients who completed court-mandated AOT had their “appointment adherence increased by more than 24%, while medication adherence increased by 20%. Additionally, violent behavior was reduced by more than 19% and suicidal ideation by more than 24%. Illicit drug use and risk of homelessness also decreased following AOT completion.” Researchers noted that “the length of mandated treatment was also found to be important.” The study was published in Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice.

Related Links:

— “Patients Receiving Court-Mandated Outpatient Treatment Show Broad Improvements,” Psychiatric News, May 8, 2025

HealthDay (5/7, Gotkine ) reported a study found that the “prevalence of depressive symptoms increased among U.S. adults during the pandemic.” Researchers “examined changes in depressive symptoms among U.S. adults overall and across sociodemographic characteristics using 2013 to 2023 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data.” They found “the observed prevalence of depressive symptoms increased from 8.2 to 12.3 percent from 2013-2020 to 2021-2023.” In addition, “depressive symptom prevalence increased by 3.5 percentage points during the pandemic after adjustment and accounting for secular trends.” There was also “a significantly larger increase seen in the prevalence of depressive symptoms among adults aged 20 to 44 years versus those aged 65 years or older” between 2013-2020 and 2021-2023. The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Depressive Symptoms Increased for U.S. Adults During Pandemic,” Elana Gotkine, HealthDay, May 7, 2025

The AP (5/7, Seitz ) reports Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “announced a plan Wednesday to use medical data and records from people on Medicaid and Medicare to help study autism although experts say it’s unlikely to help reveal the condition’s root causes.” The program will consist of a data sharing agreement between the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. HHS explained researchers will use the data to “focus on autism diagnosis trends, health outcomes from medical or behavioral treatment, access to care based on demographics and geography as well [as] the economic burden of autism on families and health care systems.” An HHS statement said the agreement will be “consistent with applicable privacy laws to protect Americans’ sensitive health information.”

CNN (5/7, Owermohle ) reports that “early signals from health officials that they would build a database to track autism were met with swift rebuke from advocacy organizations and doctors.”

Also reporting is The Hill (5/7, Choi ).

Related Links:

— “US Health department will analyze data from autistic Medicare, Medicaid enrollees, RFK Jr. says,” Amanda Seitz, Associated Press, May 7, 2025