Psychiatric News (7/21) reports, “Older patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD) are more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia than their peers who respond to treatment, according to a study.” But, “compared with older patients who do not have MDD, the risk of dementia is higher for those with MDD regardless of how well their depression responds to treatment.” The findings were published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Dementia Risk in MDD Differs Depending on Treatment Resistance or Responsiveness, Psychiatric News, June 21, 2025

The New York Times (7/21, Barry ) reports, “Over nearly four decades since Prozac [fluoxetine] was approved for the treatment of depression, waves of concern about the effects of antidepressants during pregnancy have resulted in a practical consensus: Though use of the drugs may be associated with a slight rise in the odds of birth defects, the risk of leaving a mother’s depression untreated is often greater.” Now, among a “select group of experts convened by the Food and Drug Administration on Monday to discuss the safety of antidepressants during pregnancy, around half said that women should receive a more clear and forceful warning about potential risks to the fetus.” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon “said the agency would not comment on whether there were plans to require a so-called black box warning about the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, in pregnancy.”

MedPage Today (7/21, Monaco ) reports, “Women should be better informed about the potential risks of using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy, and these risks should be weighed against their benefits, most speakers on an FDA panel selected by Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, agreed on Monday.” Makary said, “Up to 5% of women in pregnancy are on an antidepressant. Antidepressants like SSRIs can be an effective treatment for depression.” However, “he warned that SSRIs ‘may be unique’ because of their potential interaction with pregnancy.”

NBC News (7/21, Bendix ) also reports.

Related Links:

— The New York Times (requires login and subscription)

Reuters (7/18, Sunny, Mahatole) reported the FDA’s “panel of independent advisers on Friday voted against the efficacy of Otsuka Pharma’s antipsychotic drug in combination with Viatris’ antidepressant Zoloft [sertraline hydrochloride] for treating adults with PTSD.” The FDA “panel voted 10-1 to say the available data does not establish the efficacy of the drug, brexpiprazole, in combination with Zoloft…for treating the condition.” The panel’s “decision is in line with the FDA staff reviewers’ assessment on Wednesday.

Related Links:

— “US FDA advisers recommend against Otsuka’s PTSD combination treatment,”Mariam E Sunny and Siddhi Mahatole, Reuters, July 18, 2025

HealthDay (7/18, Thompson ) reported, “Some women have a greater risk of depression as they go through premature menopause, according to a new study.” Researchers found that “women were at greater risk for depression if they entered premature menopause earlier; their condition had a genetic cause; or they experienced worse menopause symptoms.” Study results indicate that “women grieving the loss of their fertility or without sufficient emotional support also had a higher risk.” The findings were published in Menopause.

Related Links:

— “Depression Risk Greater In Some Women With Premature Menopause,”
Dennis Thompson , HealthDay, July 18, 2025

CNN (7/17, Howard ) reports, “The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth have officially ended operations, meaning people contacting 988 for help no longer have the option to ‘press 3’ to reach counselors specifically trained to respond to the needs of this group.” According to CNN, “The lifeline included a subnetwork for LGBTQ+ youth soon after its launch in July 2022.” However, “the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration…announced last month that those services would be coming to an end.”

Related Links:

— “Trump administration ends 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s specialized service for LGBTQ+ youth,”Jacqueline Howard , CNN, July 17, 2025

HealthDay (7/17, Gotkine ) reports, “Most individuals do not go through severe withdrawal after discontinuing antidepressants,according to a study.” One researcher said, “Despite previous concern about stopping antidepressants, our work finds that most people do not experience severe withdrawal, in terms of additional symptoms. Importantly, depression relapse was not linked to antidepressant withdrawal in these studies.” The findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Few Discontinuation Symptoms Reported After Stopping Antidepressants,”
Elana Gotkine , HealthDay, July 17, 2025

Reuters (7/16, Niasse ) reports, “More than half of large U.S. employers plan to scale back health care benefits next year as rising costs from weight-loss and specialty drugs squeeze budgets, according to a new survey [PDF] released by consulting firm Mercer on Wednesday.” The survey found that “among employers with 500 or more workers, 51% said they planned to increase cost-sharing in 2026, including raising deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket costs for workers.” That percentage “is up from 45% of large employers who said they would increase cost-sharing for 2025.”

Related Links:

— “Many US employers plan to pare health benefits as weight-loss spending soars,” Amina Niasse, Reuters, July 16, 2025

The American Journal of Managed Care (7/16, Grossi) reports, “Becoming food insecure can trigger symptoms of anxiety and depression within just one month, and regaining food security can reverse those symptoms just as quickly, according to new research that offers compelling evidence of a direct, causal link between food access and mental health.” The research “tracked nearly 500 adults, showing food insecurity as a significant predictor of mental health issues.” The findings were published in PLOS Mental Health.

Related Links:

— “Causal Link Found Between Food Insecurity and Mental Health Symptoms in New Data,”Giuliana Grossi, American Journal of Managed Care , July 16, 2025

The Hill (7/16, Migdon ) reports, “States and mental health organizations are bracing for the closure of a specialized service within 988, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, for LGBTQ youth on Thursday under orders from the Trump administration amid its broader spending cuts and the dismantling of programs dedicated to diversity and inclusion.” The Trevor Project “launched an ‘emergency lifeline campaign’ following the announcement from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration last month that 988 would ‘no longer silo’ LGBTQ youth services beginning July 17.” Money “raised through the campaign will help the Trevor Project continue ‘to protect and support LGBTQ+ young people in the face of significant funding losses,’ according to the group’s website.”

Related Links:

— “LGBTQ advocates brace for Thursday closure of 988 lifeline service,” Brooke Migdon, The Hill, July 16, 2025

MedPage Today (7/14, Phend ) reports, “Vaping improved smoking cessation rates better than nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults, a randomized trial from Australia showed.” Investigators found that “breath test-verified continuous smoking abstinence after 6 months nearly tripled with use of vaporized nicotine products compared with NRT during a quit attempt, with rates of 28.4% compared with 9.6%, a significant difference that Bayesian analysis suggested was 99% certain for superiority.” Additionally, “vaping was…better across subanalyses by age, sex, nicotine dependence, and mental illness and resulted in fewer patient-reported adverse events.” The findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)