HCPlive (7/27, Walter) reports, “Young patients with autism are similarly at risk of self-harm as patients with depression or” attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), investigators concluded in a 410,372-participant study, “9,070 of which had a diagnosis of autism.” The findings were published online July 22 in the journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica.
Related Links:
— “Self-Harm Common for Young Patients With Autism “Kenny Walter, HCPlive, July 27, 2022
The Hill (7/26, Barnes) reports, “Patients who reported smoking or vaping prior to COVID-19 hospitalization were more likely to experience severe complications, including death, than nonsmokers, according to a… study” published in PLOS One. Moreover, “smoking was linked to greater risk factor for death in people between 18 to 59 years of age and those who were white or” had obesity.
Related Links:
— “Smoking linked to severe COVID-19 complications, study finds “Adam Barnes, The Hill, July 26, 2022
HealthDay (7/26, Mozes) reports an analysis published in the American Journal of Medicine Open “finds that American youth became 30% more likely to die as a result of gun violence over the past decade.” This “jump in risk appears to have been largely driven by big spikes in gun-related suicides, as well as increases in all manner of gun-related deaths among both girls and non-Hispanic white kids, investigators found.” The analysis focused on CDC data “among boys and girls aged 19 and younger” between 2010 to 2019.
Related Links:
— “Gun Deaths Rose 30% Among U.S. Kids in a Decade “Alan Mozes, HealthDay, July 26, 2022
The New York Times (7/26, Weiland) reports Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta is “overseeing what experts describe as the most progressive federal drug strategy since” the ONDCP was first launched. That “strategy largely rests on the concept of harm reduction, focused not on helping drug users achieve abstinence but on lowering their risk of dying or acquiring infectious diseases.” The strategy comes as “some lawmakers still express discomfort with harm reduction tools, not least fentanyl strips, which are gaining acceptance even in some conservative states but remain illegal in others.”
Related Links:
— “Biden’s Drug Czar Is Leading the Charge for a ‘Harm Reduction’ Approach “Noah Weiland, The New York Times, July 26, 2022
Healio (7/26, Herpen) reports, “Roughly 53 million Americans live with a mental, emotional or behavioral health disorder, but not all are diagnosed and treated at the same rate, according to a” July 20 press release from AmeriHealth Caritas. In the press release, “AmeriHealth cited the American Psychiatric Association, which stated Black adults are less likely to be offered either evidence-based medication therapy or psychotherapy compared to the general population,” and are “also less likely to receive guideline-consistent care and less frequently included in mental health research, compared with whites.”
Related Links:
— “Bias, cultural barriers impede mental health diagnosis, treatment “Robert Herpen, Healio, July 26, 2022
HCPlive (7/25, Walter) reports, “Medicinal cannabis use for young patients in Canada is leading to some negative outcomes, including illicit drug use, tobacco use, and poor physical and mental health,” investigators concluded in a study that “drew data from the 2017 Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs Survey for individuals aged 15-24 years who reported past-year cannabis use,” and then “also compared youth reporting only nonmedicinal cannabis use (n = 2082) to youth reporting medicinal cannabis use for physical health conditions (n = 227), mental health conditions (n = 271), or insomnia (n = 98).” The findings were published online July 19 in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
Related Links:
— “
Medicinal Cannabis Use Causing Problems Among Young Patients “Kenny Walter, HCPlive, July 26, 2022
Healio (7/25) reports, “Deaths associated with alcohol, drugs, and suicide took the lives of 186,763 Americans in 2020, a 20% one-year increase in the combined death rate…a report by Trust for America’s Health and Well Being Trust” concluded. In addition, 2020 “logged the highest number of substance misuse deaths ever recorded for a single year.” The report’s findings were announced in a May 24 press release from the Well Being Trust.
Related Links:
— “Substance misuse deaths up 20% in 2020 – highest ever, report finds “Shenaz Bagha, Healio, July 25, 2022
CNN (7/25, LaMotte) reports a systematic review found that “higher concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC – the part of the marijuana plant that makes you high – are causing more people to become addicted in many parts of the world.” Researchers found that “compared with people who use lower-potency products (typically 5 to 10 milligrams per gram of THC), those who use higher-potency cannabis are more likely to experience addiction and mental health outcomes, according to the study published” in The Lancet Psychiatry.
Related Links:
— “Highly potent weed creating marijuana addicts worldwide, study says “Sandee LaMotte, CNN, July 25, 2022
Psychiatric News (7/22) reported, “American service members whose anger causes them significant distress and decreased function (problematic anger) during their transition to civilian life may have a higher risk of mental health conditions such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder,” investigators concluded after examining data from “3,448 participants in two waves of the Millennium Cohort Study.” The study also revealed that “service members who have problematic anger during the transition are more likely to have difficulty in their relationships and experience financial instability.” The findings were published online July 21 in JAMA Network Open.
Related Links:
— “Anger Issues as Veterans Leave Military May Point to Future Mental Health Problems, Study Finds, Psychiatric News, July 22, 2022
The Hill (7/22, Migdon) reported, “Transgender children are at least three times as likely as their cisgender peers to experience depression, anxiety and neurodevelopmental disorders,” investigators concluded after examining “responses from more than 7,000 nine- to 10-year-olds in the U.S., including 58 transgender youth, that understood the question ‘are you transgender?’” The findings were published online July 22 in a research letter in JAMA Network Open.
Related Links:
— “Transgender children are more likely to face mental health challenges, study says “Brooke Migdon, The Hill, July 22, 2022