Healio (1/13, Herpen) reports, “The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a drop in hospitalization for self-harm or overdose in adolescents and young adults compared to the two years before,” researchers concluded after culling “information from 1,690,733 young persons born between 1990 and 2006, in Ontario, Canada, aged 14 to 24 years between March 1, 2018, and June 30. 2021,” then breaking down data by frequency of emergency department “visits or hospitalizations due to either self-harm or overdose.” The findings were published online Jan. 12 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Hospitalization for self-harm, overdose lower during start of pandemic vs. before “Robert Herpen, Healio, January 13, 2022

Healio (1/12, Marabito) reports, “Opioid overdose deaths among older adults increased significantly from 1999 to 2019, especially among non-Hispanic Black men,” investigators concluded in a “longitudinal cross-sectional study” that “examined data on opioid overdose deaths among adults aged 55 years and older from the CDC’s Multiple Cause of Death database.” The findings of the 79,893-adult study were published online Jan. 11 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Opioid overdose deaths increased drastically among older Black men over a decade “Maria Marabito, Healio, January 12, 2022

According to HCPlive (1/12, Walter), an 85,490-participant study “examined the genetic architecture of treatment resistant schizophrenia (TRS) through the reassessment of genetic data from schizophrenia studies and its validation in ascertained clinical samples.” The study revealed that “treatment resistance is generally a polygenic trait with detectable heritability of 1-4%,” and there also appears to be “a positive association between TRS and a history of taking clozapine.” The findings were published online Jan. 12 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Genetic Data Explains Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia “Kenny Walter, HCPlive, January 12, 2022

The New York Times (1/12, Dodge) delves into whether “neurofeedback, a therapy some say can improve our attention, moods, sleeping habits and even our athletic ability by measuring brain activity and showing it to us – either on a screen or through headphones – in real time,” is effective. Currently, “neurofeedback is still not accepted as a mainstream treatment within mental health circles – and the most robust research into the intervention so far suggests it is no more effective than a placebo.” While neurofeedback is safe and has no side effects, it often is not covered by insurance and may serve to delay patients from an accepted therapy that can “actually work.”

Related Links:

— “Can Monitoring Brain Waves Boost Mental Health? “David Dodge, The New York Times, January 12, 2022

According to USA Today (1/11, Yasharoff), a “report from Truth Initiative, an anti-smoking group, says that watching some of the year’s biggest TV shows, movies and music videos…exposed young people to frequent scenes of smoking and vaping imagery.” The report on streaming in 2020 “estimates that 27 million young people were exposed to smoking and vaping imagery…from streaming shows alone.” In addition, the report found that over 60% “of the most popular binge-watched shows among 15- to 24-year-olds featured depictions of tobacco use.”

Related Links:

— “Exclusive: Study finds tobacco imagery persists in TV, movies and music videos viewed by young audiences “Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, January 11, 2022

HealthDay (1/11, Roberts Murez) reports “previous shifts from in-person to remote or hybrid learning…during the COVID-19 pandemic have posed challenges for kids that have caused them to act out, according to” study findings published in JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers conducted “four surveys of 405 parents” on “their child’s general behavioral health, including a number of ‘maladaptive’ behaviors, including aggression or withdrawal.” According to the parents, “compared to when they were in school, kids showed more of these unwanted behaviors while learning remotely – and their general behavior was worse overall.”

Related Links:

— “Kids’ Behavior Worsened With Remote Learning: Study “Cara Murez, HealthDay , January 11, 2022

Healio (1/11, Swain) reports, “Among patients with cardiac disease, nearly 20% used psychotropic medications, and psychotropic medication use was linked to elevated risk for one-year mortality, researchers” concluded in a study that “analyzed 12,913 patients hospitalized for ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias, HF or valvular heart disease who were included in the DenHeart Survey.” The study revealed that “18% of the cohort used psychotropic medications within six months before hospitalization, 32% reported symptoms of anxiety and 3% died within one year of hospitalization.” The findings were published online in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. HCPlive (1/11, Iapoce) also covers the study.

Related Links:

— “Psychotropic medication use tied to 1-year mortality in patients with heart disease “Erik Swain, Healio, January 11, 2022

PatientEngagementHIT (1/10, Heath) reports that “more than half of low-income parents said they delayed or went without some type of healthcare within the past 12 months, largely because of social determinants of health carving out steep income-based health disparities, according to” an Urban Institute report. The article adds, “The report, comprised of data from an April 2021 survey, showed that 61.5 percent of parents making less than $30,000 – an income at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) – went without care because of cost, challenges taking time off work, challenges arranging childcare, or transportation barriers.”

Related Links:

— “Income-Based Health Disparities Impact Health of Parents ” Sara Heath, PatientEngagementHIT, January 10, 2022

According to USA Today (1/8, Groppe, Elbeshbishi), a new USA Today/Suffolk University poll reveals that an “overwhelming majority of Americans believe the U.S. is in the grips of a full-blown mental health crisis.” The poll shows that nearly “two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought a rise in depression, anxiety, stress, addiction and other challenges, almost nine in ten registered voters believe there’s a ‘mental health crisis’ in the nation.” The poll also found that a “majority of those surveyed also said poor mental health is primarily responsible for mass shootings, alcohol and drug addiction, and suicides.”

Related Links:

— “Exclusive poll: Overwhelming majority says the US faces a mental health crisis “Maureen Groppe and Sarah Elbeshbishi, USA TODAY, January 8, 2022

The AP (1/8, Kelleher) reported, “The current explosion of Omicron-fueled coronavirus infections in the U.S. is causing a breakdown in basic functions and services – the latest illustration of how COVID-19 keeps upending life more than two years into the pandemic.” According to the AP, “First responders, hospitals, schools and government agencies have employed an all-hands-on-deck approach to keep the public safe, but they are worried how much longer they can keep it up.”

Related Links:

— “Omicron explosion spurs nationwide breakdown of services “Jennifer Sinco Kelleher and Terry Tang, AP, January 8, 2022