HealthDay (11/22, Norton) reports, “Most prescriptions for the medication gabapentin are for unapproved uses – and many patients end up taking it along with” medications that “create potentially dangerous interactions,” investigators concluded in a “study that looked at ‘off-label’ use of gabapentin” among US adults. The study revealed that “of almost 130 million outpatient visits where gabapentin was prescribed, more than 99% were for off-label uses.” The findings were published online May 21 in Psychiatric Services, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Many Psychiatric Patients Are Getting Risky Drug Gabapentin ‘Off-Label’ “Amy Norton, HealthDay, November 22, 2021

Healio (11/22, Gramigna) reports, “In light of recent CDC data showing more than 100,000 U.S. deaths from overdoses between April 2020 and April 2021, the American Psychiatric Association [APA]” has “reviewed effective substance abuse treatments and called for efforts to intervene.” Healio interviewed Smita Das, MD, PhD, MPH, chair of APA’s Council on Addiction Psychiatry, who said, “These data continue to highlight the alarming trend of increasing overdose deaths in the U.S.” Dr. Das added, “With the pandemic, there has been a deadly mix of worsening mental health symptoms and increased substance use,” adding, “The dual diagnosis nature of this makes the news about overdose deaths especially pertinent to psychiatrists.”

Related Links:

— “APA calls for action to address high number of overdose deaths “Joe Gramigna, Healio, November 22, 2021

HealthDay (11/19, Norton) reported a study published in Obesity “is highlighting yet another consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic: It has likely made it even harder for kids with obesity to manage their weight.” Investigators “tracked 230 children from urban, low-income families who were enrolled in a clinical trial testing an obesity treatment program – either before or during the pandemic,” and found that over one year, kids in the program during the pandemic “typically saw an increase in their body mass index.”

Related Links:

— “Pandemic Curbed Kids’ Efforts to Lose Excess Weight “Amy Norton, HealthDay, November 19, 2021

The Washington Post (11/19, Searing) reported that “about a third of children ages 7 to 9 use social media apps on phones or tablets, according to a report” that was “based on data from a nationally representative pool of 1,030 parents with at least one child 7-to-12 years old.” The report also “notes an even higher social media presence among slightly older children, with half of those ages 10 to 12 using these apps.” Furthermore, investigators “found that most parents said they do some sort of monitoring of their children’s social media involvement,” yet “1 in 6 parents were found to be using no parental controls.”

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

According to Healio (11/18), “one in 25 American adults will experience a serious mental illness each year, with residents of rural areas more likely to experience it, according to a” Nov. 18 “press release from the American Psychiatric Association.” What’s more, “residents of rural areas are…more likely to face barriers to receiving treatment.” Recently, “a report [PDF] from SMI Adviser outlined three obstacles to connecting these populations with mental healthcare – availability, accessibility and acceptability – and presented solutions developed by medical professionals who work in these underserved areas.” APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, MD, MPA, said, “To ensure continued improvement in care, we need to remember that tailored solutions for the resources, workforce and community in rural areas are critical.”

Related Links:

— “APA highlights report on improving rural mental health care, Healio, November 18, 2021

Psychiatric News (11/18) reports in light of a CDC report indicating that “drug overdoses killed more than 100,000 people in the United States during the one-year period ending in April 2021,” the American Psychiatric Association has “renewed its call” for “improved access to mental health and substance use services through early identification,” as well as “effective substance use disorder treatment for all patients, through the development of science-based policies that are based on a thorough review and discussion with Congress, federal policymakers, and experts in the field of addiction treatment,” and “policies and programs to support accredited medical schools and residency programs to provide training for the treatment of individuals with substance use disorders.”

Related Links:

— “Drug Overdose Deaths Reach Record High During Pandemic, Psychiatric News, November 18, 2021

HealthDay (11/17, Mozes) reports, “American teens are increasingly turning to the social media giant Instagram to share graphic images of their own attempts to harm themselves, a new study reveals.” Investigators “who tracked Instagram throughout 2018 found that teen postings focused on self-harm – such as cutting or burning oneself – rose significantly over the course of the year.” The findings were published in the International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling.

Related Links:

— “Teen Social Media Posts About Cutting, Other Self-Harm Are Soaring ” Alan Mozes, HealthDay, November 17, 2021

Healio (11/17, Holden) reports, “Using a cirrhosis-centric model” involving 304 patients with cirrhosis, “researchers found a high prevalence for anxiety in patients with cirrhosis,” diagnosing “17.1% with anxiety and 8.2% with undiagnosed comorbid depression.” The findings were presented at The Liver Meeting Digital Experience.

Related Links:

— “Undiagnosed anxiety present in 17% of patients with cirrhosis “Lisa Holden, Healio, November 17, 2021

The New York Times (11/17, Rabin) reports, “Americans died of drug overdoses in record numbers as the pandemic spread across the country, federal researchers” with the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics “reported on Wednesday.” During the 12-month period ending in April, provisional figures indicate that “more than 100,000 Americans died of overdoses, up almost 30 percent from the 78,000 deaths in the prior year.”

The Washington Post (11/17, A1, Keating, Bernstein) reports that this “is the first time that drug-related deaths have reached six figures in any 12-month period” in US history. Furthermore, “[the] new data shows there are now more overdose deaths from the illegal synthetic opioid fentanyl than there were overdose deaths from all drugs in 2016.”

Reuters (11/17) reports the figure “marks a 28.5% jump from the previous year, with deaths from opioids such as fentanyl, which can be 100 times more potent than morphine, and psychostimulants such as methamphetamine helping drive the increase, provisional data from the health agency showed.”

Also reporting on the data are USA Today (11/17, Alltucker), the Wall Street Journal (11/17, A1, Kamp, Wernau, Subscription Publication), the AP (11/17, Stobbe), and CNN (11/17, McPhillips).

Related Links:

— “Overdose Deaths Reached Record High as the Pandemic Spread “Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times, November 17, 2021

Healio (11/16, Gramigna) reports, “Healthcare workers with prior work experience during the 2003 SARS outbreak did not have worse mental health outcomes during COVID-19 compared with those without this experience,” investigators concluded after examining “mental health outcomes of 3,852 participants who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic and the SARS outbreak via the Impact of Events Scale-Revised,” the “generalized anxiety disorder …questionnaire and patient health questionnaire.” The findings were published online Nov. 10 in PLOS One.

Related Links:

— “Health care workers from 2003 SARS outbreak more resilient during COVID-19 “Joe Gramigna, Healio, November 16, 2021