Reuters (5/29, Rumney) reports, “Nicotine alternatives used in vapes being launched in the U.S. and abroad, such as 6-methyl nicotine, may be more potent and addictive than nicotine itself, though the scientific data remains incomplete, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and independent researchers.” These substances “are not subject to U.S. tobacco and vaping regulations that are designed to control traditional nicotine, a highly addictive drug,” meaning “manufacturers can sell vapes containing synthetic nicotine analogues such as 6-methyl nicotine in the United States without seeking authorization from the FDA – a process that can be costly, time-consuming and is often unsuccessful.”

Related Links:

— “Exclusive: Nicotine-like chemicals in U.S. vapes may be more potent than nicotine, FDA says,”Emma Rumney, Reuters , May 29, 2024

KFF Health News (5/28, Graham) reports, “Caring for older adults with dementia is stressful, especially when they become physically or verbally aggressive, wander away from home, develop paranoia or hallucinations, engage in inappropriate or repetitive behaviors, or refuse to let caregivers help them.” Now, however, “help is available from a first-of-its-kind website created by prominent experts in this field.” The site “offers free training in a comprehensive approach to managing neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia – a method known as DICE – based on several decades of scientific research as well as extensive clinical practice.”

Related Links:

— “New Help for Dealing With Aggression in People With Dementia,”Judith Graham , KFF Health News, May 28, 2024

Psychiatric News (5/28) says, “In contrast to the overall rise in U.S. suicide rates since 2000, the suicide rate among people diagnosed with cancer has been dropping since 1989, according a report in Translational Psychiatry.” In the general population, “average suicide rates increased 1.7% a year since 2000, researchers reported. By contrast, average cancer-related suicide deaths declined gradually between 1989 and 2013, followed by a sharper decline between 2013 and 2017, during which the rate dropped 27% a year on average.”

Related Links:

— “Psychosocial Care Credited for Declining Suicide Rate Among Patients With Cancer,Psychiatric News , May 28, 2024

HCP Live (5/28, Derman) reports, “In a recent study, major depressive disorder (MDD) was the most observed comorbidity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), followed by somatoform disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).” In the study, researchers wrote, “It was surprising that almost 80% of participants reported some degree of psychological distress in the form of major depression, somatoform disorders, and generalized anxiety disorder, which is one and half times more than reported in the literature.” The findings were published in Reumatologia.

Related Links:

— “Major Depressive Disorder Is the Most Observed Psychiatric Comorbidity in RA,”Chelsie Derman, HCP Live, May 28, 2024

Healio (5/26, Byrne ) reported, “Health care institutions and their staffs must take action to ensure bereavement care shifts from ‘an afterthought to a public health priority,’ according to a position paperpublished in The Lancet Public Health.” Bereavement care “often is considered part of palliative care; however, there often is a lack of continuity of care for bereaved individuals after a person dies in palliative or end-of-life care settings, the paper’s authors contend.” The gap in care “can leave bereaved individuals with feelings of abandonment and lack of access to support services, as well as increased risk for morbidity and mortality.” Healio interviewed paper co-author Wendy G. Lichtenthal, PhD.

Related Links:

— “Bereavement care, often an ‘afterthought,’ should be public health priority,”Jennifer Byrne, Healio , May 26, 2024

The Washington Post (5/27, Docter-Loeb) reports, “When asked, 75 percent of survey respondents said they felt mental health conditions are identified and treated worse than physical health issues, according to a new survey from West Health and Gallup.” The poll “also gauged mental health conditions among participants. Of the respondents: 51 percent reported experiencing depression, anxiety or another mental health condition in the previous 12 months.”

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Healio (5/23, Weldon) reports, “Approximately one in nine children in the United States had ever received an ADHD diagnosis as of 2022, according to research.” Additionally, 77.9% of these children “had at least one co-occurring disorder such as anxiety, depression, developmental delay and autism spectrum disorder.” These findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology.

Related Links:

— “1 in 9 US children diagnosed with ADHD,”Rose Weldon , Healio , May 23, 2024

Healio (5/23, Weldon) reports, “Among people aged 10 to 19 years who died due to firearms during a recent 6-year period, more than half of the deaths in 19 states were attributed to suicide, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics.” These results were “also found to be true for young adults aged 20 to 24 years in 24 states.”

Related Links:

— “Suicides account for more than half of youth firearm deaths in 19 states,”Rose Weldon, Healio , May 23, 2024

The AP (5/22, Johnson ) reports, “Millions of people in the U.S. report using marijuana daily or nearly every day, according to an analysis of national survey data, and those people now outnumber those who say they are daily or nearly-daily drinkers of alcohol.” Although “alcohol is still more widely used…2022 was the first time this intensive level of marijuana use overtook daily and near-daily drinking, said the study’s author, Jonathan Caulkins, a cannabis policy researcher at Carnegie Mellon University.” Caulkins said, “A good 40% of current cannabis users are using it daily or near daily, a pattern that is more associated with tobacco use than typical alcohol use.” These findings were published in Addiction.

The Hill (5/22, Nazzaro) reports, “About 17.7 million people in 2022 recorded daily or nearly daily use of marijuana, compared to the 14.7 million who reported the same habits for alcohol, marking the first time in the past 30 years that daily marijuana use exceeded alcohol use, according to an analysis published Wednesday that looks at data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.” Additionally, “from 1992 to 2022, there was a 15-fold increase in the rate of daily or near daily use marijuana use, the analysis found.”

Related Links:

— “Daily marijuana use outpaces daily drinking in the US, a new study says,”Carla K. Johnson, AP, May 22, 2024

Cardiology Advisor (5/21, Stong ) reports, “Adult patients receiving treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for the first time have an increased 10-year risk for stroke, heart failure, and a composite cardiovascular outcome, with a higher risk occurring with a higher dosage, according to a study.” Investigators came to this conclusion after evaluating “the long-term risk for acute coronary syndrome, stroke, and heart failure associated with treatment for ADHD,” using “data from Danish nationwide health registers.” The findings were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Related Links:

— “ADHD Treatment Linked to Higher Long-Term Risk for Stroke and Heart Failure,”Colby Stong, Cardiology Advisor, May 21, 2024