Healio (8/11, Gramigna) reports, “Individuals with schizophrenia had lower COVID-19 vaccination rates than the general population despite having higher hospitalization and mortality risk,” research indicated.

MedPage Today (8/11, Grant) reports investigators arrived at this conclusion after examining data from “Clalit Health Services, a large Israeli healthcare system, amassing a large sample of 51,078 participants – 25,539 with schizophrenia and 25,539 controls.” The findings of the longitudinal cohort study were published online Aug. 5 in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “COVID-19 vaccination rates lower among those with schizophrenia despite increased risks “Joe Gramigna, Healio, August 11, 2021

The Washington Post (8/11, Kornfield) reports that naloxone, “an affordable antidote for opioid overdoses, has become more difficult to obtain amid a fatal epidemic.” According to the Post, “after a manufacturing issue halted Pfizer’s production of the single-dose injectable naloxone in April, groups that distribute a significant amount of the lifesaving medicine say they are facing an unprecedented obstacle to reverse drug overdoses as they reach an all-time high.” What’s more, “organizers say the insufficient supply has been felt unequally across the” US. For its part, drugmaker “Pfizer, which offers naloxone at a discount to a national buyer’s club made up of harm prevention programs, said it may take until February before it can meet demand again.”

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (8/10) reports, “Adults aged 65 years and older who are suicidal appear to report higher levels of intent compared with younger adults who are suicidal, but they are less likely to meet the criteria for major depression and several other mental disorders,” investigators concluded in a study involving “a total of 683 participants…divided into three age groups: younger (18 to 44), middle-aged (45 to 64), and older (65 and older) adults.” The findings were published online Aug. 9 in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Older Adults Less Likely Than Younger to Report Psychiatric Symptoms After Suicide Attempt, Psychiatric News, August 10, 2021

In a lengthy investigatory piece, the Marshall Project (8/10, Schwartzapfel) reports that three years ago, “Congress passed the First Step Act, a wide-ranging prison reform legislation that, among other things, required the federal prison system to expand access to medications for people addicted to opioids.” Currently, however, the combination of “bureaucratic inertia and outdated thinking about addiction treatment means the federal program is still serving only a tiny fraction of those eligible, The Marshall Project has learned.” As of last month, “the Bureau of Prisons [BOP] had only 268 people on medications to treat opioid dependence, according to Jeffrey A. Burkett, who helps oversee the rollout of the program as the National Health Services Administrator for the BOP.” This figure represents “less than 2% of the more than 15,000 people the bureau itself estimated were eligible, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report.”

Related Links:

— “Drugs that treat opioid addiction and overdoses not widely available in federal prisons “Beth Schwartzapfel, The Marshall Project, August 10, 2021

MedPage Today (8/9, Grant) reports on research finding that “students who experienced mistreatment during medical school were more likely to become exhausted or disengaged, have less empathy, and have career regret.” The study found that “those who reported mistreatment on the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Medical School Year 2 Questionnaire – 22.9% of respondents – had higher exhaustion and disengagement scores on the Graduation Questionnaire (GQ) 2 years later.” In addition, “18.8% of those who had experienced mistreatment reported career regret on the GQ.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (8/9) reports, “Globally, the pooled prevalence estimates for clinically elevated depression and anxiety symptoms almost doubled among children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic,” investigators concluded in a 29-study, 80,879-participant meta-analysis. The findings were published online Aug. 9 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Depression, Anxiety Up in Children, Teens Worldwide During Pandemic “Physician’s Briefing Staff, HealthDay, August 9, 2021

Psychiatric News (8/9) reports, “When patients receiving mental health care were asked to complete a standardized questionnaire that asked whether they had access to guns, most provided a response,” investigators concluded after compiling “data on 128,802 patients who completed these questionnaires at either a primary care or mental health clinic between 2016 and 2019.” The study revealed that “overall, 83.4% of patients in primary care clinics and 91.8% of those in mental health clinics answered the question on access; in both settings those who did not respond were more likely to be older, male, live in a rural setting, and/or have a recent substance use disorder diagnosis.” The findings were published online Aug. 6 in JAMA Health Forum.

Related Links:

— “Mental Health Patients Found Willing to Answer Routine Question on Firearm Access, Psychiatric News, August 9, 2021

Healio (8/9, Miller) reports, “Laws in 23 states that capped the number of days a Medicare enrollee could receive an initial opioid prescription may have had their intended effect,” investigators concluded. Such laws, “which were implemented between March 2016 and July 2018, limited the duration of first opioid prescriptions to seven days in 17 states, five days in two states and three days in four states.” The study revealed that “the number of days an opioid was prescribed for each Medicare enrollee dropped by a mean of 11.6 days during the five-year period, compared with a drop of 10.1 days in the control states.” The findings were published online Aug. 9 in a research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Opioid prescription laws provide ‘significant but limited outcome’ “Janel Miller, Healio, August 9, 2021

Psychiatric News (8/6) reported, “To help employers assist their employees with the transition” back to the workplace after months and months of pandemic-related telecommuting, “the Center for Workplace Mental Health, a program of the APA Foundation, has developed a guide for returning to the workplace.” This guide “offers insight into the concerns employees may have and tips on communicating with employees throughout the transition.”

Related Links:

— “APA Foundation Offers Advice to Employers to Help Workers Ease Transition Back to Workplace, Psychiatric News, August 6, 2021

The Wall Street Journal (8/7, Petersen, Subscription Publication) reported the rise of the Delta variant is creating new uncertainty about whether therapists and patients should resume in-person mental health treatment. According to psychiatrist Jay Shore, MD, MPH, who chairs the American Psychiatric Association’s telepsychiatry committee, digital tools are helping people get access to mental healthcare they might not otherwise get.

Related Links:

— “Online Therapy Got Popular During Covid. Should You Still See Your Therapist in Person? “Andrea Petersen, The Wall Street Journal, August 7, 2021