MedPage Today (3/19) reports a study found that biweekly, “low-dose treatment with lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) failed to improve symptoms of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults.” Researchers concluded, “Although there are reports of microdosing effects by users, this first placebo-controlled trial in patients did not find such effects. Thus, expectancy and placebo effects are likely playing an important role in the perceived effects of microdosing psychedelics.” Moreover, they added, “A longer study duration would not have been likely to produce different results. We cannot exclude that different doses or daily dosing would be effective.” The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (3/18) says new poll data from the American Psychiatric Association suggest “that more than one-quarter of American adults report a daily habit of online gambling.” According to the poll, among US adults, “28% have a daily habit of gambling online, with men being more likely than women to gamble online for at least a few minutes a day (36% compared with 20%, respectively). More than half of adults (58%) who gamble online daily said that they have intentionally taken a break or limited the amount of time they spend gambling, with men more likely to report doing so than women.” Additionally, the poll indicated that “one-third (35%) of respondents who said they gamble online daily said they began doing so between the ages of 18 and 25, suggesting that late adolescence and early adulthood is a crucial period for shaping attitudes toward online gambling.”

Related Links:

— “More Than a Quarter of American Adults Gamble Online Daily, APA Poll Finds,” Psychiatric News, March 18, 2025

HealthDay (3/17, Thompson ) reports, “Nearly 1 in 3 children live with a chronic condition that could significantly affect their health for the rest of their lives, a new study says.” Researchers found that “chronic illnesses affected more than 30% of children ages 5 to 17 by 2018, up from around 23% in 1999.” That “adds up to about 130,000 more children each year being diagnosed with a chronic illness.” The findings were published in Academic Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “ 1 in 3 Children Now Suffer From Chronic Illness
,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, March 17, 2025

Healio (3/17, Rhoades) reports, “The trajectory of sports gambling over the past several years exhibits strong ties to trends related to alcohol use disorders, results from a cross-sectional survey study showed.” Investigators “reported a highly positive correlation between sports gambling and alcohol use disorders and, as a result, individuals who increase their sports gambling over time ‘would be at substantial risk for also increasing problems related to alcohol,’ they wrote.” The findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “‘Part of the sports culture’: Gamblers ‘especially at risk’ for alcohol-related problems,” Andrew Rhoades, Healio, March 17, 2025

Psychiatric News (3/17) reports that in a statement released on Monday, “APA voiced its disapproval of the possible personnel cuts to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that have been reported in multiple news outlets.” The APA said, “SAMHSA’s programs have contributed to the advances our nation has made in fighting the mental health and addiction crises. Its impact across the nation is widespread and crucial.” The statement concluded, “Before taking any executive actions that will affect our nation’s mental health, the APA calls on the Administration and Congressional leadership to work with us and our partner organizations to thoughtfully pursue the best path forward to ensure people with mental health and substance use disorder do not lose services they desperately need.”

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— “APA Expresses Concern Over Reported Cuts to SAMHSA,” Psychiatric News, March 17, 2025

The AP (3/14, Perrone ) reported, “U.S. health officials are tracking a rise in injuries tied to the misuse of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, including some brands that are sold in small canisters containing flavors like blueberry, strawberry and watermelon.” The FDA “on Friday warned consumers that inhaling the gas for its euphoric effects can cause dangerously low blood pressure, leading to loss of consciousness and injuries.” The FDA “flagged a number products sold in colorful packaging at gas stations, vape shops and online including Cosmic Gas, Galaxy Gas and MassGass.”

Reuters (3/14, Sunny) reported similarly that “the FDA cautioned against the improper use of these products in any canister, tank, or charger size, as misuse could result in severe health issues, including blood clots, loss of consciousness, paralysis, psychiatric disorders, and even death.” The FDA “said that it is monitoring reports of adverse events following the inhalation of nitrous oxide products and will take appropriate actions, although it did not provide specific details.”

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— “FDA warns of misuse of laughing gas sold in colorful, flavored canisters,” Matthew Perrone, Associated Press, March 14, 2025

Psychiatric News (3/14) reported, “Patients cite stigma, lack of knowledge, and concerns over side effects as the biggest barriers to taking medications for alcohol use disorder (AUD), according [to] a study.” Researchers found that “for some patients, medications did not align with their treatment goals because they wanted to reduce their alcohol use rather than eliminate it completely.” The findings were published in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Related Links:

— “Stigma, Unfamiliarity Identified as Patient Barriers to Medications for AUD,” Psychiatric News, March 14, 2025

HealthDay (3/13, Thompson ) reports a new study suggests that “concussed college athletes had brain changes that remained visible in brain scans up to a year after they’d been cleared to return to play.” Athletes participating in the study “had MRI scans taken before their seasons began, as well as five days, one to three months, and a year after returning to play following a concussion. Concussed players still showed signs of brain injury in MRI scans taken an average five days after concussion, when they’d been cleared to resume play, results show.” Researchers noted “those signs of brain injury lasted for up to one year later.” In addition, “players with concussion had significantly reduced blood flow in their brain’s fronto-insular cortex, a region that helps control thinking, memory, emotion and social behavior.” While researchers said “this lower blood flow diminished over time,” it was “still detectable a year after their concussion.” The study was published in Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Concussion Damage Lingers In Athletes’ Brains Up To A Year,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, March 13, 2025

The Hill (3/13, Timotija ) reports a Gallup survey publishedThursday suggests that “Americans’ views of their mental and physical health are at the lowest point in nearly 25 years, a downturn that accelerated at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued since.” According to the poll, about three-quarters of Americans rated their mental health (at 75 percent) and physical health (at 76 percent) as “excellent” or “good.” But the number of respondents “who described their mental health as ‘excellent’ shrunk to 31 percent. Regarding physical health, those characterizing it as ‘excellent’ went down to 24 percent, Gallup found.” The survey reached a low in 2022, “when the number of Americans who said their mental health rating was ‘excellent’ dropped to 31 percent. The lowest figure for physical health was in 2023 at 24 percent.”

Related Links:

— “Views of mental, physical health lowest in almost 25 years: Gallup,” Filip Timotija, The Hill, March 13, 2025

Healio (3/13, Shinkle) reports an analysis found that “childhood cancer survivors in Europe exhibited higher risk for suicidal ideation than the general population.” Researchers analyzed “16 studies that examined suicide…or suicidal ideation.” Results showed “childhood cancer survivors exhibited significantly increased risk for suicidal ideation…but not for suicide…compared with the general European population.” A subgroup analysis “revealed a higher prevalence of suicidal ideation among childhood cancer survivors during active cancer treatment than during the rest of the follow-up period.” Investigators concluded, “Future research could further stratify childhood cancer survivors based on factors such as cancer type, treatment modality and socioeconomic background to provide a more nuanced understanding of suicidality risk.” The analysis was published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Suicidal ideation significantly higher among childhood cancer survivors,” Matthew Shinkle, Healio, March 13, 2025