NBC News (2/13, Bendix ) reports that a study “suggests that familiar scents could help unlock” specific memories in people with depression. Investigators found that “people with depression recalled more specific memories when they were exposed to familiar scents — such as ground coffee or tobacco — than when they heard words that corresponded to those smells, such as ‘coffee’ or ‘cigarette.’” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Familiar scents unlock memories in people with depression. Could ‘smell therapy’ help patients?,”Aria Bendix, NBC News, February 13, 2024

Healthcare Finance News (2/12, Lagasse ) reports, “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through its Office for Civil Rights and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has finalized modifications to the Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records regulations, which protect the privacy of patients’ SUD treatment records.” In particular, “the final rule increases coordination among [healthcare professionals] treating patients for SUDs, strengthens confidentiality protections through civil enforcement, and enhances the integration of behavioral health information with other medical records to improve patient health outcomes.”

Related Links:

— “HHS seeks to enhance care for substance use disorder,”Jeff Lagasse, Healthcare Finance News, February 12, 2024

The Washington Post (2/12, Searing ) reports 55% of mental health appointments “are being conducted remotely, mainly via videoconferencing rather than in-person visits, according to a brief research report.” The research found “that the volume of telemedicine visits overall increased dramatically once the coronavirus pandemic began, becoming far more common than in-person visits.” The findings were published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

mHealth Intelligence (2/12, Vaidya ) reports, “Patterns in the use of audio-only or video-based telehealth to receive mental healthcare are mixed, differing based on age, sex, education, income, and location, according to new research by the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia University Irving Medical Center.” Notably, “adjusted percentages of video visits were higher for younger adults than for middle-aged or older adults, women than men, and college graduates than adults without a high school diploma.” The findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Telemental Healthcare Use Varies Across Sociodemographic Lines,”Anuja Vaidya, mHealth Intelligence, February 12, 2024

Healio (2/9, Welsh ) said, “One-third of transgender and gender-diverse individuals on testosterone will experience at least one breakthrough bleeding episode, even after their first year of use, researchers reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.” According to the study, “overall, 34% of transgender and gender-diverse adults reported breakthrough bleeding while on testosterone.”

Related Links:

— “One-third of gender-affirming testosterone users report breakthrough bleeding,”Erin T. Welsh , Healio, February 9, 2024

Psychiatric News (2/9) reported, “Taking antidepressants for late-life depression may improve certain aspects of cognitive function, particularly memory and learning, a review and meta-analysis…suggests.” Investigators came to this conclusion after analyzing “data from 22 studies (totaling 3,019 participants) of antidepressant therapy for older adults…with depression that included cognitive testing.” The findings were published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Antidepressants May Help Cognitive Function in Adults With Late-Life Depression, Psychiatric News , February 9, 2024

Reuters (2/8, Sunny) reports that a high-dose version of Hikma Pharmaceuticals’ opioid reversal spray, naloxone, did not improve survival rates compared to lower-dose offerings when administered by New York law enforcement in emergencies, a recent U.S. study finds. The study also indicated that the higher-dose spray led to a greater risk of opioid withdrawal symptoms. The spray was approved in 2021 to counteract potent opioids like fentanyl. The findings were published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The AP (2/8, Stobbe ) reports, “The 8-milligram naloxone spray – twice as potent as the highest dose previously available – was approved two years ago after pressure from experts and patient advocates who noted lower-dose antidotes often were being given multiple times to people suffering overdoses.”

Related Links:

— “High-dose opioid reversal spray no better than lower dose in field, US study finds,”Mariam Sunny, Reuters, February 8, 2024

NBC News (2/8, Edwards ) reports, “Teenagers with suspected substance use problems say they turn to drugs because of a crushing need to relax and escape worries, according to research published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” These results “follow reports of rising anxiety and depression among the nation’s youth, including unprecedented levels of hopelessness.”

CNN (2/8, McPhillips ) reports, “The most common reason that teens said they turned to drugs and alcohol was to feel mellow, calm or relaxed, with nearly three-quarters citing this reason.” But “many other top reasons were related to methods to cope with stress, with 44% saying they use substances to stop worrying about a problem or forget bad memories and 40% said they use substances to help with depression or anxiety.”

Related Links:

— “CDC report finds teens use drugs — often alone — to ease stress and anxiety,”Erika Edwards, NBC News, February 8, 2024

HealthDay (2/8, Thompson ) reports, “Reducing homelessness by 25% could save nearly 2,000 lives lost each year to opioid overdoses, a new study estimates.” Additionally, it “could save 850 lives from alcohol poisoning and 540 from cocaine overdoses, researchers from the University of Georgia estimate.” The results were published in Health Affairs.

Related Links:

— “Cutting U.S. Homelessness by 25% Could Prevent 2,000 Opioid Deaths Each Year,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, February 8, 2024

Healio (2/8, Weldon) reports, “Children living with parents with mental illness were four times as likely to be placed in out-of-home care than their peers, according to findings from a Swedish study published in Pediatrics.” In the study, researchers “found that children living with mentally ill parents were four times as likely to be placed in OHC than children who were not. The groups most at-risk were children aged 0 to 1 year, children exposed to maternal illness and children exposed to parental intellectual disability.”

Related Links:

— “Children living with parental mental illness more likely to be placed in out-of-home care,”Rose Weldon, Healio, February 8, 2024