The Washington Post (8/21, Cunningham) “The Health 202” blog reports “a new government survey shows opioid abuse is declining by double digits – welcome data to public health advocates and policymakers who are wrestling with an epidemic that has crippled communities across the nation.” The survey, released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on Tuesday, indicated that 11 percent “fewer Americans reported pain reliever misuse in 2018 compared with the year prior,” and that heroin use was down by approximately 15 percent.

In 2016, Americans Spent $145 Billion On Cannabis, Cocaine, Heroin And Methamphetamine , Report Finds Healio (8/21) reports research indicates that “in 2016, Americans spent $145 billion on cannabis, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine,” with “most spending…attributed to those who use drugs on a daily or almost daily basis.” Investigators arrived at these conclusions after using “multiple databases to collect information on illicit drug users and amounts of drugs purchased, including Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services.” The report’s findings were published on the RAND Corporation website.

Related Links:

— “The Health 202: Fewer Americans are abusing opioids. But the improvements vary dramatically by state., ” Paige Winfield Cunningham, The Washington Post, August 21, 2019

Healio (8/21, Demko) reports research indicated that “clinically meaningful improvement in PTSD symptoms compared with less than clinically meaningful or no improvement was linked to a 49% lower risk for incident type 2 diabetes [T2D].” The findings of the 1,598-patient study were published online Aug. 21 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Improvement in PTSD symptoms linked to lower risk for diabetes, “Savannah Demko, Healio, August 21, 2019

Business Insider (8/20, Akhtar) reports that nurses “are more likely to take their own lives,” researchers found in “what they said is the first nationwide investigation into nurse suicides in more than 20 years.” The study, published in Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, “found a suicide incidence of 11.97 per 100,000 people among women who are nurses, versus 7.58 per 100,000 for American women in general,” and “39.8 per 100,000 people, versus 28.2 per 100,000” for men.

Related Links:

— “Suicides among nurses are on the rise. Here’s why one of America’s fastest-growing jobs is facing a major crisis, “Allana Akhtar, Business Insider, August 20, 2019

Psychiatric News (8/20) reports, “Mitral valve prolapse…is significantly more common in patients with panic disorder/agoraphobia,” researchers concluded in a 14-study meta-analysis that included some 1,146 patients. The findings were published in the July/August issue of Psychosomatics.

Related Links:

— “Mitral Valve Prolapse More Prevalent in Patients With Panic Disorder, Study Finds, Psychiatric News, August 20, 2019

Patients taking very high doses of loperamide, an antidiarrheal medication, in an attempt to self-manage opioid withdrawal or to achieve a euphoric high may be at risk of severe or fatal cardiac events. Loperamide will not appear in a standard toxicology screen, and there is no urine test to screen for it. Learn the signs of loperamide misuse at: Understanding Loperamide Abuse

MedPage Today (8/20, Swift) reports, “Childhood-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was associated with several psychiatric morbidities, including an increased risk of attempted suicide,” research indicated. What’s more, “the highest risk of anxiety and mood disorders occurred in the first year after an IBD diagnosis, suggesting the need for psychological support for young patients, according to” the study authors.

MD Magazine (8/20, Walter) reports that in the study, “investigators examined the data of 6,464 individuals with a childhood-onset IBD diagnosis from the Swedish national health care and population registers for all children under the age of 18 between 1973-2013.” The findings were published online Aug. 19 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Childhood-Onset IBD Tied to Psychiatric Disorders, “Diana Swift, MedPage Today , August 20, 2019

CNN International (8/19, Wolf) reports that “after the shootings earlier this month in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, the American Psychiatric Association issued a statement calling the gun violence a public health crisis that needs attention.” The APA, which has “called for additional funding for mental health programs,” said in that statement, “It is important to note that the overwhelming majority of people with mental illness are not violent and far more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrators of violence. Rhetoric that argues otherwise will further stigmatize and interfere with people accessing needed treatment.”

Related Links:

— “Mental health advocates say reopening institutions won’t stop mass shootings, “Zachary B. Wolf, CNN, August 19, 2019

Psychiatric News (8/19) reports, “Adults who experienced significant abuse or neglect during childhood may exhibit a preference for more ‘personal space’ and discomfort with some types of social touching,” researchers concluded. The findings of the 92-adult study were published online Aug. 16 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Childhood Abuse May Impact Development of Close Social Bonds as Adults, Psychiatric News, August 19, 2019

HealthDay (8/16, Preidt) reported, “Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment of obstructive sleep apnea [OSA] can ease depression in people with heart disease,” researchers concluded after analyzing “data from nearly 2,700 patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and moderate-to-severe heart disease who were enrolled in the Sleep Apnea Cardiovascular Endpoints” study. The findings were published online June 13 in the journal EClinicalMedicine.

Related Links:

— “For Heart Patients, CPAP Treatment May Ease Depression: Study, ” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, August 16, 2019

HealthDay (8/16) reported, “Transgender college students are two to four times more likely than their classmates to have mental health problems,” research indicated.

Healio (8/16, Demko) reported researchers arrived at this conclusion after examining “mental health status by gender identity among undergraduate and graduate students across U.S. campuses using data from the 2015 to 2017 Healthy Minds Study, an internet-based survey of 63,994 cisgender and 1,237 gender minority students.” The findings were published in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Higher Risk of Mental Health Problems for Transgender College Students: Study, ” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, August 16, 2019