MD Magazine (5/27, Genn) reported researchers from “the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) found that opioid overdose and associated mortality rates increased among veterans from 2010-2016.” Included in the study were any veterans “who had at least one VHA inpatient or outpatient interaction during the year of their death or preceding year.” For the study, “forms of overdose deaths were categorized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) death codes, while the tenth revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) defined forms of opioids associated with veteran deaths.” The findings (pdf) were published online in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Veteran Opioid Overdose Deaths Are on the Rise, “Laura Genn, MD Magazine, May 27, 2019

Reuters (5/22, Dobuzinskis) reports, “The U.S. opioid crisis is taking a toll on children of users as a” new study indicates “they were more likely to attempt suicide.”

U.S. News & World Report (5/22, Newman) reports investigators “caution parents’ long-term use of opioids may increase the odds of their kids attempting suicide.” Included in the health insurance claims data analysis were “184,142 children who had parents that used opioids and 148,395 children whose parents did not.” The study revealed that “children whose parents had used opioids long-term had a risk of 3.68 per 1,000 of attempting suicide – 2.25 times the risk of suicidal behavior for those whose parents had not filled their prescriptions.” The findings were published online May 22 in JAMA Psychiatry. HealthDay (5/22, Preidt) also covers the study.

Related Links:

— “Children of opioid users more likely to attempt suicide: U.S. study, “Alex Dobuzinskis, Reuters, May 22, 2019

MedPage Today (5/22, George) reports researchers found in a longitudinal study that “people with bipolar disorder had a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease than people without the disorder.” The findings were of the 56,340-adult study were published online May 22 in Neurology. The authors of an accompanying editorialobserved that the study’s results should be interpreted with the understanding that it’s difficult to determine when Parkinson’s disease starts, and as such it’s possible that “bipolar disorder or mood dysregulation approximating bipolar disorder may more appropriately be viewed as an early symptom of Parkinson’s disease.”

Related Links:

— “Parkinson’s Tied to Bipolar Disorder, “Judy George, MedPage Today, May 22, 2019

Healio (5/21, Adams) reports, “Data from three studies presented” at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting indicated that “among patients with major depressive disorder [MDD] and suicidal ideation or suicide attempt who were diagnosed during hospitalization or visit to the” emergency department (ED), “8.4% experienced readmission or a future ED visit within six months after discharge.” In addition, “researchers reported that treatment within the year prior to suicidal ideation was distinctly low among these patients.”

Related Links:

— “Studies highlight unmet needs in patients with MDD, suicide attempt/ideation, “Ella Daly, MD, Healio, May 21, 2019

Reuters (5/20, Rapaport) reports, “New teen drivers with” attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) “are more likely to crash their cars than adolescents who don’t have” the disorder, particularly “right after they get their license,” researchers concluded after following “14,936 teens in New Jersey for two years.” When compared to teenagers without AD/HD, “young drivers with the condition were 62 percent more likely to crash within the first month of getting licensed, the study found.” What’s more, “over their first four years behind the wheel, teens with” AD/HD “were 37 percent more likely to crash,” the study revealed. The findings were published online in Pediatrics. HealthDay (5/20, Gordon) also covers the study.

Related Links:

— “Teen drivers with ADHD have higher crash rates even with graduated licenses, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, May 20, 2019

According to USA Today (5/20, O’Donnell), the US “medical system falls far short of meeting the demand for teen mental health services because cases of suicide and psychiatric disorders are skyrocketing.” In fact, “research from federal regulators and medical groups shows the suicide rate for young people ages 10 to 19 rose by 56% from 2007 to 2016, the latest year for which figures are available.” Despite that, “only 40% of young people with major depression got treatment, according to the National Institute for Mental Health.”

Related Links:

— “Help hard to find for teens struggling with mental health, thoughts of suicide, “Jayne O’Donnell, USA Today, May 20, 2019

Reuters (5/16, Rapaport) reports researchers found “children and teens who are bullied are more than twice as likely as peers who are not victimized to take painkillers.” The findings were published in Acta Paediatrica.

Related Links:

— “Bullied kids more likely to use painkillers, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, May 16, 2019

In a 2,500-word story, Bloomberg (5/16, Koons, Tozzi) reports that “the U.S. is in the midst of a mental health crisis,” and while “the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, a landmark law passed more than a decade ago, requires insurers to provide comparable coverage for mental health and medical treatments,” insurers are said to be “denying claims, limiting coverage, and finding other ways to avoid complying with the law.” Now, “Americans are taking to the courts to address what they see as an intrinsic unfairness.” Bloomberg breaks down its coverage of “America’s Mental Health Crisis” into five sections: The Lawmaker, Ghost Networks, The Advocate, Absent Enforcers, and The Determined Patient.

Related Links:

— “As Suicides Rise, Insurers Find Ways to Deny Mental Health Coverage, ” Cynthia Koons and John Tozzi, Bloomberg, May 16, 2019

Recent reports show a small but growing number of people are taking very high doses of loperamide, an anti-diarrheal medication, in an attempt to self-manage opioid withdrawal or to achieve a euphoric high. At high doses, these individuals may be at risk of severe or fatal cardiac events. Visit LoperamideSafety.org to learn the risks of using loperamide to manage withdrawal.

Related Links:

— “UNDERSTANDING LOPERAMIDE ABUSE

According to Healio (5/15, Demko), “substance-induced psychotic disorder occurred in people at high familial risk for drug and alcohol abuse and a moderate familial vulnerability to psychosis,” research indicated. The findings of the 7,606-participant study were published online May 6 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Substance-induced psychotic disorder may result from drug exposure, liability to psychosis, “Savannah Demko, Healio, May 15, 2019