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

Psychiatric News (2/8) reports, “On February 2, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration issued a final rule that permanently allows patients to begin treatment with buprenorphine via telehealth.” The new “rule also allows for increased flexibility related to methadone take-home doses, reducing the number of times patients must visit clinics.” APA had advocated for both provisions “to be included in the final rule, arguing that they would improve access to care while reducing stigma and disruptions to patients’ daily lives.” The new “rule goes into effect on April 2, with a compliance deadline of October 2.”

Related Links:

— “Federal Government Makes Telehealth Buprenorphine Prescribing Permanent, Psychiatric News, February 8, 2024

Healio (2/7, Welsh) reports, “Maternity leave duration has a strong positive association with breastfeeding duration for new mothers with disparities observed among different racial/ethnic groups, according to findings published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.” In the systematic review of 23 studies, “all non-review studies found a positive association between increased maternity leave and breastfeeding duration, and 95.2% of studies found a statistically significant relationship between the two variables.”

Related Links:

— “Parents with shorter maternity leave quit breastfeeding sooner,”Erin T. Welsh, Healio, February 7, 2024

Healio (2/7, Weldon) reports, “Around 20% of U.S. child passenger deaths in auto accidents from 1982 through 2020 involved an alcohol-impaired driver – typically the child’s own driver, according to a study” published in Pediatrics. Researchers found that “of the 7,944 child passengers who died in motor vehicle crashes from 2011 to 2020, 22% died in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver with a BAC of 0.08 g/dL or greater. In this subgroup, 64% died while riding in the same vehicle as an impaired driver. Additionally, 69% of impaired drivers survived the crash that killed their child passenger.”

Related Links:

— “1 in 5 child deaths in auto accidents involves alcohol-impaired driver,”Rose Weldon, Healio, February 7, 2024

Psychiatric News (2/7) reports, “Community-dwelling children with schizotypal personality disorder may benefit from dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, according to” research. Investigators found that “in the omega-3 only and omega-3 plus CBT groups, total schizotypy was reduced by 28.0% and 21.3%, respectively, by the end of treatment, and by 25.7% and 36.6%, respectively, at 3 months after treatment.” Meanwhile, “children in both groups showed greater improvement than children in the control group at 3 and 6 months, with the greatest improvements seen in children who reported higher omega-3 intake.” The findings on 290 children were published in Schizophrenia Bulletin.

Related Links:

— “Children With Schizotypal Personality Disorder May Benefit From Dietary Supplementation With Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Research Suggests, Psychiatric News, February 7, 2024