HCPlive (1/4, Derman) reported, “A recent study found social determinants of suicide mortality include being involved in the justice system, exposure to parental and others’ suicide, firearm accessibility, divorce, experience in foster care, release from incarceration, and midlife unemployment (35 – 65 years).” Among these, people “released from [incarceration] demonstrated the greatest prevalence of suicide mortality.” The findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Study Identifies Social Determinants of Suicide Mortality, Suicide Attempts,” Chelsie Derman

The Hill (12/28, Cochran) reported, “A new study has experts beaming with hope as it shows teen drug use at a record low, but they admit confusion as to why the trend is happening and how to ensure it continues.” The “Monitoring the Future survey found the use of alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes and e-cigarettes among high schoolers is at its lowest level since the study began.” Furthermore, “two-thirds of 12th graders in the survey, which included 24,000 students in total, said they haven’t used any of those substances in the last 30 days, and 90 percent of eighth graders and 80 percent of 10th graders said the same.”

Related Links:

— “Experts confused but delighted by low rates of teen drug use,” Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, December 28, 2024

Neurology Advisor (12/27, Nye) reported, “One in 6 women experienced symptoms of postpartum depression 2 months after cesarean delivery, according to study findings.” Investigators came to this conclusion after conducting “an ancillary prespecified analysis of the Tranexamic Acid for Preventing Postpartum Hemorrhage after Cesarean Delivery…trial in 27 maternity units in France between March 2018 and January 2020.” The research was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Related Links:

— “Postpartum Depression Is Prevalent Among Women Who Have a Cesarean Delivery,” Jessica Nye, PhD, Neurology Advisor, December 27, 2024

CNN (12/26, Hassan ) reports, “Food noise is incessant internal chatter about food that some people experience, which can make it hard for them to make healthy decisions about their nutrition.” The conversation around food noise “has grown, especially online, as more people taking popular weight-loss and diabetes medications realized the drugs seemed to turn off the noise.” While “there are varying theories about the root cause of food noise, and there isn’t a clear number of how many people experience it,” CNN adds that “most experts believe it’s real, even if awareness of it is only recently emerging.”

Related Links:

— “‘An insatiable itch’: Why some people are turning to weight-loss medications to help quiet food noise,” Carma Hassan, CNN, December 26, 2024

HealthDay (12/26, Gotkine ) reports, “Buprenorphine dispensing increased among adolescents and decreased among young adults between 2020 and 2023, according to” research. Investigators “found that the overall number of adolescents and young adults dispensed buprenorphine decreased 6.5 percent annually between 2000 and 2023, from 47,759 to 38,907.” HealthDay adds, “The overall decline was driven by significant decreases in prescribing in the larger population of young adults aged 20 to 24 years.” The findings were published in a research letter in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Related Links:

— “2020 to 2023 Saw Increase in Buprenorphine Dispensing for Teens,” Elana Gotkine
, HealthDay, December 26, 2024

Psychiatric News (12/23) reports, “Alexinomia, the fear of saying other people’s names and using names actively in conversation, may be an overlooked symptom of social anxiety disorder, according to a study.” Investigators came to this conclusion after analyzing “data from 190 adults (143 female, 40 male, 7 nonbinary) with a mean age of 30.3 years.” The findings were published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders.

Related Links:

— “Fear of Addressing People by Name May Be Signal of Social Anxiety Disorder,” Psychiatric News, December 23, 2024

The American Journal of Managed Care (12/23, Rath) reports, “Alopecia areata has a greater impact on the mental health and work-related outcomes of non-White individuals compared with White individuals, according to a study.” Investigators found that “Greater risks of depressive episodes…recurrent major depressive disorder…and anxiety disorders…were linked to alopecia areata.” The data indicated that “participants of Black ethnicity had elevated rates of alopecia areata–associated risk of anxiety disorders.” Meanwhile, “mental health risks linked to alopecia areata were observed in urban areas but not rural regions.” The findings were published in British Journal of Dermatology.

Related Links:

— “Alopecia Areata Linked to Mental Health, Socioeconomic, Racial Disparities,” Cameron Santoro, American Journal of Managed Care, December 23, 2024

HealthDay (12/20, Thompson ) reported a study suggests that “seniors with an infection can take antibiotics without fear of harming their brain health.” Antibiotics do not “appear to increase the risk of cognitive decline or dementia in older adults, researchers report.” One investigator said, “Given that older adults are more frequently prescribed antibiotics and are also at higher risk for cognitive decline, these findings offer reassurance about using these medications.” The findings were published in Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Antibiotics Do Not Increase Risks for Cognitive Decline, Dementia in Older Adults, New Data Says,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, December 20, 2024

Bloomberg Law (12/20, Phengsitthy , Subscription Publication) reported, “The US government is going after drugmakers such as Bristol Myers Squibb Co., Johnson & Johnson, and Merck & Co. to pay rebates to Medicare if they raise the price of some of their drugs faster than inflation beginning in January.” A number of “Medicare enrollees will pay a lower coinsurance rate for 64 drugs treating cancer, osteoporosis, and substance use disorder between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2025, the US Department of Health and Human Services said Friday.” According to HHS, “over 853,000 people with Medicare use these drugs annually.” Beneficiaries who take these drugs “in the first quarter of 2025 may save between $1 and $10,818 per day, according to the agency.”

Related Links:

— “Medicare Imposes Savings on 64 Drugs Exceeding Inflation Rate,” Nyah Phengsitthy, Bloomberg Law, December 20, 2024

HealthLeaders Media (12/19, Wicklund ) reports, “Federal officials have launched a new behavioral health program aimed at creating care management programs for Medicare and Medicaid patients dealing with severe mental health conditions and substance abuse disorder (SUD).” The CMS “Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) Model seeks to bridge the gap between behavioral health and primary care by enabling specialty behavioral health practices, including community mental health centers, opioid treatment programs and private or public practices, to create interprofessional care teams to coordinate care.” The new program’s goal “is to improve care and outcomes for the estimated 25% of all Medicare patients experiencing mental illness and the 40% of Medicaid patients dealing with a mental illness or SUD.”

Related Links:

— “CMS LAUNCHES NEW PROGRAM FOR MENTAL HEALTH, OUD TREATMENT,” Eric Wickland, HealthLeaders Media, December19 , 2024