Healio (12/14, Weldon) reports, “More than 60% of 12th graders who responded to a yearly survey of junior high and high school students reported not using alcohol, cannabis or nicotine in the past 30 days – the highest level of abstention in the survey’s history.” Notably, “rates of lifetime abstention … significantly increased in 2023 among 10th and 12th graders and were at or near the highest levels ever recorded by Monitoring the Future, a survey conducted yearly by the University of Michigan and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.”

Related Links:

— “Survey: More US teens abstaining from drugs, alcohol,” Rose Weldon, Healio, December 14, 2023

Infectious Disease Advisor (12/14, Barowski, RN) reports, “Although HIV infection is associated with increased risk for mental” illnesses, “antiretroviral therapy mitigates this risk,” according to a study. The findings were published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

Related Links:

— “Antiretroviral Therapy Reduces Risk for Mental Health Disorders in HIV,” Janelle Barowski, Infectious Disease Advisor, December 14, 2023

Psychiatric News (12/14) reports, “Women who experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors may experience worsening symptoms in the days before and during menses, though the symptom changes vary significantly among individuals, according to a study.” The study found “suicidal planning was more likely to occur during the perimenstrual period compared with other phases of the menstrual cycle.” The findings were published in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Suicidal Symptoms May Worsen for Some Women Before, During Menses,” APA Psychiatric News Alert, December 14, 2023

CNN (12/14, Howard) reports, “The first oral pill approved in the United States to treat postpartum depression is now available by prescription, according to the drugmakers.” The therapy, called Zurzuvae (zuranolone), which was approved by the FDA in August and “is now at specialty pharmacies, can also be shipped directly to patients, Biogen and Sage Therapeutics Inc. said in an announcement Thursday.” Notably, “the medication will cost $15,900 per course before insurance, raising some concerns about how many people will be able to access it.”

Related Links:

— “First postpartum depression pill now available in the US, drugmakers say,” Jacqueline Howard, CNN, December 14, 2023

Healio (12/13, Schaffer) reports, “CDC data show a spike in infective endocarditis deaths among young adults despite an overall decline in such deaths from 1999 to 2020, with researchers citing the role of comorbid opioid use disorder.” The findings were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

HealthDay (12/13, Mundell) also reports on the research.

Related Links:

— “,” Regina Schaffer, Healio, December 13, 2023

Psychiatric News (12/13) reports, “Children diagnosed with major depressive disorder between the ages of 3 and 6 – known as preschool-onset MDD – are more likely than their peers to express suicidal thoughts and behaviors before the age of 13, a” study found. The research “found that 67.9% of 8-to 12-year-old children who had preschool-onset MDD expressed suicidal thoughts and behaviors by preadolescence, including 26.3% over the prior month.” The findings were published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Study Highlights Need to Screen Young Children With Depression for Suicidal Behaviors,” APA Psychiatric News Alert, December 13, 2023

The AP (12/13, Johnson) reports “a large Swedish study has” found that people with hypochondriasis “tend to die earlier than people who aren’t hypervigilant about health concerns.” The study “found that people with the diagnosis have an increased risk of death from both natural and unnatural causes, particularly suicide.”

Chronic stress and its effect “on the body could explain some of the difference, the authors wrote.” Dr. Jonathan E. Alpert, “who leads the American Psychiatric Association’s council on research,” said, “It takes a great deal of respect and sensitivity conveyed to patients that this itself is a kind of condition, that it has a name. … And, fortunately, there are good treatments.” The findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry.

MedPage Today (12/13, DePeau-Wilson) also reports on the study.

Related Links:

— “In hypochondria paradox, Swedish study finds a higher death rate in those who fear serious illness,” Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press, December 13, 2023

Reuters (12/12, Lapid) reports, “Children with obesity should receive intensive counseling to promote healthy diet and exercise habits starting at age 6, according to a draft recommendation” issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on Wednesday. In 2017, the USPSTF “had recommended … that screening for obesity start at age 6.” However, “research since then has shown the effectiveness of intensive behavioral interventions … for achieving a healthy weight and improving the quality of life for children and adolescents, the panel said.”

CNN (12/12, Christensen) reports, “The task force’s draft recommendations do not include weight loss medications or surgery, although it has looked at some research on those interventions.”

Related Links:

— “US panel recommends children with obesity start counseling from age 6,” Nancy Lapid, Reuters, December 12, 2023

HealthDay (12/12, Thompson) reports “gun advocates often claim that mental illness is the driving force behind mass shootings in the United States,” but a new study “argues that gun violence is more likely driven by the massive numbers of firearms available throughout the country, providing easy access.” The findingswere published in the American Journal of Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Firearm Access Drives High Rate of U.S. Gun Deaths, International Study Finds,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, December 12, 2023

Healio (12/12, Capaldo) reports, “Isotretinoin is not associated with an increased risk for suicide or psychiatric conditions on a population level, according to a study.” The researchers found “isotretinoin use was associated with a lower risk of suicide attempt at 2 to 4 years following treatment.” The findings were published in JAMA Dermatology.

Related Links:

— “Isotretinoin not associated with increased risk for suicide, psychiatric conditions,” Gabrielle Capaldo, Healio, December 12, 2023