In a nearly 1,700-word article, National Journal (1/14, Askarinam, Subscription Publication) reports that about “forty percent of youth who needed mental health care between 2011-12 didn’t receive the necessary treatment, according to the Children’s Defense Fund’s 2014 State of America’s Children report.” That percentage is even higher among minorities and children “living in poverty.” Now, a new US Federal education law called the Every Student Succeeds Act may change that situation. The law “includes funding for schools to invest in the mental and behavioral health of their students,” authorizing “grants to the tune of $1.6 billion.”

Related Links:

— “Schools in Poor Areas Have More Students with Mental Health Needs,” Leah Askarinam, National Journal, January 13, 2016.

The New York Times (1/13, A11, Tavernise, Subscription Publication) reports that a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted 12 to 5 to recommend approval of “a new way of treating opioid addicts, using a slender rod implanted into the arm that delivers medicine for months at a time.” The device, “about the size of a small matchstick,” administers daily doses of buprenorphine for periods of six months.

USA Today (1/13, Szabo) reports that the device “has been shown to ease withdrawal symptoms, decrease cravings and cut the risk of relapse.”

Related Links:

— “Implant for Opioid Addicts Urged for Federal Approval,” Sabrina Tavernise, New York Times, January12 , 2016.

MedPage Today (1/13, Jackson) reports that children “with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) faced a higher mortality risk through young adulthood compared with people without ASD,” a study published online Jan. 11 in JAMA Pediatrics reveals. The study of 1,912,904 Danish children “born from 1980 to 2010 who were followed through 2013” also suggests that “having both an ASD and the comorbid conditions of epilepsy or intellectual disability was associated with an increased risk of death that ranged from 2.6- to 7.6-fold higher than the general population.”

Related Links:

— “Autism Spectrum Kids Have Slightly Higher Death Risk,” Kay Jackson, MedPage Today, January 13, 2016.

The Los Angeles Times (1/13, Khan) reports in “Science Now” that “patients seeking and undergoing” bariatric surgery “were more likely to suffer from depression and binge-eating than the general population – but those with depression often saw their mental health improve after surgery,” the findings of a 68-study meta-analysis published Jan. 12 in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggest. The analysis reveals that “patients who were about to undergo bariatric surgery had rates of depression (19%) and binge-eating disorder (17%) that were both more than twice as high as they were in the general population (about 8% and 1% to 5%, respectively).”

Related Links:

— “Weight-loss surgery may reduce depression in some patients, study suggests,” Amina Khan, Los Angeles Times, January 12, 2016.

The Washington Post (1/11, Dennis) reports in “To Your Health” that prescription drug prices increased over 10% in 2015, according to an analysis released Monday by Truveris, “a health-care data company that tracks drug prices.” According to Truveris, prices for branded drugs increased 14.77%, specialty drug prices increased 9.21%, and generic drug prices rose 2.93%.

Related Links:

— “Prescription drug prices jumped more than 10 percent in 2015, analysis finds,” Brady Dennis, Washington Post, January 11, 2016.

Congressional Quarterly (1/12, Attias, Subscription Publication) reports that legislation intended “to address mental health issues in the criminal justice system could finally have a path through Congress after a previous effort was blocked in the Senate.” Today, “the House Judiciary Committee…is slated to mark up the House version of the measure (HR 1854), which would reauthorize and expand a 2004 law (PL 108-414) that established a grant program to support mental health courts and other collaborative programs between the criminal justice and mental health systems.” In December, “the Senate passed its version (S 993) by voice vote…after lowering the authorized spending level from $30 million to $18 million each year from fiscal 2016 through 2020.”

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— Congressional Quarterly (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (1/12, Reinberg) reports that research published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that “exercise may reduce the chances of developing heart disease for people with depression.” For the study, nearly 1,000 individuals “completed questionnaires on depression and physical activity.” Investigators “also checked for several early indicators of heart disease.”

MedPage Today (1/12, Phend) reports that the researchers found that “higher Beck Depression Inventory-II scores correlated with more inflammation as indicated by C-reactive protein levels (P<0.001), more oxidative stress assessed by lower antioxidant glutathione (P<0.001), and poorer vascular function measured by both the augmentation index and subendocardial viability ratio.” Related Links:

— “Exercise May Lower Heart Disease Risk in Depressed People: Study,” Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, January 11, 2016.

USA Today (1/8, Ungar) reports Congress has “effectively lifted the nation’s long-standing ban on federal funding for needle exchange programs,” with a measure that was “quietly tucked into the omnibus spending package signed by President Obama last month.” While Federal funds “still can’t be used for the syringes themselves,” they can be used for “expenses associated with these programs, such as staff, vans, substance use counseling, referral to treatment and outreach in at-risk communities.”

Related Links:

— “Funding ban on needle exchanges effectively lifted,” Laura Unger, USA Today, January 7, 2016.

The Huffington Post (1/8, Pittman) reports that the gender pay gap appears to affect women’s mental health, according to a study published in the journal Academia. After analyzing “information from 22,581 working adults who were 30 to 65 years old based on a nationally representative survey from 2001-2002,” then “using a ‘diagnostic interview for use by experienced interviewers without clinical training’ from the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual” to determine if participants had generalized anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder, researchers found that when women made less money than men, they had twice the likelihood for depression and four times the likelihood of general anxiety disorder.

Related Links:

— “The Pay Gap May Contribute To Women’s Anxiety And Depression,” Taylor Pittman, Huffington Post, January 7, 2016.

The Washington Post (1/6, Peterson, Fung) reports that “brain training” company Lumosity “has agreed to pay $2 million to settle charges” brought by the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC alleged the company misled consumers with claims that were not backed by scientific studies, and “failed to disclose that testimonials promoting its product were solicited through contests where consumers received prizes such as iPads or trips to San Francisco.” Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a news release, “Lumosity preyed on consumers’ fears about age-related cognitive decline, suggesting their games could stave off memory loss, dementia, and even Alzheimer’s disease.”Lumosity To Pay $2 Million To Settle FTC Claims.

Related Links:

— “FTC: ‘Brain training’ brand Lumosity didn’t have the research to back up its claims,” Andrea Peterson and Brian Fung, Washington Post, January 5, 2016.