MedPage Today (5/21, Susman) reports a systematic review and meta-analysis of three randomized trials presented at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting found that “for people trying to quit smoking, use of a GLP-1 receptor agonist may help prevent weight gain, a common barrier to quitting.” Researchers observed that “between 168 patients in the GLP-1 agonist groups and 169 control patients, the mean difference in post-cessation weight gain was -2.59 kg. However, the difference between groups in abstinence rates was not significantly different.” They noted that “experimental data suggest that GLP-1 receptor agonists, traditionally used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, may have a role in the pathophysiology of addiction, but its efficacy in nicotine abstinence remains unknown.” However, they could not “definitively say that using GLP-1s will help people stop smoking.”

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MedPage Today (5/21, Susman) reports a study presented at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting suggests the “use of chemical restraint was more common among Black patients versus white and Hispanic patients in psychiatric emergency settings.” Researchers observed that “among 852 patients, chemical restraint – intramuscular injections of drugs such as benzodiazepines or antipsychotics – was used in 37.7% of Black patients compared with 32.6% of white patients and 22.6% of Hispanic patients, with the latter difference reaching statistical significance.” They concluded, “These findings suggest disparities in care and the need for further research to determine how these data impact patient outcomes and mental health care-seeking behavior. Disproportionate use of chemical restraint can result in adverse clinical outcomes, including prolonged hospitalization and higher readmission rates.”

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HealthDay (5/21, Thompson ) reports a study found that “nearly 9 of 10 teenagers have experienced cyberbullying.” According to the study’s survey of nearly 2,700 US middle- and high-school students, “the most common forms of cyberbullying reported by adolescents were mean or hurtful online comments (56%); exclusion (53%); online rumors (53%); embarrassment or humiliation (50%); repeated unwanted contact via text or online (42%); and direct threats through text or direct messages (38%).” The results indicate “that even subtle forms of cyberbullying can cause psychological harm.” Researchers said, “We were surprised to find that no single type of cyberbullying caused more harm than others; all carried a similar risk of traumatic outcomes.” The study was published in BMC Public Health.

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— “9 In 10 U.S. Teens Have Been Cyberbullied,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, May 21, 2025

MedPage Today (5/20, Susman) reports a study found that “pregnant women have a higher risk of postpartum psychosis if their sisters had the same condition.” Researchers observed that the “relative recurrence risk of postpartum psychosis for siblings adjusted for birth year was 10.34, indicating that a woman is over 10 times more likely to develop postpartum psychosis if her sister had the condition compared with a woman whose sister did not have the condition.” Furthermore, they noted “the relative recurrence risk of postpartum psychosis in full siblings was 10.69 when adjusted for year of and age at childbirth.” They concluded, “Despite the higher familial risk of postpartum psychosis among full siblings, the absolute risk for women with an affected sibling was relatively low, estimated at 1.60% within the entire population.” The study was published in The American Journal of Psychiatry and presented at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting.

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MedPage Today (5/20, George ) reports a study of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries showed that “dementia incidence decreased in the U.S. from 2015 to 2021 but prevalence increased.” Researchers noted that “approximately 5 million cases of incident dementia were documented from 2015 to 2021.” They found that “age- and sex-standardized incidence rates fell from 3.5% in 2015 to 2.8% in 2021, but prevalence rose from 10.5% to 11.8%.” According to researchers, “incidence was highest in 2015 for Black beneficiaries (4.2%), followed by Hispanic beneficiaries (3.7%) and white beneficiaries (3.4%). In 2021, incidence was still highest for Black beneficiaries (3.1%), but for white beneficiaries, it was 2.8% and for Hispanic beneficiaries, it was 2.6%.” Overall, they said “those living in socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods had the highest incidence and prevalence.” The study was published in The BMJ.

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MedPage Today (5/19, Susman ) reports a scoping review presented at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting suggested that “Asian American and Pacific Islander sexual and gender minority young adults are at increased risk of substance use and mental health issues, but research on this group is sparse.” Researchers found that “of 172 articles screened, only six met final inclusion criteria for U.S.-based studies on psychosocial factors – stigma, discrimination, and family and social support – influencing mental health and substance use outcomes among this population of patients.” Researchers noted that “suicide is the leading cause of death among Asian Americans ages 10-24, but they have the lowest use of mental health services among any racial or ethnic group.”

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MedPage Today (5/19, Susman) reports research presented at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting found that “people who died by suicide frequently presented to hospitals within the previous year, indicating that these visits could be an opportunity for suicide risk assessment.” Researchers observed that “among 1,924 people who died by suicide, 57.5% had visited a hospital between >7 to <365 days of their death, with 45.9% of visits categorized as related to mental health.” They said “of these visits, 51.1% were related to substance abuse, 16.7% were related to suicidal ideation and substance abuse, and 12.3% were related to self-harm.” Researchers concluded, “Our findings suggest that visits with substance abuse-related concerns may present opportunities for delivery of novel suicide screenings and interventions in hospital settings, particularly in the emergency department environment.” Related Links:

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The New York Times (5/17, Span ) reported a study found that “over five years, study participants’ performance on cognitive tests” after a transient ischemic attack “drops as steeply as it does among victims of a full-on stroke.” Researchers said, “If you have one stroke or one T.I.A., with no other event over time and no other change in your medical status, the rate of cognitive decline is the same.” They observed that “even if the symptoms resolve – typically within 15 minutes to an hour – T.I.A.s set people on a different cognitive slope later in life.” Furthermore, after a TIA, “neurologists put the risk of a subsequent stroke within 90 days at 5 percent to 20 percent, with half that risk occurring in the first 48 hours.” The study was published in JAMA Neurology.

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Psychiatric News (5/16) reports, “Older adults with hearing loss who receive treatment may retain greater social connections over time than those who do not receive treatment, according to a study.” The research included “977 adults (mean age of 76.3) with untreated hearing loss and no substantial cognitive impairment.” The researchers wrote, “Given the high prevalence of hearing loss among older adults and already established delivery models, hearing intervention represents a public health target for population-levelreductions in social isolation and loneliness.” The findings were published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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— “Hearing-Loss Treatment May Help Preserve Social Connection in Older People,” Psychiatric News, May 16, 2025

The Radiology Business Journal (5/16, Stempniak) reports, “A new analysis…explores suicide rates among” medical residents. Investigators “labeled this the leading cause of death for fellows and residents between 2015 to 2021.” In that “timeframe, 161 medical trainees died, with suicide the top cause (29%), followed by neoplastic disease (17%), other medical and surgical concerns (14%), accidents (14%), and unintentional poisonings (13%).” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

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— “Study explores suicide rate among residents in radiology and other specialties,” Marty Stempniak, The Radiology Business Journal, May 16, 2025