The AP (3/1, Lieb) reports that in order to receive Medicaid health coverage, “some adults will soon have to show they are working, volunteering or taking classes. But to gather that proof, many states first will have to spend millions of dollars improving their computer systems.” Across the nation, states “face an immense task and high costs to prepare for the Jan. 1 kickoff of new Medicaid eligibility mandates affecting millions of lower-income adults in the government-funded health care program.” The first half of “a $200 million federal allotment has already begun flowing to states to help implement the new requirements.” But according to an AP analysis, the “tab for the needed technology improvements and additional staff is likely to exceed $1 billion. … That extra cost will be borne by a mixture of federal and state tax dollars.”

Related Links:

— “Trump’s Medicaid work mandates are meant to save money. But first states will have to spend millions,”David A. Lieb , AP, March 1, 2026

Psychiatric News (2/27) reported a study found that “transgender youth who initiated testosterone therapy didn’t experience increased anger or irritability a year later – in fact, some demonstrated reduced aggression.” The study included “178 gender-diverse adolescents and young adults…in the United States who initiated testosterone therapy. All the youth had completed puberty and had no exposure to puberty blockers.” Researchers observed that “on average, self-reported levels of anger, aggression, irritability, externalizing problems, and oppositional defiant problems were within normal ranges at baseline…and they remained about the same 12 months after initiating testosterone therapy.” However, “45.5% of youth reported slightly elevated anger and/or externalizing behaviors at baseline, and their average levels of these behaviors dropped to the normal range at 12 months.” The study was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Related Links:

— “Testosterone Doesn’t Increase Irritability in Transgender Youth, Psychiatric News , February 27, 2026

HealthDay (2/26, Thompson) reports a systematic review and meta-analysis of 71 studies found that “disasters and violent events echo in the minds of people for years afterward, contributing to mental illness that can surface as much as a decade later.” According to researchers, “more than 1 in 5 survivors (22%) will develop a mental health problem after living through their ordeal.” The illnesses “tend to occur in two peaks – one within the first few months of a disaster and another about a decade later, researchers found. The results contradict the general view that survivors can be expected to leave the past behind as they grow older.” Researchers noted that “depression was the most common mental health problem linked to disasters, affecting about 30% of survivors.” The review was published in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Disasters Can Affect Mental Health A Decade Later, Review Finds,”HealthDay, Dennis Thompson, February 26, 2026

HealthDay (2/25, Thompson) reports, “Middle-aged people who eat healthy have a lower risk of brain decline in old age, researchers” found. Investigators found that “the heart-healthy Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet provided the best protection for brain health, but results showed that eating patterns aimed at lowering blood sugar or inflammation also lowered risk of cognitive decline.” The findingswere published in JAMA Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Eating Healthy In Middle Age Can Lower Risk of Brain Decline, Study Finds,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, February 25, 2026

Psychiatric News (2/25) reports a study found that “increasing nonmedical use of ketamine has brought with it a dramatic increase in patient complications, including ketamine use disorders, uropathy, and rare but life-threatening infection of the bile ducts.” For the study, “researchers identified 411 ketamine-related complications reported by health care professionals in France to the French Addictovigilance Network from 2019 through 2023.” They observed that “ketamine-related complications increased 16-fold, from 13 cases in 2019 to 214 in 2023. The most frequent complications were substance use disorders (33% of cases), psychiatric disorders (30%), and neurological disorders (23%), such as seizures, abnormal movements, or paresthesia.” In addition, “about 9% of patients experienced urinary tract or kidney disorders caused by ketamine use, and several required surgical treatments, including cystectomy and bladder reconstruction; 2% had biliary disorders.” The study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.

Related Links:

— “With Rise of Nonmedical Ketamine Use, Serious Complications Follow, Psychiatric News, February 25, 2026