The American Journal of Managed Care (4/22, McCrear) reports a study found that “although total Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD) have declined since 2019, the percentage of patients receiving medications for OUD (MOUD) has increased.” Study results showed that “the percentage of Medicaid beneficiaries diagnosed with OUD decreased from 4.2% (n = 738,060) in 2019 to 3.6% (n = 1,046,075) in 2023.” According to researchers, “in the 47 states plus the District of Columbia, the combined percentage of beneficiaries diagnosed with OUD and who received MOUD increased from 60.0% (n = 443,010 of 738,060) in 2019 to 69.1% (n = 723,177 of 1,046,075) in 2023.” The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Medication Use Up for OUD as Diagnoses Decline Among Medicaid Beneficiaries,”Sabrina McCrear, , April 22, 2026

Psychiatric News (4/22) reports a study found that “embedding behavioral health workers into 911 call centers in a Texas community prevented hundreds of emergency detentions and arrests over five years.” Researchers observed that “between December 2019 and February 2025, operators at the Texas call center transferred 16,264 calls that involved behavioral health crises without criminal or violent components to clinicians, while 4,365 similarly eligible calls were not transferred due to clinician unavailability.” They found that “calls transferred to clinicians resulted in fewer emergency detentions (2.4%) and less time spent on the scene by officers (26 minutes) compared with calls that were not directly transferred to a clinician (4.8% and 51 minutes, respectively). After adjusting for call timing and location, calls that were directly transferred to clinicians were 43% less likely to result in emergency detentions and 35% less likely to result in arrests.” The study was published in Psychiatric Services.

Related Links:

— “Diverting 911 Calls to Behavioral Health Workers Reduces Arrests, Psychiatric News, April 22, 2026

The New York Times (4/22, Barry) reports a study found that since the 2022 rollout of the 988 national suicide prevention hotline, “the rate of suicides among young people in the United States dropped 11 percent below projections, decreasing most sharply in states with a higher volume of answered 988 calls.” The study “compared suicide deaths from July 2022 to December 2024 with sophisticated mathematical projections that were based on historical trends. This yielded good news, with 4,372 fewer suicides of adolescents and young adults, ages 15 to 34, than had been projected.” According to the findings, “the 10 states with the largest increases in 988 calls experienced an 18.2 percent reduction in observed suicides compared with expected suicides; in the 10 states with the lowest uptake, the reduction was smaller, 10.6 percent.” The findings were published in a research letter in JAMA.

MedPage Today (4/22, Firth) adds that the study authors “conducted multiple sensitivity analyses, one of which found an expected significantly smaller decline in suicide mortality among adults 65 and older after the launch of the lifeline (-4.5%).” Furthermore, “modeling that excluded the period of the COVID pandemic from the baseline model showed that suicide deaths among individuals ages 15 to 34 remained lower than expected based on trends before the initiation of the lifeline.”

The American Journal of Managed Care (4/22, Grossi) reports the findings “align with prior evidence showing that individuals who contact crisis lifelines often experience immediate reductions in suicidal ideation.” The study “also highlights emerging challenges, including the recent elimination of specialized 988 services for LGBTQ+ youth, a group that previously accounted for approximately 10% of Lifeline contacts. This change could reduce access to care for a particularly vulnerable population.”

Related Links:

— The New York Times (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (4/21, Thompson) reports a study found that “people have a doubled risk of hospitalization for drug poisoning if benzodiazepines are added to their gabapentinoids,” and that “taking opioids with gabapentinoids is associated with a 30% increased risk.” Researchers observed that “about 9 out of 10 (89%) patients took an opioid alongside a gabapentinoid at some point during the study, while more than half (55%) took benzodiazepines alongside gabapentinoids.” They found the “highest risk of drug poisoning was found in the 90 days before people were prescribed gabapentinoids, suggesting that docs prescribed the drugs because they were concerned about opioid or benzo use.” The study was published in PLOS Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Less-Dangerous Painkiller Still Has High Risk For Drug Interactions,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, April 21, 2026

Psychiatry Advisor (4/21, Nye) reports a study found that “children and young adults with vs without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a higher prevalence of feeding, gastrointestinal (GI), sleep, and anxiety-related disorders.” The study included “1793 children and young adults…diagnosed with ASD, among whom 675 had 1 or more feeding, GI, sleep, and anxiety-related comorbidities.” Researchers noted that “higher rates for feeding and sleeping disorders were observed among younger children, boys, and White children,” while “higher rates for GI disorder were observed in middle-childhood, among girls, and White children.” Additionally, “higher rates for GI disorders were observed in middle-childhood, among girls, and White children.” The study was published in the Journal of Pediatric Health Care.

Related Links:

— “Feeding, Sleep, and Anxiety Disorders More Frequent in Youths With ASD,”Jessica Nye, Psychiatry Advisor , April 21, 2026