The New York Times (9/24, SR5, Velasquez-Manoff, Subscription Publication) reported that “when taken during pregnancy, acetaminophen may increase the risk that children will develop asthma or” even attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). For example, research recently published “in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that prenatal acetaminophen use increased seven-year-olds’ risk of asthma by 13 percent.” Moreover, a JAMA Pediatrics study “noted that a mother’s use of the pain reliever in midpregnancy increased seven-year-olds’ risk of hyperactivity by 31 percent.”

Related Links:

— “The Trouble With Tylenol and Pregnancy,” MOISES VELASQUEZ-MANOFF, New York Times, September 24, 2016.

Healthcare IT News (9/23, Monegain) reported the Department of Health and Human Services unveiled the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training program, which will award $44.5 million in grants for training programs across the US with the aim of “increasing the number of mental health” professionals “and substance abuse counselors.” The grants will be awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Related Links:

— “HHS aims to grow behavioral health workforce with $44.5 million investment,” Bernie Monegain, Healthcare IT News, September 23, 2016.

U.S. News & World Report (9/22, Schroeder) reports that due to a psychiatrist shortage and increased insurance coverage under the ACA, “increasingly many psychiatrists aren’t taking new patients because they’re at capacity.”

Figures released by the American Medical Association reveal “the number of adult and child psychiatrists increased by just 12 percent from 1995 to 2013, from 43,640 to 49,079, lagging far behind the 45 percent increase in total physician numbers and population growth in the US.”

The article advises patients who need to see a psychiatrist to speak first with their primary care physician, obtain a list of covered psychiatrists from their health insurer, check with academic medical centers, and if in the middle of a mental health crisis, head for the emergency department.

Renée Binder, MD, immediate past president of the American Psychiatric Association, explained, “All emergency rooms have access to psychiatric care,” which includes “a mental health team that’s on call and supervised by a psychiatrist.”

Related Links:

— “What to Do If You’re Having Trouble Getting in to See a Psychiatrist,” Michael O. Schroeder, , September 22, 2016.

Healio (9/22, Oldt) reports, “Receiving care from an integrated behavioral health home improved outcomes among individuals with serious mental illness,” researchers found after conducting “a randomized trial among 447 individuals with serious mental illness and at least one cardiometabolic risk factor.” The findings were published online Sept. 15 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Integrated behavioral health home improves mental health, cardiometabolic outcomes,” Amanda Oldt, Healio, September 22, 2016.

Healio (9/22, Oldt) reports, “Individuals with depression who were in higher occupational levels had poorer treatment response and higher rates of treatment-resistant depression,” researchers found after evaluating “a large multinational sample of working individuals with depression who received at least one adequate treatment trial.” The findings of the 654-patient study were presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress.

Related Links:

— “High status job may hinder depression treatment response,” Amanda Oldt, Healio, September 22, 2016.