HealthDay (3/24, Solomon ) reports a study found that “children exposed to maternal cannabis use disorder (CUD) during pregnancy and postpartum have an increased risk for later behavioral disorders.” Researchers discovered “significantly higher risks for disruptive behavioral disorders in children of mothers with CUD during the antenatal…perinatal…and postnatal…periods versus nonexposed dyads.” They concluded, “Cannabinoid ingredients can cross the placenta and enter breast milk, potentially affecting brain development.” The study was published in Psychiatry Research.

Related Links:

— “Exposure to Maternal Cannabis Use Disorder Ups Risk for Youth Behavioral Disorders,” Lori Solomon, HealthDay, March 24, 2025

HealthDay (3/21, Thompson ) reported a new study suggests people who stay up late have “an increased risk of depression” because they have “worse sleep quality than average sleepers or morning birds, and they tended to consume more alcohol.” The study also “explored the potential role of mindfulness in depression risk among the late-night crowd, and found that it was a contributing factor.” Researchers wrote, “Morning types present with higher ‘acting with awareness’ because of their tendency to sleep better and therefore have a lower risk of fatigue, inattention and mind wandering during the day. On the other hand, evening chronotypes usually have poorer sleep quality, causing them to be more prone to daytime sleepiness and thus less awareness of the present moment.” The study was published in PLOS One.

Related Links:

— “Why Are Night Owls Prone To Depression?,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, March 21, 2025

The Washington Post (3/22, Blakemore) reported, “Newly installed safety nets along San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge reduced suicides there by 73 percent, a new analysis suggests.” Researchers found that prior to “erecting a continuous stainless-steel barrier on both sides of the bridge” in 2024, “there were 2.48 suicide deaths per month at the bridge. The number dropped to 1.83 suicides per month during the installation period and 0.67 suicides per month after installation, the researchers found – a 73 percent reduction from preinstallation.” The results provide “early but clear evidence that the safety nets are associated with an immediate and substantial reduction in suicides” at the Golden Gate Bridge, researchers conclude. The analysis was published in Injury Prevention.

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Healio (3/20, Schaffer ) reports a study found that “risk for moderate to severe depressive symptoms during pregnancy varied widely across 20 different racial and ethnic groups, suggesting women from different cultural backgrounds view and report depression symptoms differently.” Researchers found that “the prevalence of prenatal depression diagnoses ranged from 4.7% among Hmong Chinese women to 26.7% among Puerto Rican women, whereas depressive symptoms ranged from 7.5% among Japanese women to 17.3% among Black women.” Researchers concluded this “is a reminder of the importance of culturally relevant care, especially regarding pregnancy and mental health conditions.” The findings were published in a research letter in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Prenatal depression ‘presents differently across cultures,’ warranting tailored care,” Regina Schaffer, Healio, March 21, 2025

Healio (3/20, Mahoney ) reports a study found that “individuals in Canada who received hospital care for hallucinogen use had greater 5-year mortality risk, especially from suicide, compared with the general population.” Researchers determined that, “compared with the matched general population, the hallucinogen group appeared more likely to live in low-income neighborhoods, have several chronic conditions, and have received outpatient mental health care or acute care for substance use or a mental disorder in the past 3 years.” Furthermore, “a greater proportion of individuals in the hallucinogen group died” within five years “compared with the general population group (6.1% vs. 0.6%), equating to a 9.7-fold greater increase.” Based on the results, the researchers “theorized that hallucinogen use in vulnerable people in nonmedical settings may increase suicide risk or lead to the development of severe mental illnesses.” The study was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Related Links:

— “Receipt of acute care for hallucinogen use predicts greater mortality risk within 5 years,” Moira Mahoney, Healio, March 20, 2025