HCPlive (10/6, Derman) reported, “A newly developed prediction model for opioid treatment may help detect risk of opioids by three weeks,” researchers concluded after creating “a prediction model to see if people with opioid use disorder” (OUD) “were at a risk for opioid return during early stages of treatment – which they were.” Included in the participant sample were “2199 adult trial participants aged >18 years old.” The findingswere published online Oct. 4 in JAMA Psychiatry. “A simplified score provided good clinical risk stratification wherein patients with weekly opioid-negative UDS (Urine Drug Screen) results in the 3 weeks after treatment initiation had a 13% risk of return to use compared with 85% for those with 3 weeks of opioid-positive or missing UDS results.”

Related Links:

— “New Decision Analytical Model Predicts Risk of Opioid Use Disorder Return,”Chelsie Derman, HCPlive, October 6, 2023

The New York Times (10/9, Richtel) reports, “Approximately 20 percent of adolescents had symptoms of major depressive disorder” (MDD) “in 2021 – the first full calendar year of the pandemic – but less than half who needed treatment received it,” according to a study that “drew from a nationally representative sample of 10,700 adolescents, ages 12 to 17, whose experiences were recorded by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.” The study revealed that “treatment was most lacking for minority adolescents, particularly those who are Latino and mixed-race.” The findings were published online Oct. 9 in JAMA Pediatrics. HCPlive(10/9, Derman) also covers the study.

Related Links:

— “Teen Depression Rose Sharply During the Pandemic, but Treatment Didn’t Follow,”Matt Richtel, The New York Times, October 9, 2023

The Washington Post (10/8, Blakemore) reports, “In a sobering analysis, researchers warn that those who’ve had childhood cancer are highly likely to face physical and mental health challenges later in life, with 95% developing a ‘significant health problem’ related to their cancer or treatment by age 45.” Investigators “reviewed 73 studies, including 39 cohort studies that followed patients over time.” Published in JAMA, “the researchdocumented a variety of concerns for young cancer survivors, ranging from subsequent hormone issues to reproductive health challenges, problems with muscles and bones, cognitive impairment and more.”

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (10/6, Collins) reported, “As many as 1 in 4 teens with autism may be undiagnosed…research suggests.” For the study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, researchers “reviewed school and health records of close to 4,900 16-year-olds living in four northern New Jersey counties in 2014,” with the initial review identifying “1,365 cases that merited a closer look.” Of those cases, “a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was confirmed in 560” and “from the chosen cases, 384 had been diagnosed at age 8, and 176 met the diagnostic criteria for autism at 16.”

Related Links:

— “1 in 4 Teens With Autism May Be Undiagnosed,”Sarah D. Collins, HealthDay, October 6, 2023

HealthDay (10/6, Murez) reported a pilot study “suggests new dads should also be screened for” postpartum depression. For the study published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, “researchers interviewed and screened 24 dads using a tool commonly used for screening moms” and found that “about 30% of dads were positive for postpartum depression.” About “90% of study participants were from groups facing structural racism and social factors such as crime and poverty that can worsen mental health.”

Related Links:

— “New Dads Might Also Need Screening for Postpartum Depression,”Cara Murez, HealthDay, October 6, 2023