PatientEngagementHIT (12/15, Heath) reported, “About a million Medicare enrollees have opioid use disorder (OUD), but only 18 percent of them received medication to treat OUD, according to a new Office of Inspector General report that illustrates continued medication assisted treatment (MAT) access problems.” The report “also revealed disparities in OUD treatment access, with Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, low-income, and over-65 beneficiaries facing greater challenges.”

Related Links:

— “Medication Access for OUD Abysmal for Medicare Enrollees,” Sara Heath, Patient Engagement HIT, December 15, 2023

HealthDay (12/14, Mundell) says that unintentional firearm injuries “have occurred in American homes hundreds of times over the past two decades, killing 1,262 children, according to a sobering new report” from the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. According to researchers, firearms used in these incidents “were often stored loaded (74%) and unlocked (76%) and were most commonly accessed from nightstands and other sleeping areas.” The report was published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Related Links:

— “Too Often, Unlocked, Loaded Guns Are Fatal Playthings for America’s Children,” Ernie Mundell, HealthDay, December 14, 2023

Healio (12/14, Weldon) reports, “More than 60% of 12th graders who responded to a yearly survey of junior high and high school students reported not using alcohol, cannabis or nicotine in the past 30 days – the highest level of abstention in the survey’s history.” Notably, “rates of lifetime abstention … significantly increased in 2023 among 10th and 12th graders and were at or near the highest levels ever recorded by Monitoring the Future, a survey conducted yearly by the University of Michigan and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.”

Related Links:

— “Survey: More US teens abstaining from drugs, alcohol,” Rose Weldon, Healio, December 14, 2023

Infectious Disease Advisor (12/14, Barowski, RN) reports, “Although HIV infection is associated with increased risk for mental” illnesses, “antiretroviral therapy mitigates this risk,” according to a study. The findings were published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

Related Links:

— “Antiretroviral Therapy Reduces Risk for Mental Health Disorders in HIV,” Janelle Barowski, Infectious Disease Advisor, December 14, 2023

Psychiatric News (12/14) reports, “Women who experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors may experience worsening symptoms in the days before and during menses, though the symptom changes vary significantly among individuals, according to a study.” The study found “suicidal planning was more likely to occur during the perimenstrual period compared with other phases of the menstrual cycle.” The findings were published in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Suicidal Symptoms May Worsen for Some Women Before, During Menses,” APA Psychiatric News Alert, December 14, 2023