HCP Live (11/1, Derman) reports, “Licensed dosing of stimulants is associated with more reduced symptoms in adults with ADHD than unlicensed dosing, according to a…systematic review meta-analysis.” Published in JAMA Psychiatry, the study “highlighted that unlicensed doses of stimulants may not have positive risk benefits compared with licensed doses for adults with ADHD.”

Related Links:

— “Unlicensed Stimulant Doses in Adult ADHD Barely Reduce Symptoms Compared to Licensed Doses,”Chelsie Derman, HCP Live , November 1, 2023

Healio (10/31, Rhoades) reports, “Researchers identified multiple predictors of opioid overdose after an opioid prescription for chronic pain in a…study published in CMAJ.” In the study, evidence identified predictors including “a history of overdose…four or more dispensing pharmacies,” and “three or more prescribers,” among others. “Moderate- to high-certainty evidence supported large relative associations with history of overdose, higher opioid dose, 3 or more prescribers, 4 or more dispensing pharmacies, prescription of fentanyl, current substance use disorder, any mental health diagnosis, depression, bipolar disorder, or pancreatitis.”

Related Links:

— “Study identifies 10 predictors of opioid overdose after prescription for chronic pain,”Andrew Rhoades , Healio , October 31, 2023

mHealth Intelligence (10/31, Vaidya) reports, “Receiving care from medical practices with higher telehealth use is associated with an increase in mental health visits among Medicare patients with serious mental illness, according to a” study published in JAMA Health Forum. In the study, researchers found that “compared to the number of mental health visits observed among practices with the lowest telehealth use, patients who received care at middle telehealth use practices had 1.11 more mental health visits per year, and patients who received care at the highest telehealth use practices had 1.94 more visits per year.”

Related Links:

— “High Telehealth Use Linked to More Visits for Serious Mental Illness,” Anuja Vaidya, mHealth Intelligence, October 31, 2023

CNN (10/31, McPhillips) reports, “The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has received millions of calls, texts and online messages since its launch in the summer of 2022, but a…study suggests that the mental health resource is far from reaching its full potential.” According to a study published in JAMA Network Open, “only a quarter of people said they would likely turn to 988 in the future if they or a loved one were experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidality – and less than a third of people with severe psychological distress who had already tried the lifeline were likely to use it again.”

Related Links:

— “Millions use 988 mental health crisis line, but more training, resources could better reach people in need, researchers say,”Deidre McPhillips, CNN, October 31, 2023

Healio (10/30, Capaldo) reports, “Mounting evidence suggests that herpes simplex virus 1 may be associated with an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, according to a systematic review of published studies.” The review of 21 studies found “an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease when HSV-1 is present in the brain vs. controls…according to a meta-analysis with a 4,353-person sample size.” The findings were published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.

Related Links:

— “Herpes simplex virus 1 may be associated with increased risk for Alzheimer’s, dementia,”Gabrielle Capaldo, Healio, October 30, 2023