HealthDay (12/5, Mundell) reports “methamphetamine abuse has long plagued the gay community, but a new study finds that any form of substance abuse treatment can help users quit.” Researchers “tracked outcomes for 285 Los Angeles men who said they’d used meth at least once during the 2014-2022 study period.”

The researchers “found that if these men were involved in any form of substance abuse treatment – even if it was for another drug, such as opioids or cannabis – rates of meth use went down.” The findings were published in the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment.

Related Links:

— “Any Kind of Drug Abuse Treatment Can Help Gay Men Kick Meth Habit,” Ernie Mundell, HealthDay, December 5, 2023

Psychiatric News (12/5) reports that in a Law & Psychiatry column in Psychiatric Services, past APA President Paul Appelbaum, MD, wrote about “the issue of older people in important positions who may be experiencing cognitive limitations.”

Appelbaum “described two federal laws that prohibit discrimination based on age – the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act – before noting that under federal law, employers are permitted to conduct [targeted] assessments of employees who show signs of impairment.” He said, “Applying that rule in a fashion that is fair to employees, and protective of the interests of employers and the public, is the difficult, but vital, task ahead.”

Related Links:

— “Targeted Assessments May Help Identify Workers Experiencing Cognitive Impairment,” APA Psychiatric News Alert, December 5, 2023

NBC News (12/5, Edwards) reports, “At least 10 babies – possibly more than 12 – have been identified with what” physicians “believe to be a new syndrome related to exposure to fentanyl in the womb.” The infants “have distinctive physical birth defects, such as cleft palate and unusually small heads.” Although no common genetic cause has been uncovered, “all were born to mothers who said they’d used street drugs, particularly fentanyl, while they were pregnant.”

HealthDay (12/5, Foster) reports the research was published in Genetics in Medicine Open.

Related Links:

— “New syndrome in newborns exposed to fentanyl possibly found,” Erika Edwards, NBC News, December 5, 2023

HealthDay (12/5, Mundell) reports “suicide rates for Americans under the age of 18 are rising at unprecedented rates, and a new report points to a likely culprit: The ongoing epidemic of opioid abuse.” Researchers “found the biggest uptick in” child suicide rates “occurred in states where the shift to illicit opioids was most pronounced” due to conditions in their environments worsening due to the opioid crisis. The findings were published in Demography.

Related Links:

— “Opioid Crisis May Be Driving Surge in Youth Suicides,” Ernie Mundell, HealthDay, December 5, 2023

MedPage Today (12/4, DePeau-Wilson) reports, “Suicide rates among Black women increased from 1999 to 2020, especially among teens and young adults, according to an analysis of national data.” The increases “were concentrated among Black women and girls ages 15 to 24, rising from 1.9 to 4.9 per 100,000 during that time period, the researchers reported.” The findings were published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)