HealthDay (12/2, Gotkine) reports a study found that “in early adolescence, smartphone ownership is associated with depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep.” The researchers observed that at age 12 years, “smartphone ownership versus not owning a smartphone was associated with an increased risk for depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep. Associations were seen for younger age of smartphone acquisition with obesity and insufficient sleep. After controlling for baseline mental health and sleep, at age 13 years, among 3,486 youth who did not own a smartphone at age 12 years, those who had acquired a smartphone in the past year had increased odds of reporting clinical-level psychopathology and insufficient sleep when compared with those who had not acquired a smartphone.” The study was published in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Smartphone Ownership Linked To Depression, Obesity, Insufficient Sleep in Early Adolescence, Study Finds,”Elana Gotkine, HealthDay , December 2, 2025

American Journal of Managed Care (11/26, Steinzor) reported a study found that “telehealth has rapidly reshaped outpatient mental health care in the US, with new data showing that nearly 28% of adult mental health outpatients relied exclusively on virtual visits in 2021–2022.” The researchers “analyzed data from the 2021–2022 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, focusing on 4720 adults aged 18 years or older who reported receiving mental health care.” Among adults surveyed, “27.8% received all telemental health care, 21.5% received hybrid care, and 50.6% received all in-person care.” They observed that “telehealth use was highest among adults aged 18 to 44 years, college graduates, higher-income patients, private insurance holders, and urban residents.” They noted that “psychotherapy users – without medication or with medication – and those with less than moderate distress were also more likely to use telehealth, whereas patients receiving only medication or treated by counselors or social workers.” The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Telemental Health Now Serves 1 in 4 Outpatients,”Pearl Steinzor, American Journal of Managed Care , November 26, 2025

HealthDay (11/26, Edwards) reported a study found that many “people who die by suicide without showing prior warning signs, such as suicidal thoughts or past attempts, may have different underlying risk factors than those who express suicidal behavior.” For the study, researchers analyzed “anonymized genetic data from more than 2,700 people who died by suicide.” They found that “about half of people who die by suicide have no known history of suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Many also don’t have diagnosed mental health conditions like depression.” The study “also found that this group wasn’t any more likely than the general population to show traits like chronic low mood or neuroticism. Suicide prevention has long focused on identifying and treating depression and related mental health disorders. But this research suggests that approach may not reach everyone who’s at risk.” The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Some Suicide Victims Show No Typical Warning Signs, Study Finds,”I. Edwards, HealthDay, November 26, 2025

NBC News (11/30, Cox) reports, “Side effects are a key reason people choose to go off their medication, but stopping the drugs can also lead to withdrawal symptoms, research indicates. Along with the growing awareness, a deprescribing movement is building up in the field of psychiatry, aimed at helping patients reduce or stop their medications when no longer considered necessary.” A study published in Psychiatry Research “found that serious withdrawal effects may be more common than previously suspected, especially with longer-term use, although the study was small with just 18% of participants responding to the survey. The results showed that among people who had been taking antidepressants for more than two years, 63% reported moderate or severe withdrawal effects, with a third describing withdrawal issues that lasted more than three months.”

Related Links:

— “Doctors seek to understand why quitting antidepressants causes withdrawal for some,”David Cox, NBC News, November 30, 2025

Healio (11/25, Monostra) reports a study suggests that “women who have thyroid dysfunction both before and during pregnancy may have increased risk for having a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.” Researchers observed that “women who had both chronic and gestational thyroid dysfunction had higher risk for offspring with autism spectrum disorder than women with normal thyroid function. Similarly, women with both chronic and gestational hypothyroidism had increased risk for children with autism spectrum disorder than women with normal thyroid function.” They noted that “each additional trimester of thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy raised the risk for offspring with autism spectrum disorder for women with gestational hypothyroidism only and those with both chronic and gestational hypothyroidism. The risk for having offspring with autism spectrum disorder was highest among women who had gestational hypothyroidism through all three trimesters of pregnancy.” The study was published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Related Links:

— “Thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy linked to higher autism risk for offspring,”Michael Monostra, Healio, November 25, 2025