American Journal of Managed Care (5/28, Jeremias ) reports a study found that “one in 3 pediatric patients facing a mental health crisis who presented to the emergency department (ED) waited more than 12 hours to be admitted for transfer for further treatment between 2018 and 2022.” Investigators analyzed “pediatric mental health ED visits from 2018 to 2022 using data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.” They observed that “9.5% of visits resulted in hospital admission, and 15.7% led to transfer to a psychiatric facility. Among the estimated 1.41 million visits that ended in admission or transfer, 70.8% involved blood testing, 32.1% lasted 12 or more hours, and 13.1% lasted at least 24 hours.” In addition, “multivariable analysis found that the odds of boarding (≥ 12-hour visits) were significantly lower for 10- to 14-year-olds, non-Hispanic patients of other races, those with private insurance, and weekend visits.” The study was published in JACEP Open.

Related Links:

— “1 in 3 Minors Facing Mental Health Crisis Experience 12-Hour ED Waits,” Skylar Jeremias, American Journal of Managed Care, May 28, 2025

MedPage Today (5/27, Robertson ) reports a study suggests that “self-reported maternal mental health declined in recent years, as did maternal physical health, though less drastically.” Researchers found that “after adjustments for secular changes in sociodemographic groups, ‘excellent’ physical health decreased by 4.2 percentage points, ‘excellent’ mental health decreased by 12.4 percentage points, and ‘fair/poor’ mental health increased by 3.5 percentage points from 2016 to 2023.” They noted that “mothers with lower education levels and publicly insured or uninsured kids, as well as single mothers, had higher odds of self-reporting worse physical and mental health.” Overall, investigators concluded that the “decline in mental health was even greater than what” they “were expecting to find. Recent research has focused on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, but this study indicated that the downward population-level trends were happening before 2020.” The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (5/27, Thompson ) reports a study found that “fentanyl-only deaths among 15- to 24-year-olds soared by 168% between 2018 and 2022, and now account for most fatal ODs among that age group.” In the study, “researchers analyzed federal death records to examine trends in ODs among teens and young adults. They specifically looked at synthetic opioids like fentanyl used alone or in combination with other drugs like benzodiazepine, cocaine, heroin, prescription opioids or stimulants.” They found that the “largest increase in OD death rates occurred among young people taking fentanyl alone, rising to 4.3 deaths per 100,000 in 2022 from only 1.6 deaths per 100,000 in 2018. By comparison, the death rate of fentanyl combined with benzodiazepines was 0.33 deaths per 100,000 in 2022, while the fentanyl and cocaine rate was 0.89 deaths per 100,000.” Additionally, “young males are 2.5 times more likely to have a fatal overdose involving fentanyl compared to females, researchers said.” The study was published in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Fentanyl Fueling OD Deaths Among Teens, Young Adults,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, May 27, 2025

Healio (5/23, Mahoney) reported a study found that “adolescents with mental health issues who were admitted to a pediatric inpatient psychiatry unit experienced significant improvements in depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and anxiety.” Researchers observed “that the patients experienced improvements in all the measured outcomes from admission to discharge.” They saw a “large effect size for depression as per” the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Adolescent 17‐item Self‐Report and “a moderate effect size for emotional regulation as per” the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Short Form. In addition, they “observed smaller effect sizes” for anxiety, quality of life, and family functioning. The study was published in Psychiatric Research & Clinical Practice

Related Links:

— “Pediatric inpatient psychiatry units effective for adolescents with severe mental illness,” Moira Mahoney, Healio, May 23, 2025

The Washington Post (5/26, McMahan) reports a systemic review found that “engagement with digital technology was associated with a 58 percent reduced risk of cognitive impairment in people middle-aged and older.” The researchers reviewed 57 studies involving more than 411,000 adults with an average age of 69 to determine “whether exposure to technology has helped or harmed cognition among the first generation of adults with prolonged exposure to digital devices such as smartphones, tablets and computers.” They observed that “technology could play a role in preserving brain function, not worsening.” Researchers concluded, “There was no credible evidence from the longitudinal studies, or the meta-analysis as a whole, for widespread digital ‘brain drain’ or ‘digital dementia’ as a result of general, natural uses of digital technology.” The review was published in Nature Human Behavior.

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)