MedPage Today (12/9, Henderson ) reports, “Use of treatment for depression among adolescents was significantly lower in states that mandate caregiver consent for such treatment, according to a cross-sectional study.” Researchers found that “after adjusting for state-level prevalence estimates of adolescent major depressive episodes, those who experienced an episode in the past year in states with laws prohibiting independent adolescent consent for mental health treatment were significantly less likely to receive treatment.” The findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (12/6, Thompson ) reported, “Stroke survivors have an 80% increased risk of dementia compared to people who’ve never suffered a stroke, a new study finds.” Researchers found that “about 19% of people who’d had a stroke developed dementia during an average six-year follow-up, compared with just 13% of those with no stroke.” The findings were published in Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Stroke Survivors Face Much Higher Odds for Dementia,” , HealthDay, December 6, 2024

Psychiatric News (12/6) reported, “Individuals who have a diverse social network that spans multiple communities are less likely to use antidepressants, according to a spatial analysis.” The researchers said, “Bridging social capital is extremely important for members of geographically isolated communities, where the lack of outside connections can make bonding social capital and cohesive social networks possibly even harmful for mental health by placing too much control on the individual, or by isolating the individual in an unhealthy social environment.” The findings were published in Science Advances.

Related Links:

— “Having a Geographically Diverse Social Network May Boost Mental Health,” Psychiatric News, December 6, 2024

The Hill (12/6, O’Connell-Domenech ) reported that according to the CDC, “a more potent form of fentanyl is contributing to the thousands of overdose deaths that happen every year. … An extremely powerful derivative of fentanyl, called carfentanil, was detected in 513 overdose deaths between 2021 and early 2024, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Carfentanil was designed to tranquilize large animals and is estimated to be 10,000 times stronger than morphine and 100 times stronger than fentanyl.”

Related Links:

— “CDC warns of new drug more deadly than fentanyl,” Alejandra O’Connell-Domenich, The Hill, December 6, 2024

Fierce Healthcare (12/4, Minemyer ) reported, “The Biden administration announced Wednesday that nearly 1 million new customers have enrolled in coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) exchanges during open enrollment.” CMS “said that close to 988,000 people who did not previously have coverage in a marketplace plan have secured it over the past month.” Additionally, CMS “said 4.4 million people have returned to a marketplace plan for 2025, putting the exchanges on pace to set another record in enrollment.”

Related Links:

— “CMS says ACA open enrollment is on track to set another record for sign-ups,” Paige Minemyer, Fierce Healthcare, December 4, 2024