The Hill (1/9, O’Connell-Domenech ) reports that the US “has the highest rate of drug overdose deaths out of 30 countries, according to a new report from the health nonprofit the Commonwealth Fund.” While “overdose deaths in the U.S. dipped slightly around 2018 after a years-long” increase, “those deaths began to rise again in 2019 and shot up during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the” CDC. Meanwhile, “overdose deaths decreased slightly again in 2023 by 3 percent but still more than 100,000 people across the country died from an overdose, according to provisional CDC data.”

Related Links:

— “US overdose deaths far outpace other countries: Report,” Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech, The Hill, January 9, 2025

Psychiatric News (1/8) reports, “Individuals involved with the criminal justice system or recently released from incarceration are among those at greatest risk of suicide mortality, according to an ‘umbrella analysis.’” The “analysis of how social determinants of health affect suicidality also found that exposure to parental suicide, experiencing divorce or unemployment in mid-life, and accessibility to firearms were strongly associated with suicide mortality.” The findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Study Highlights Social Determinants Most Highly Associated With Suicide,” Psychiatric News, January 8, 2025

Psychiatric News (1/7) reports, “Symptoms of social anxiety or depression may serve as a barrier to seeking or maintaining employment, according to a study.” But, “working more hours may not by itself reduce depression or social anxiety symptoms.” The findings were published in Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice.

Related Links:

— “Addressing Adults’ Social Anxiety, Depression May Boost Employment Success,” Psychiatric News, January 7, 2025

HealthDay (1/7, Thompson ) reports research found that children “with autism who speak more than one language tend to have fewer symptoms from their disorder.” Study results indicate that “being multilingual not only enhances their general cognitive abilities, but also helps them better control their daily thoughts and actions.” The findings were published in Autism Research.

Related Links:

— “Multilingual Children with Autism Show Improved Cognitive Function,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, January 7, 2025

The AP (1/6, Johnson) reports, “As U.S. lawmakers debate issues around health care for transgender youth, it’s been difficult to determine the number of young people receiving gender-affirming medications, leaving room for exaggerated and false claims.” Now, the AP says, “a medical journal has published the most reliable estimate yet and the numbers are low, reflecting more clearly on medical practices now being weighed by the U.S. Supreme Court.” The study found that “fewer than 1 in 1,000 U.S. adolescents with commercial insurance received gender-affirming medications – puberty blockers or hormones – during a recent five-year period.” The findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics.

NBC News (1/6, Lavietes ) reports the research, “which analyzed the private insurance claims for more than 5.1 million young patients ages 8 to 17 from 2018 to 2022, also found that no transgender patients under 12 were prescribed gender-affirming hormones.” Investigators “found that the use of puberty blockers and hormones was more common among trans minors who were assigned female sex at birth versus those assigned male at birth.”

Related Links:

— “Fewer than 1 in 1,000 US adolescents receive gender-affirming medications, researchers find,” Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press, January 7, 2025