Healio (5/10, Rhoades) reports, “Adolescents who casually used cannabis had two to four times greater odds of negative psychosocial events, including depression and suicidal thoughts, than those who did not use cannabis,” researchers concluded after conducting “a cross-sectional study using 2015 to 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health responses from 68,263 youth aged 12 to 17 years.” The findings were published online May 3 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Casual cannabis use in youth increases risk for depression, suicidal thoughts “Andrew Rhoades, Healio , May 10, 2023

Psychiatric News (5/10) reports, “The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) have issued a temporary rule that extends telemedicine flexibilities adopted during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE).” This rule is set to “go into effect…May 11 when the COVID-19 PHE expires, and extends the full set of telemedicine flexibilities adopted during the COVID-19 PHE for six months (through November 11),” with “additional flexibilities” extending “to established patients until November 11, 2024.”

Related Links:

— “DEA, SAMHSA Release Temporary Rule Extending Telemedicine Flexibilities, Psychiatric News , May 10, 2023

The New York Times (5/10, Hoffman) reports, “Despite the continuing rise in opioid overdose deaths, one of the most effective treatments for opioid addiction is still drastically underprescribed in the United States, especially for Black patients, according to a large new study.”

MedPage Today (5/10, DePeau-Wilson) reports, “Black and Hispanic patients with a disability had a tougher time getting medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) despite frequent contact with healthcare” professionals, investigators concluded after analyzing “Medicare claims data.” The study revealed that “within 180 days of an index OUD-related event, Black patients received a prescription for buprenorphine 12.7% of the time, Hispanic patients 18.7% of the time, and white patients 23.3% of the time.” Likewise, “naloxone receipt followed a similar pattern, occurring after 14.4%, 20.7%, and 22.9% of index events, respectively, the authors reported” in the findings of a 23,370-beneficiary study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Healio (5/9, VanDewater) reports, “Rates of suicidal behavior and ideation increased among high school girls,” investigators from the CDC concluded after analyzing “data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey…collected in 2019 and 2021.” The study revealed that “the percentage of girls reporting past-year suicidal ideation increased from 24.1% in 2019 to 30% in 2021,” with “increases in the percentage of girls who made a suicide plan (19.9% vs. 23.6%) and attempted suicide (11% vs. 13.3%).” In contrast, “the percentage of boys reporting suicidal ideation stayed about the same (13.3% vs. 14.3%), as did the percentage of boys who planned a suicide (11.3% vs. 11.6%), attempted suicide (both 6.6%) and had a suicide attempt requiring medical attention (both 1.7%).” The findings were published online in an April 28 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Supplement.

Related Links:

— “Suicidality increased in certain high schoolers from 2019 to 2021 “Kalie VanDewater, Healio , May 9, 2023

The Washington Post (5/9, Ovalle, Beard) reports that the DEA “will allow doctors to keep using telemedicine to prescribe certain medications for anxiety, pain and opioid addiction, extending for six months emergency flexibilities established during the coronavirus pandemic.” As such, “the ability to prescribe controlled medications will run through Nov. 11, 2023…and that deadline will be longer still if doctors have already established a telemedicine relationship with patients.” In the latter “circumstance, physicians can keep prescribing the medications virtually through Nov. 11, 2024.”

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)