Medscape (5/2, Yasgur, Subscription Publication) reports, “A large proportion of US adults who are prescribed Schedule II stimulants are simultaneously receiving other CNS agents including benzodiazepines, opioids, and antidepressants – a potentially dangerous practice,” researchers concluded after analyzing prescription medication “claims for over 9.1 million US adults over a one-year period.” The findings were published online April 24 in BMJ Open.

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— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

The New York Times (5/1, Richtel) reported, “Mental health-related visits to emergency” departments (EDs) “by children, teenagers and young adults soared from 2011 to 2020, according to” findings published online May 2 in JAMA. The study also revealed that “the sharpest increase was for suicide-related visits, which rose fivefold.” The research team arrived at these conclusions after using “data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey” to examine “the annual number of mental health-related” ED “visits by people six to 24 years old.”

Related Links:

— “Emergency Room Visits Have Risen Sharply for Young People in Mental Distress, Study Finds “Matt Richtel, The New York Times, May 1, 2023

CNN (5/1, LaMotte) reports, “Up to 60% of all stroke survivors develop memory and thinking problems within a year, and one-third go on to develop dementia within five years, according to” a scientific statement issued by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and published online ahead of print in the journal Stroke. Most “common within the first two weeks after a stroke,” cognitive impairment “may go hand in hand with other conditions associated with a stroke such as behavioral and personality changes, depression, physical disability and disruption in sleep, all of which can contribute to a lower quality of life.” Still, “about 20% of people who experience mild cognitive impairment after a stroke fully recover their cognitive function, typically within the first six months.”

Related Links:

— “Up to 60% of stroke survivors may develop cognitive decline within a year “Sandee LaMotte, CNN, May 1, 2023

NBC News (5/1, Edwards) reports, “Teenagers engaged in toxic, controlling dating relationships may be at risk for a variety of problems as they enter adulthood, including drug use, as well as mental and physical health struggles…research [suggests].” The study “also showed that such teens are likely to repeat patterns of unhealthy – potentially dangerous – intimate relationships.” The findings were published online in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Troubled teenage relationships can have lasting health consequences “Erika Edwards, NBC News , May 1, 2023

Psychiatric News (5/1) reports, “A meta-analysis” and systematic review of 53 “longitudinal studies of children and adolescents from 12 countries” and encompassing some 40,000 young people reveals that “symptoms of depression in youth around the world increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.” The findings were published online May 1 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Depression Symptoms in Youth Worsened During COVID-19 Pandemic, Meta-Analysis Finds, Psychiatric News, May 1, 2023