MedPage Today (1/26, George) reports, “Vaccination against herpes zoster (shingles) was tied to significantly less dementia risk, data from Canada’s network of primary care records showed.” Investigators found that “being eligible for a free live-attenuated zoster vaccine (Zostavax) was associated with reduced probability of a new dementia diagnosis by an absolute difference of 2.0 percentage points (95% CI 0.4-3.5, P=0.012) over 5.5 years.” The findings were published in Lancet Neurology.

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The Washington Post (1/26, Johnson) reports a new studypublished in JAMA Network Open shows that “nearly half of the mortality gap between Black and White adults can be traced to the cumulative toll of a lifetime of stress and heightened inflammation.” Researchers “tracked the prevalence of two proteins linked to inflammation in the body and tied it to enduring discrimination and related social challenges.” They observed that “decades of stress – childhood adversity, trauma, discrimination and economic hardship – were associated with higher levels of inflammation later in life, which correlated with earlier death.” Overall, the results bolster “the body of evidence showing that chronic stress takes a biological toll that shortens lives.”

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Psychiatric News (1/26) reports a systematic review and meta-analysis of 48 studies found that “teenagers in acute mental health crisis who receive intensive community care services (ICCS) as an alternative to hospitalization do as well or even slightly better on several psychological, social, and clinical measures outcomes.” Researchers observed that “ICCS were associated with a small but statistically significant improvement in overall psychosocial functioning relative to usual care (Hedges’ g of 0.15), as well as slight reductions in inpatient admission days, emotional and behavioral problems, and externalizing symptoms. ICCS were comparable with usual care when it came to internalizing symptoms, family cohesion, and cost.” They noted that “when compared solely against inpatient care, ICCS remained superior at improving psychosocial functioning (Hedges’ g of 0.25); all other outcomes were comparable.” The review was published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

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— “Intensive Community Services for Teens in Crisis Found Effective Alternative to Hospitalization, Psychiatric News, January 26, 2026

Psychiatric News (1/23) reported a study found that “individuals who quit smoking with the help of e-cigarettes are less likely to relapse than those who used nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).” The research team “conducted a secondary analysis on a trial of 886 smokers, some who quit smoking with the help of NRT and some who quit by using e-cigarettes. Four weeks after starting their intervention, 45% of those in the e-cigarette arm reported abstinence (defined as not smoking in the past seven days) compared with 30% in the NRT arm.” Researchers observed that “participants in the e-cigarette arm who were abstinent at four weeks had a 22% lower risk of relapsing at 12 months than individuals in the NRT arm.” Furthermore, those “in the e-cigarette arm who were abstinent at six months had a 29% lower risk of relapsing at 12 months than those in the NRT arm.” The study was published in Addiction.

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— “Vaping May Reduce Cigarette Smoking Relapse, Psychiatric News, January 23, 2026

MedPage Today (1/23, Frieden) reported the American Psychiatric Association is suing New York-based health plan EmblemHealth “over its alleged use of ‘ghost networks’ that list mental health [professionals] that are not in their network or aren’t taking new patients.” The class action lawsuit, filed Dec. 30 in federal court, “alleges that the ghost network directory ‘constitutes unlawful deceptive acts and practices, false advertising, and violations of statutory and regulatory requirements,’” according to an APA press release. The networks “[harm] clinicians’ reputations by listing them in provider directories when they do not accept the plan’s insurance or do not practice at the locations where they are listed,” the release noted. The APA “seeks punitive damages and a jury trial.”

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