The AP (7/7, Ungar , Aleccia ) reports a new study published in JAMA shows that the health of children “has deteriorated over the past 17 years, with kids today more likely to have obesity, chronic diseases and mental health problems like depression.” The research team “analyzed surveys, electronic health records from 10 pediatric health systems and international mortality statistics.” They found that “obesity rates for U.S. children 2-19 years old rose from 17% in 2007-2008 to about 21% in 2021-2023.” In addition, a US “child in 2023 was 15% to 20% more likely than a U.S. child in 2011 to have a chronic condition such as anxiety, depression or sleep apnea.” Furthermore, US children “were around 1.8 times more likely to die than kids in other high-income countries from 2007-2022,” with firearm-related incidents and motor vehicle crashes “much more common” in contrast to children of the same age in other countries.

Related Links:

— “American kids have become increasingly unhealthy over nearly two decades, new study finds,”Laura Ungar and Jonel Aleccia , AP, July 7, 2025

ABC News (7/4, Livingston, Cunningham) reported that “three years after the launch of the three-digit 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, the service is seeing increases in call volume, state-level support and reported effectiveness, as well as reductions in specialized offerings, including one designed to help LGBTQ youth.” Since launching in July 2022, “the Lifeline has answered over 13 million calls, chats and texts across the U.S. and its territories, according to SAMHSA.” Dr. John Palmieri, acting director of SAMHSA’s 988 Lifeline Office, told ABC News there has been “about a 20% higher volume of calls, texts and chats” this year compared to the year prior. However, the Trump Administration “has implemented significant workforce reductions for HHS and SAMHSA over the last few months.” Notably, SAMHSA “recently announced that the Press 3 option, which provides specialized care for LGBTQ youth, will no longer be a part of the Lifeline.”

Related Links:

— “3 years later, 988 Lifeline sees higher volume but special option for LGBTQ youth cut,”Kelly Livingston, ABC News, July 4, 2025

MedPage Today (7/2, Firth) reports a study found that “referrals for outpatient treatment after a suspected opioid overdose ranged from 8% to 44%, and Black patients were less likely to receive such a referral versus white patients.” Researchers observed that “among nearly 1,700 emergency department (ED) patients with suspected opioid overdose, 17.8% received a referral for outpatient treatment, 42.4% received a naloxone kit or prescription, and 8.4% received a buprenorphine prescription.” Yet, they noted that just “5.7% of Black patients received an outpatient treatment referral versus 9.6% of white patients.” Researchers concluded, “These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address racial disparities in ED care for [opioid use disorder], particularly in enhancing referral processes and buprenorphine prescribing practices for Black patients.” The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (7/2, Gotkine) reports a study found that “attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications remain associated with a reduced risk for various real-world outcomes, but the magnitude of these associations decreases alongside increasing prescription rates.” The researchers observed that “across age groups and sexes and over time, ADHD medication was consistently associated with lower risks for self-harm, unintentional injury, traffic crashes, and crime.” They noted that “as prescription rates increased, the associations between ADHD medication use and lower risks for unintentional injury, traffic crashes, and crime appeared to weaken. The weakening trend for unintentional injury and traffic crashes was not fully explained by changes in age and sex distribution of individuals receiving ADHD medication.” The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “ADHD Medications Remain Linked to Lower Risk for Real-World Adverse Outcomes,”
Elana Gotkine , HealthDay , July 2, 2025

The Hill (7/1, Lonas ) reports 16 [Democratic-led] states “filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration Monday challenging the Department of Education’s cuts to mental health funding for schools.” The Education Department in April “announced the $1 billion cut to mental health funding, citing concerns with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives embedded in the contracts.” The states argue that the “contracts were unlawfully terminated under the Administrative Procedure Act and that the cancellation goes against congressional mandates.” The lawsuit maintains the cuts would cause “immediate and devastating harm” to schools.

Related Links:

— “Democratic states sue Trump administration over school mental health funding cuts,” Lexi Lonas Cochran , The Hill, July 1, 2025