MedPage Today (4/5, DePeau-Wilson) reports, “Sleep problems throughout the transition from childhood to early adolescence were associated with psychopathology symptoms, highlighting the importance of good sleep for adolescents’ mental well-being,” investigators concluded in a study revealing that “among over 10,000 kids, those with more severe sleep problem profiles had a higher risk of concurrent internalizing symptoms.” The findings were published online April 5 in JAMA Psychiatry.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Healio (4/3, Bascom) reports, “Exercise significantly decreased suicide attempts,” investigators concluded in the findings of a 17-study, 1,021-participant systematic review and meta-analysis published online ahead of print in the June issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders.

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— “Meta-analysis: Exercise significantly decreases suicide attempts “Emma Bascom, Healio, April 3, 2023

Healio (4/3, VanDewater) reports, “From 2002 to 2021, the rate of drug overdose death among people aged 65 years or older quadrupled, “investigators concluded in a study that “evaluated the annual overdose mortality rate among U.S. adults aged 65 years and older using data from the CDC WONDER database.” Additionally, “for 2021 data, the researchers…evaluated characteristics of intentional and unintentional overdose death, drug type and decedent demographics.” The study also revealed that “most unintentional overdoses involved illegal drugs and most intentional overdoses involved prescription” medications. The findings were published online March 29 in a research letter JAMA Psychiatry.

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— “Geriatric drug overdose deaths in US quadrupled over 20 years “Kalie VanDewater, Healio, April 3, 2023

Psychiatric News (4/3) reports, “The percentage of adults receiving prescriptions for stimulants increased from 2016 to 2021 and jumped from 2020 to 2021, particularly among women,” researchers concluded after examining “2016-2021 claims data from the Merative MarketScan Commercial Database, a national sample of de-identified health care claims from enrollees in employer-sponsored insurance plans.” Included in the study were “all stimulant prescriptions…regardless of whether an enrollee’s records had any” AD/HD “diagnosis codes present.” The findings were published online March 31 in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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— “Stimulant Prescriptions Spiked During Pandemic, CDC Report Finds, Psychiatric News, April 3, 2023

The Washington Post (3/31, Cimons) reported, “Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol every day does not – as once thought – protect against death from heart disease, nor does it contribute to a longer life, according to a sweeping new analysis of alcohol research.” The new “review, which examined existing research on the health and drinking habits of nearly 5 million people…also found that drinking relatively low levels of alcohol – 25 grams a day for women (less than 1 ounce) and 45 grams (about 1.5 ounces) or more per day for men – actually increased the risk of death.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)