Psychiatric News (1/29) reports, “Patients with treatment-resistant depression may only receive a modest, short-term benefit from using intranasal esketamine as an add-on treatment, according to a meta-analysis.” Additionally, “the analysis reveals almost no benefit from esketamine for suicidality compared with placebo.” The findings were published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Meta-Analysis Reveals Disappointing Efficacy for Esketamine in Depression, Suicidality, Psychiatric News, January 29, 2025

STAT (1/29, Gaffney , Subscription Publication) reports, “In July 2022, 988 launched as the number anyone across the country could dial in a mental health crisis.” The phone number is “one entryway to a sprawling system of mental health care options, but new research shows that since then, critical crisis services have not become more available – a key objective of the nationwide rollout, designed to strengthen an underfunded, patchwork system that left many people alone in times of crisis.” Although “calls to the national hotline have continued to increase, fewer psychiatric facilities are offering emergency psychiatric walk-in services, mobile crisis response units, and suicide prevention services, according to a study.” The findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Since 988 launch, mental health crisis services have faltered,”Theresa Gaffney, STAT, January 29, 2025

Healio (1/28, Herpen) reports, “Among post-9/11 United States military veterans, mild traumatic brain injury was associated with unfavorable long-term outcomes, such as severe PTSD, when occurring around a traumatic event, researchers wrote.” The investigators found “that those with peritraumatic mTBI experienced greater trauma exposure compared with non-peritraumatic and no TBI groups…while those in the peritraumatic cohort registered more lifetime TBI compared with those who sustained non-peritraumatic mTBI.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Mild TBI outcomes in US veterans worse if sustained during traumatic event,”Robert Herpen, Healio, January 28, 2025

Healio (1/28, Mahoney ) reports, “Adults aged 18 to 49 years who used cannabis for medical reasons had higher rates of cannabis use disorder [CUD] compared with adults who only used cannabis recreationally, according to a research letter.” The investigators said, “Clinicians should consider addiction risk before recommending medical cannabis and, if they do, should monitor for CUD emergence.” The findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Medical cannabis use still linked to addiction,”Moira Mahoney, Healio, January 28, 2025

Cardiovascular Business (1/27, Walter ) reports that “according to a new in-depth analysis…regular cannabis use increases a person’s risk of multiple adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including myocardial infarction, arrhythmias and cardiomyopathy.” The data indicated that the “risks appear to become more severe depending on how often the drug is used.” The findings were published in Nature Reviews Cardiology.

Related Links:

— “Yes, physicians warn, cannabis is bad for the heart,”Michael Walter, Cardiovascular Business, January 27, 2025