HealthDay (7/1, Thompson ) reports a study found that people with opioid use disorder “covered by Medicare and Medicaid are less likely to receive the mental health and substance use treatment that they need.” In contrast, people with opioid use disorder who have “public insurance receive more than twice as many sessions if their therapy is also covered by other sources, such as court-mandated treatment.” Overall, researchers observed that patients diagnosed with opioid use disorder “were more likely to get all the help they needed if they had additional coverage on top of Medicaid or Medicare.” Study authors commented, “It’s the exact opposite of how we should be helping people.” The study was published in
Addiction Science & Clinical Practice.

Related Links:

— “Medicaid, Medicare Don’t Adequately Cover Addiction Treatment, Study Says,”
Dennis Thompson , HealthDay , July 1, 2025

Reuters (6/30, S K, Singh) reports the FDA said Monday it is “revising the labeling of all extended-release stimulants used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder to include warnings about the risk of weight loss and other side effects in patients under six years old.” The agency stated “that it is requiring a ‘limitation of use’ section in the prescribing information of all extended-release stimulants to include a statement on higher rates of adverse reactions in children younger than six years.”

Related Links:

— “US FDA to revise ADHD stimulants labels to warn of weight loss risk in children under 6,”Sneha S K , Reuters, June 30, 2025

MedPage Today (6/30, Robertson ) reports a study found that “Medicaid reimbursement for postpartum depression (PPD) screening at well-child visits may increase detection and treatment of PPD in the first year postpartum.” Researchers utilized adjusted difference-in-differences models and “found that Medicaid reimbursement for maternal depression screening during well-child visits was associated with a 9.6 percentage point increase in the probability of billed depression screens and 18 additional depression screenings per 100 births during those visits.” Furthermore, they observed that “PPD screening reimbursement was associated with a 2.5 percentage point increase in the probability of the mother being diagnosed with a postpartum mood or anxiety disorder, a 3.3 percentage point increase in any outpatient mental health treatment, as well as a 3.3 percentage point decrease in prescription fills for medications for mood or anxiety disorders compared with mothers with commercial insurance.” The study was published in JAMA Pediatrics.Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (6/30, Thompson ) reports a systemic review and meta-analysis found that “both anxiety and depression decrease when kids take part in structured exercise programs,” which offer “an alternative to medications like antidepressants.” The review “pooled data from 375 prior clinical trials involving more than 38,000 kids 5 to 18.” Researchers observed that “anxiety improved through low-intensity resistance exercise, such as lifting light weights or gentle training using circuit weight machines.” Meanwhile, depression “improved most through moderate-intensity exercise in training that combines aerobic and strength programs.” Furthermore, they found that “the biggest improvements in depression symptoms occurred in programs lasting fewer than three months, suggesting that benefits of exercise can emerge relatively quickly.” In addition, the study found no significant difference between frequency or duration of exercise in improving mental health. The review was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Exercise Helps Kids’ Mood Disorders, Can Serve As Alternative To Meds, Review Finds,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, June 30, 2025

HealthDay (6/26, Thompson ) reports a study found that “children who’ve experienced only a single traumatic event are more than twice as likely to be chronically absent from school due to health problems.” The researchers “analyzed data from parents of more than 10,000 children 6 to 17 collected by the 2021-2022 National Health Interview Survey.” They found that children exposed to traumas such as racial or ethnic discrimination, verbal or emotional abuse, or having a parent who is incarcerated, mentally ill, or has a substance use disorder “were 2.4 times more likely to be chronically absent from school, missing at least 10% of school days due to health reasons.” Furthermore, “for each additional traumatic event they endured, their risk of health-related chronic absenteeism rose by 25%, researchers found.” Notably, exposure to violence “was associated with 2.6 times higher odds of chronic absenteeism.” The study was published in Academic Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Education Suffers After Even A Single Brush With Childhood Trauma,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, June 26, 2025