HealthDay (3/27, Reinberg) reports that for children with depression or anxiety, “taking melatonin may afford a good night’s sleep and, as a result, lower the odds they will harm themselves, new research suggests.” The study “[found that] the risk of self-harm increased before melatonin was prescribed and decreased by about half after kids started taking the supplement,” and that “teen girls suffering from depression or anxiety were the most likely to benefit.” The findings were published online in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Could Melatonin Ease Self-Harm in Kids? “Steven Reinberg, HealthDay , March 27, 2023

HCPlive (3/25, Walter) reported, “Several risk factors for drug-induced parkinsonism” (DIP) have “emerged for patients with schizophrenia, including age and cognition status,” according to a “cross-sectional analysis of a multicenter, observational, real-world, prospective cohort” that “examined 969 patients with a baseline assessment between 2012-2018 from four mental health centers in Shanghai.” The findings were published online March 3 in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology.
“ From this study, we learned that age, treatment with high D2 receptor antagonistic antipsychotics, and the valproate dose are the main risk factors for DIP. DIP was significantly correlated with psychiatric symptoms and social dysfunction in Chinese schizophrenia patients. ”

Related Links:

— “Investigators Identify Risk Factors for Drug-Induced Parkinsonism for Schizophrenia Patients “Kenny Walter, HCPlive, March 25, 2023

Kaiser Health News (3/25, Zionts) reported, “Some adults who take prescription medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder” (AD/HD) “are required to have their urine tested for drugs several times a year,” whereas “others never are tested.” Several physicians “told KHN there are varying opinions and no national standards on the role of urine testing to monitor adults who take” medications for AD/HD, “so patients face dramatically different requirements, depending on their clinics’ and health insurers’ policies.”

Related Links:

— “Some ADHD patients are drug-tested often, while others are never asked “Arielle Zionts, Kaiser Health News , March 25, 2023

HealthDay (3/23) reports, “Teens who report better relationships with their moms and dads are healthier both mentally and physically and less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol as young adults, according to researchers.” The study also reveals that these teens “reported lower levels of stress and depression, as well as lower use of nicotine, alcohol, cannabis and other drugs.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Close Bond With Your Teen Can Keep Them Physically Healthy, Too: Study “Denise Mann, HealthDay, March 23, 2023

Medscape (3/23, Brooks, Subscription Publication) reports, “Substance use disorders (SUDs), including alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, or opioids, appear to share a common genetic signature,” researchers concluded in a “genome-wide association study” that “looked for variations in the genome that were closely associated with SUDs in more than one million people of European ancestry and 92,630 people of African ancestry.” The findings were published online March 22 in the journal Nature Mental Health.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)