Psychiatric News (8/15) reports, “Experiencing substance-induced psychosis may raise the risk of suicide attempt,” investigators concluded in a study that “analyzed data from 5,806,700 people aged 13 years or older who lived in Denmark from January 1, 1995, to August 10, 2017.” The study team “followed the individuals until the individuals had a suicide attempt, had a first psychotic disorder (except for first substance-induced psychosis), died, or emigrated, whichever came first.” The findings were published online Aug. 13 in the journal Addiction.

Related Links:

— “Substance-Induced Psychosis Linked to Increased Risk of Suicide Attempt,Psychiatric News , August 15, 2023

The Hill (8/15, Latour) reports, “Two-thirds of U.S. adults have been impacted in some way by the nation’s substance use crisis,” according to findings from “a new KFF Tracking Poll” announced on Aug. 15. In the poll, 66% “of respondents…said either they themselves or a family member have experienced addiction to alcohol or drugs, homelessness due to addiction, or an overdose resulting in an emergency room visit, hospitalization or death.” What’s more, “among white respondents, 67 percent said someone in their family has experienced addiction or overdose, compared to 58 percent of Black adults and 56 percent of Hispanic adults,” a gap that “‘is mostly driven by addiction to alcohol and prescription painkillers,’ the researchers noted.”

HealthDay (8/15, Reinberg) reports, “The poll of over 1,300 U.S. adults was conducted from July 11 to 19 either online or by telephone.” The American Psychiatric Association provides additional information on substance use disorder.

Related Links:

— “Majority of US adults say addiction has affected their family in some way: poll,”AMEE LATOUR, The Hill , August 15, 2023

Healio (8/14, Carter) reports, “Use of lithium vs. valproate as a prophylactic treatment may be associated with adverse kidney outcomes, including AKI,” investigators concluded in a study that “examined data from the Stockholm Creatinine Measurements database, a health care use cohort of all adult Stockholm residents, and included 10,946 patients who began lithium or valproate therapy from January 2007 to December 2018.” Even though the study found that new “use of lithium was meaningfully associated with adverse kidney outcomes, with low absolute risks that did not differ between therapies,” it also revealed, however, that “elevated serum lithium levels were associated with future kidney risks, particularly AKI, emphasizing the need for close monitoring and lithium dose adjustment.” The findings were published online July 7 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Lithium therapy may be linked with AKI, poor kidney outcomes vs. valproate,”Shawn M. Carter, Healio, August 14, 2023

CNN (8/14, LaMotte) reports that a survey found that a “majority of American adults say” that “inhaling marijuana smoke” is “safer than inhaling smoke from tobacco,” and “also believe there is less harm to adults and children from secondhand marijuana smoke than tobacco smoke.”
But, HealthDay (8/14, Murez) reports, “the reality is that smoke of any kind isn’t good for your lungs, the study authors stressed.” The researchers “also found that people who were young, 18 to 29, were more likely to move toward the view that cannabis was safer compared to those surveyed who were aged 60 or older.” Meanwhile, “being unmarried was also more aligned with a view that cannabis was safer.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Many Americans wrongly believe exposure to marijuana smoke is safer than tobacco, study finds,”Sandee LaMotte, CNN, August 14, 2023

CNN (8/15, Bracho-Sanchez) reports, “Latino children who live in states with harsher laws that apply to immigrants and systemic prejudice against them are more likely to experience mental health or chronic physical health conditions, according to a new study.” The findings were published in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Health of Latino children worse in states with anti-immigrant attitudes and policies, new study says,”Edith Bracho-Sanchez, CNN, August 15, 2023