HealthDay (10/28, Gotkine) reports a study found that “trauma exposure and traumatic stress are common among adolescents.” The researchers “described rates of trauma exposure and traumatic stress symptoms among youth aged 11 to 19 years who presented to primary care clinics for well-child visits between July 2022 and June 2024.” They observed that “15.5 percent of 24,675 youth reported trauma exposure and 7.5 percent reported moderate or high symptoms of traumatic stress. The researchers found that the likelihood of reporting a traumatic experience was higher for female and Hispanic youth. High anxiety and/or depression symptom scores were seen in only half of youth with high traumatic stress symptoms.” They noted that “compared with those with low or moderate traumatic stress, adolescents with trauma and high traumatic stress were 10 times more likely to have a high risk for suicide, representing 48 percent of all youth at high risk for suicide.” The study was published in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Trauma Exposure, Traumatic Stress Common in Adolescents,”Elana Gotkine, HealthDay, October 28, 2025

The American Journal of Managed Care (10/27, Shaw) reports a study found that “clinicians continue to diagnose new cases of opioid use disorder (OUD) among publicly insured youth, even though opioid use continues to drop overall among this group.” The study “employed data from January 2020 through December 2023 from 2 groups of youths: adolescents aged 10 to 17 years and young adults aged 18 to 24 years.” Researchers observed the “overall rate of new OUD diagnoses was 0.27%; of new nonfatal opioid-involved overdose, 0.09%; and of OUD and new nonfatal opioid-involved overdose, 0.04%. The adolescent group accounted for 15% of new OUD diagnoses and the young adult group accounted for 85%. New nonfatal overdose rates were 23% and 77%, respectively, and OUD and nonfatal overdose rates were 13% and 87%.” In response, “researchers are calling for more and better screenings of at-risk youth due to high rates of co-occurring mental health disorders and nonfatal opioid-involved overdoses in youth with OUD.” The study was discussed in a JAMA Pediatrics research letter.

Related Links:

— “With New OUD Diagnoses on the Rise, More Comprehensive Screenings Needed,”Maggie L. Shaw, The American Journal of Managed Care, October 27, 2025

Psychiatric News (10/27) reports the APA’s latest Healthy Minds poll found that just 19% of Americans are familiar with kratom. Nevertheless, “America’s Poison Centers have noted that reports of kratom exposure are increasing across the country: 1,690 kratom-related cases were logged in the first seven months of 2025, more than the entirety of 2024.” The FDA in recent months has “taken steps toward banning certain forms of kratom, sent a warning letter about the substance to clinicians, and announced early steps toward federal regulation. Several states have already banned kratom and/or its psychoactive chemicals, while others have placed restrictions on its purchase.” Meanwhile, the poll “also asked about other unregulated substances marketed for mental health purposes, including kava, blue lotus, wild lettuce, salvia, mugwort, and yohimbe. Less than 8% of those polled were very familiar with any of these.” APA President Theresa M. Miskimen Rivera, MD, said in a statement, “It’s alarming that substances with addictive potential such as kratom are widely available and sold in convenience stores.”

Related Links:

— “Most Americans Don’t Know What Kratom Is, Poll Finds, Psychiatric News, October 27, 2025

Psychiatric News (10/24) reported a study presented at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s 2025 annual meeting found that “children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more than seven times as likely to be prescribed antipsychotics as a child without ASD, but they are not more likely to be diagnosed with a psychotic disorder later in life.” The researchers “used the TriNetX health care database to analyze five years of electronic medical record data among patients 18 and younger without a history of schizophrenia.” They observed that “children with ASD were two-and-a-half times more likely to experience hallucinations as the control group and three-and-a-half times more likely to experience aggression. Youth with ASD were also nearly eight times more likely to be prescribed antipsychotics and more than five times more likely to be prescribed nonstimulant attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the risk of developing a primary psychotic disorder later in life between those with or without ASD.”

Related Links:

— “Children With Autism More Likely to Experience Hallucinations but Not to Develop Psychosis, Psychiatric News , October 24, 2025

HealthDay (10/24, Thompson) reported a study found that “teenagers who didn’t get enough sleep on school nights or suffered from interrupted sleep had a significantly higher risk of suicide.” Study results indicated that “sleep problems at age 14 were linked to an increased likelihood of a suicide attempt at age 17, even after accounting for other suicide risk factors. In fact, poor sleep amounted to a stronger risk factor than depressive symptoms or other known risk factors, researchers said.” They theorized “sleep might increase a teenager’s impulsivity,” noting that “teens with stronger decision-making skills appeared protected against the impact of poor sleep on suicide risk, at least at first.” The study was published in Sleep Advances.

Related Links:

— “Bad Sleep Could Be A Warning Sign For Suicide Among Teens,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay , October 24, 2025