CNN (9/2, Rogers ) reports that “schizophrenia is simultaneously one of the most famous mental illnesses and one of the most misunderstood.” According to the APA, schizophrenia “is a chronic brain disorder often marked by psychosis, delusions, hallucinations, lack of motivation, and disorganized thinking and speech” that affects “0.32% of the global population, or around 24 million people.” The belief that “schizophrenia means a split mind has contributed to a widespread belief in more formal contexts that the condition is like dissociative identity disorder.”

Such misconceptions explain why schizophrenia is one of the most heavily stigmatized mental health disorders. Some stereotypes “are based in true symptoms that some patients experience,” but researchers believe “they aren’t reflective of all patients and can prevent a holistic, compassionate view of schizophrenia as a treatable disorder that’s usually more harmful to the patient than to others.” Some experts also support “changing the name of this chronic brain disorder.”

Related Links:

— “Why schizophrenia may be ‘the most devastating of mental illnesses’,” Kristen Rogers, CNN, September 2, 2025

Healio (8/28, Herpen) reports a study found that “among seven cognitive domains, alcohol-related cognitive impairment had a more significant impact on cognitive control during a delayed recall task compared with matched controls.” According to study results, “no other cognitive domains showed a significant difference between those with ARCI and matched controls.” The data also show “that 20% of patients in the ARCI group had an unspecified neurocognitive phenotype and 45% had a neurocognitive etiology of unspecified nature.” Researchers concluded, “Our results suggest a specific memory pattern linked to excessive alcohol use, which can help clinicians distinguish alcohol-related cognitive impairment from other neurocognitive disorder etiologies.” The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Alcohol-related cognitive impairment significantly impacts delayed recall tasks,” Robert Herpen, MA, Healio, August 29, 2025

HealthDay (8/28, Edwards) reports a study found that “teens who feel connected to their school may be better protected from depression linked to bullying.” Researchers observed that “school connectedness – feeling safe, included and supported at school – significantly reduced the risk of depression for teens who had recently been bullied, but not for those bullied earlier in childhood.”

According to the study: “11.9% of participants experienced bullying at both ages 9 and 15 (long-term);” 43% said they “experienced bullying only at age 9, while 5.7% reported bullying only at age 15;” and “those bullied both in childhood and adolescence had the highest depression and anxiety scores, with average anxiety levels of 6.9 on an 18-point scale and depression scores of 4.7 out of 15.

Importantly, extracurricular activities did not significantly buffer anxiety or depression symptoms, suggesting that feeling connected within the school environment itself plays a larger role.” The study was published in BMC Public Health.

Related Links:

— “School Connection May Protect Teens From Depression Linked To Bullying,” I.Edwards, HealthDay, August 28, 2025

The AP (8/27, Ungar) reports that nonalcoholic (NA) beers and mocktails are fueling a “booming industry” as people are trying to reduce their drinking for health reasons, in addition to “the rising number of young adults forgoing alcohol altogether.” A typical beer has about 5% alcohol by volume, while “NA drinks are only allowed to have up to 0.5%, about the same as a ripe banana.” A recent online survey conducted by researchers at Stanford University “found that the vast majority of people who drink both beverages say NA drinks help them reduce their alcohol use.” Nevertheless, health experts warn that “nonalcoholic beverages aren’t for everyone, especially if they might trigger cravings for alcohol. These so-called NA drinks are meant to mimic alcohol in many ways, such as appearance, smell and taste.”

Related Links:

— “Nonalcoholic beer and mocktails can help people stay sober or drink less, but are not for everyone,” Laura Ungar, Associated Press, August 27, 2025

Psychiatric News (8/27) reports a study found that “individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) treated in primary care with a collaborative care model (CoCM) focused on medications for OUD experienced a greater reduction in nonmedical use of opioids than those receiving collaborative care that only treats co-occurring mental health symptoms.” Researchers found that “at three months, patients receiving the OUD-focused CoCM had an average of 1.44 days using opioids compared with 3.98 days among those receiving standard CoCM; at six months, patients in the intervention group had 0.72 days using opioids compared with 3.92 days in the control group. Scores on the MCS improved in both groups, but there was no statistical difference.” The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Collaborative Care for Opioid Use Disorder in Primary Care,” John C. Fortney, PhD; Anna D. Ratzliff, MD, PhD; Brittany E. Blanchard, PhD, JAMA Psychiatry, August 20, 2025