Psychiatric News (11/6) reports a study found that SAMHSA grants to “fund stepped-care intervention programs for youth and young adults at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P)” have “made a difference in young people’s lives: Individuals who participated in these comprehensive prevention and treatment programs experienced improvements across a range of behavioral, social, and medical outcomes.” Researchers observed, “Clients participating in these programs showed improved life functioning and social connectedness; decreased psychological distress; and low rates of hospitalization [and] emergency department visits.” They noted that “only 4% of participants overall experienced first-episode psychosis while enrolled in the program. By comparison, population-level studies have found that about 15% of youth at high risk of psychosis will experience a first episode within one year.” The study was published in Psychiatric Services.

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— “SAMHSA-Funded Stepped Care Interventions Benefit Youth at High Risk of Psychosis, Psychiatric News , November 6, 2025

The New York Times (11/5, Bajaj) reports, “Heavy drinking is tied to earlier and more severe brain bleeds,” according to a study published Wednesday in Neurology. Study researchers found “so-called heavy drinkers – people who had three or more drinks per day – developed a stroke on average 11 years earlier than those who had fewer than three drinks per day.” In addition, they “had larger brain bleeds that were more difficult to manage.”

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— The New York Times (requires login and subscription)

Endocrinology Advisor (11/5, Neale) reports a study found that “children with precocious puberty are much more likely to develop psychiatric disorders than those with standard puberty timing.” Researchers found that “in Cox proportional hazard regression models, precocious puberty vs control was associated with significantly higher risks” for: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; anxiety; autism spectrum disorder; depression; eating disorders; and schizophrenia. In addition, “addiction, bipolar disorder, and suicide were not significantly more likely to occur among patients with precocious puberty, although the point estimates trended in that direction. The results were similar for boys and girls, but with stronger relationships among boys.” The study was published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

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— “Precocious Puberty Tied to Higher Risk for Psychiatric Disorders,”Todd Neale, Endocrinology Advisor, November 5, 2025

Neurology Advisor (11/4, Rao) reports a study found that “adolescent girls who report greater emotional symptoms following concussion are more likely to experience persisting concussion symptoms.” The study included “included 732 adolescent girls. Most injuries (69.9%) were sport-related, and 37.5% required an emergency department visit. At 3 months, 44% of participants reported persisting symptoms.” Researchers observed that “clinical measures, including SCAT5 total and emotional cluster scores, GAD-7, PHQ-8, and PSQI, were significantly higher among those with persisting symptoms at both time points. The most common ongoing symptoms were difficulty concentrating (63.7%), difficulty remembering (56.6%), trouble falling asleep (52.3%), irritability (52.0%), and pressure in the head (45.2%).” In addition, “machine-learning and logistic-regression models both effectively predicted persisting symptoms.” The study was published in Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation.

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— “Predictors of Persisting Concussion Symptoms Identified Among Adolescent Girls,”Meghna Rao, Neurology Advisor, November 4, 2025

Psychiatric News (11/4) reports a study found that “more than a third of middle school students have used technology-facilitated reporting systems (TFRS),” including apps, websites, and texts, to confidentially “report concerns about friends who are in distress.” The researchers “found that 80.7% of the youth reported their concern about their peer’s distress, with 37.3% using a TFRS to do so. Youth were more likely to use a TFRS when they perceived lower levels of trust in traditional school-based figures. However, the appeal of TFRS was not purely about discretion, as youth who made use of TFRS were also highly likely to voice their concerns to a parent, friend or classmate, or trusted adult not affiliated with the school.” The study was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Related Links:

— “More Than a Third of Middle Schoolers Turn to Technology for Reporting Peers in Distress, Psychiatric News, November 4, 2025