Bloomberg Law (7/1, Lopez, Subscription Publication) reported, “The Biden administration’s national suicide hotline rollout will need state governments to play a strong hand to be a success, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said Friday.” The “US National Suicide Prevention Hotline will begin its shift to its new 988 number” on July 16, yet “a report from the Rand Corporation suggests that many state and local agencies aren’t ready for the launch.”

ABC News (7/1, Livingston) reported, “Despite an influx of federal funding from the Biden administration, states across the nation are still struggling to develop the infrastructure required to ensure all calls are answered.”

Related Links:

— “Suicide Hotline ‘Won’t Work Well’ Without State Help, HHS Says “Ian Lopez, Bloomberg Law, July 1, 2022

According to Healio (6/30, Downey), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) “was associated with accelerated decline in cognitive function in middle-aged women,” investigators concluded in a study that “included 12,270 female participants with a mean age of 61.1 years; 95.9% were white.” The findings were published online June 30 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “PTSD linked to accelerated cognitive decline in women “Ken Downey Jr., Healio, June 30, 2022

According to Kaiser Health News (6/30, Dembosky), “many scientific studies have linked marijuana use to an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia.” Now, California physicians and lawmakers “want cannabis producers to warn consumers of this and other health risks on their packaging labels and in advertising, similar to requirements for cigarettes.”

Related Links:

— “California May Require Labels on Pot Products to Warn of Mental Health Risks ” April Dembosky, Kaiser Health News, June 30, 2022

Healio (6/29, Downey) reports, “In Canada, the poorest residents were 3.8 times more likely to die of opioid-related causes than the country’s richest residents,” investigators concluded in a study that “used three national databases and census data to determine the correlation between income levels and opioid-related health issues between 2000 and 2017.” The findings were published in the June issue of the journal Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada.

Related Links:

— “Poorer individuals more likely to die of opioid-related causes than rich in Canada “Ken Downey Jr., Healio, June 30, 2022

Healio (6/29, Weldon) reports, “Pediatric mental health visits to the” emergency department (ED) “increased at community hospitals in Chicago during the COVID-19 pandemic,” researchers concluded in a study that “identified 8,127 pediatric mental health visits from a pool of ED visits to 12 Chicago area hospitals…beginning in March 2018 to establish a baseline trajectory.” The findings were published online June 3 ahead of print in the journal Academic Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Mental health visits more common at pediatric EDs during pandemic “Rose Weldon, Healio, June 30, 2022