HealthDay (4/18, Mann) reports, “People with substance abuse disorders [SUD], depression and other mental health conditions may be at higher risk for COVID-19 – even when they are fully vaccinated,” researchers concluded after examining “records of more than 263,000 patients of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (average age: 66).”

Healio (4/18) reports the study found that “135,481 (51.4%) of participants presented with at least one psychiatric disorder diagnosis, with 39,109 (14.8%) developing a breakthrough infection,” with “most specific psychiatric disorder diagnoses…associated with an increased incidence of breakthrough infection.” The findings were published online April 14 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Mental Health Issues Linked to Higher Risk of Breakthrough COVID Infections ” Denise Man, HealthDay , April 18, 2022

Healio (4/15, Herpen) reported, “Treatment with medications for opioid use disorder [OUD] is associated with significant reductions in multiple modes of mortality for American veterans,” investigators concluded in a “retrospective cohort study” that “included more than 60,000 patients (92.8% male; mean age 46.5 years) from the Department of Veterans Affairs between 2003 and 2017.” The findings were published online April 1 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Medication treatment for opioid use disorder linked with lowered mortality in veterans “Robert Herpen, Healio, April 15, 2022

mHealth Intelligence (4/15, Melchionna) reported that in comparison to White people, African Americans and Hispanics “were 35 percent and 51 percent less likely to use telehealth, respectively,” according to researchers who evaluated “data from 67,733 patients and 233,302 visits in the study” and found that a “digital divide” and “other factors such as age and distance from the clinic contributed to the likelihood of telehealth use.” The study was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Black, Hispanic Patients Less Likely to Use Telehealth, New Study Shows “Mark Melchionna, mHealth Intelligence, April 15, 2022

According to Medscape (4/14, Ault, Subscription Publication), “mental health professionals and organizations in the United States and Europe are donating time, money, counseling, and training to help colleagues still in Ukraine and the millions of Ukrainians who have fled their home country or have been displaced internally.” For example, “the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Foundation has reported that it will donate up to $25,000 for Ukrainian relief, and the APA has compiled a resource page on trauma and refugee assistance.” In a March 2 statement, the APA said, “The American Psychiatric Association sends our support to all who are experiencing pain and suffering from these deeply troubling events, including those directly exposed to armed conflict, those displaced from their homes and country, those providing care and protection to civilians, friends and family of Ukrainian citizens, and the Ukrainian diaspora around the globe.”

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

CNN (4/14, Holcombe) reports that for many people in the US with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), “the Covid-19 pandemic has posed huge challenges.” But now, “even as the world transitions to a sense of normalcy, challenges lie ahead for many people.”

Related Links:

— “OCD isn’t just about being a neat freak. And for those with it, this next stage of the pandemic may be hard “Madeline Holcombe, CNN, April 14, 2022