Healio (10/13, Gramigna) reports, “The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant changes in the dynamics of children’s suicide attempts,” researchers concluded after analyzing “data of 830 children aged 15 years or younger (mean age, 13.5 years; 1:4 ratio of boys to girls) with suicide attempt history who were admitted to the pediatric” emergency department “of a single hospital between January 2010 and April 2021.” The study revealed “a significant increase in the number of children’s suicide attempts between the lowest and highest levels of 12.2 and 22.5 in 2019 to 38.4 prior to the beginning of the second lockdown initiation in September 2020 and October and 40.5 in early November 2020 and December 2020, for respective increases of 116% and 299%.” The findings of the cross-sectional study were published online Oct. 7 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Children’s suicide attempts have increased during COVID-19 pandemic “Joe Gramigna, Healio, October 13, 2021

CNN (10/13, Langmaid) reports, “Reported drug overdose deaths in the United States hit a new high of more than 96,000 in the 12-month period ending March 2021,” investigators concluded in data released Oct. 13 “by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.” Breaking down “overdose death data by drug class,” researchers found that “opioids accounted for the highest number of overdose deaths, followed by synthetic opioids excluding methadone.”

The Hill (10/13, Coleman) reports, “The record fatality count occurred during a time period encompassing the bulk of the pandemic’s first year,” but “the federal agency notes the data is provisional and the actual number of deaths is likely larger as death records are finalized.” What’s more, “all states but New Hampshire, New Jersey and South Dakota saw increases in overdose deaths, according to the data.”

Related Links:

— “US reaches record high of more than 96,000 drug overdose deaths in a 12-month period, CDC data show “Virginia Langmaid, CNN, October 13, 2021

Healio (10/12, Weldon) reports, “More than one-third of children on Medicaid in the foster care system were prescribed psychotropic medications, a higher amount than children on Medicaid outside the system,” researchers concluded in a study that included “388,914 children (mean age, 8.2 years) on Medicaid and 8,426 children (mean age, 7.7 years) in foster care.” The study also revealed that “35% of children on Medicaid and in foster care were prescribed psychotropic” medications “to alter their behavior or mood, more than four times the 8% of children on Medicaid outside the system who are prescribed psychotropic” medicines. The findings were presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition.

Related Links:

— “‘Increased oversight’ needed: One in three kids in foster care prescribed psychotropics “Rose Weldon, Healio, October 12, 2021

Psychiatric News (10/12) reports, “Children and adolescents with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) are likely to present with a variety of symptoms depending on their age and sex,” investigators concluded in a study that included data on “207 children and adolescents.” The study revealed that “older youth with ARFID were more likely to report not eating enough and a loss of appetite, whereas younger children were more likely to report a lack of interest in food, avoidance of certain foods, and refusal based on sensory characteristics.” The study also found that “boys were more likely to refuse food based on sensory characteristics while girls were more likely to eat but not enough.” The findings were published online Oct. 11 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Symptoms of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Vary by Sex, Age, Psychiatric News, October 12, 2021

Healio (10/8, Gramigna) reported, “Changing patients’ pain-related beliefs via psychological treatment appeared to offer them durable relief for chronic back pain, according to results of a randomized clinical trial.” The findings were published online in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Reprocessing therapy may reduce chronic back pain “Joe Gramigna, Healio, October 8, 2021