Psychiatric News (8/26) reports “more than 70% of mental health apps do not mention any crisis hotline, and only one in seven mentions the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a study” found. The research also found that “a sizable minority of apps that mention alternative crisis hotlines link to ones that don’t work.” The findings were published in Psychiatric Services.

Related Links:

— “Mental Health Apps and Crisis Support: Exploring the Impact of 988,” Bridget Dwyer, B.S., Jane Mikkelson, B.A., James Burns, B.S., Valeria Diaz-Pacheco, B.S., M.S., and John Torous, M.D., M.B.I., Psychiatric Services, August 21, 2025

The New York Times (8/25, Hoffman) reports, “As fentanyl propelled overdose deaths to ever more alarming numbers several years ago, public health officials throughout the United States stepped up a blunt, pragmatic response.” More states “authorized needle exchanges, where drug users could get sterile syringes as well as alcohol wipes, rubber ties and cookers.” As a result, “by mid-2023, overdose deaths began dropping.

Last year, there were an estimated 80,391 drug overdose deaths in the United States, down from 110,037 in 2023, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” However, “states and communities are turning away from harm reduction strategies” after President Trump last month issued an “executive order that included a blast at harm reduction programs.”

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— The New York Times (requires login and subscription)

MedPage Today (8/25, Firth) reports a systematic review and meta-analysis of 99 studies found that “cannabis products containing high concentrations of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the main psychoactive compound in marijuana – were linked to psychosis, schizophrenia, and addiction.” Researchers observed that “70% of the nontherapeutic studies (i.e., those not attempting to treat a medical condition or symptom) showed an unfavorable association with psychosis or schizophrenia and 75% found a relationship to cannabis use disorder (CUD).

Anxiety and depression appeared to be worsened in 53% and 41% of such studies, respectively, with even higher rates when studying healthy individuals specifically.” The researchers noted the findings complement those of prior systematic reviews in “reinforcing the conclusion that higher THC concentrations increase the risk for adverse mental health outcomes.” The review was published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (8/22) reported a study found that “nonfatal firearm injuries raise the risk of mental and substance use disorders (SUD).” The researchers used data from Marketscan “to compare claims from 2007 with claims from 2019.” They observed “a higher prevalence of diagnoses before injury among survivors but not among family members relative to controls.” Specifically, they found that “after nonfatal firearm injury, psychiatric disorders increased among survivors, including 77% for mood disorders, 146% for trauma-related disorders, 57% for anxiety disorders, and 73% to 305% for psychotic, neuropsychiatric, and other disorders.” They also found that SUD diagnoses “rose after firearm injury, including 99% for tobacco use disorder, 186% for alcohol use disorder, and 49% to 195% for opioid, cannabis, sedative, stimulant, and other substance use disorders.” The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders After Nonfatal Firearm Injury,” Katherine A. Koh, MD, MSc1; Mia Giuriato, BBA, MA3; Chana A. Sacks, MD, MPH JAMA Psychiatry, August 20, 2025 (Access Required)

HealthDay (8/22, Thompson) reported a study found that “local parks and neighborhood greenery protected people’s mental health from the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Researchers noted that “depression increased nearly two-fold during the pandemic, with both men and women more frequently diagnosed,” but observed that “middle-aged adults and seniors had a reduced risk of depression if they lived in greener neighborhoods.” Furthermore, they found that “the greener a person’s neighborhood, the lower their risk for depression.” Researchers concluded, “Our findings suggest that green spaces may have played a modest, yet meaningful, role in supporting the mental well-being of lower-income Canadians during the pandemic, offering some relief amid deepening socio-economic inequities.” The study was published in PLOS One.

Related Links:

— “Green Spaces Provided Pandemic Protection Against Depression, Study Says,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, August 22, 2025