Kaiser Health News (11/10, Andrews) reports, “In its 2021 Employer Health Benefits Survey, released” Nov. 10, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) “found that many employers have ramped up mental health and other benefits to provide support for their workers during uncertain times” as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The survey also revealed that “the proportion of employers offering health insurance to their workers remained steady, and increases for health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket health expenses were moderate, in line with the rise in pay,” while “deductibles were largely unchanged from the previous two years.”

Related Links:

— “As Workers Struggle With Pandemic’s Impact, Employers Expand Mental Health Benefits “Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News , November 10, 2021

HealthDay (11/9, Preidt) reports, “More than two-thirds of Americans would be willing to try alternatives to prescription opioids to control pain after surgery, a new survey shows.” According to HealthDay, “The survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older found that four out of five believe opioids are necessary to manage pain after surgery, and 65% are more worried about managing their pain than about the potential risk of opioid addiction,” while “68% said they would be willing to try opioid-free pain management after surgery.” The findings were announced in an Orlando Health news release.

Related Links:

— “Most Americans Would Skip Opioids After Surgery If They Could: Survey “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, November 9, 2021

Psychiatric News (11/9) reports, “Adults who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are more likely to report suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts than those who identify as heterosexual, regardless of their age, gender, and race/ethnicity,” researchers concluded after analyzing data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health on “191,954 adults, of whom 14,693 identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual.” The findings were published online Nov. 8 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Report Examines Suicide Risk Among Adults Who Identify as Sexual Minorities, Psychiatric News, November 9, 2021

Healio (11/9, Gramigna) reports, “Researchers reported an increase in prenatal hospitalizations involving cannabis use disorder [CUD] between 2010 and 2018,” after conducting a study that sought “to investigate the prevalence of co-occurring psychiatric and medical conditions among 20,914,591 U.S. pregnant individuals (mean age, 28.24 years) hospitalized with and without CUD by concomitant” substance use disorders. The findings were published online Nov. 3 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Prenatal hospitalizations involving cannabis use disorder increased in recent years “Joe Gramigna, Healio, November 9, 2021

HealthDay (11/8) reports, “The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has proposed strategies to mitigate the influence of systemic racism in its recommendations in an effort to reduce health inequities and other negative effects of racism” in articles both published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In one article, investigators “conducted an audit to articulate the definitional and conceptual issues surrounding racism and health inequity and how these issues are currently addressed in preventive health.” In the second article, researchers “proposed iterative changes to processes, methods, and recommendations to eliminate health inequities for individuals affected by systemic racism.”

Related Links:

— “USPSTF Proposes Strategies to Mitigate Racism in Preventive Care “Physician’s Briefing Staff, HealthDay, November 8, 2021