The New York Times (9/10, Caron) reported that “for more than a decade, suicide rates have been increasing in Black children and adolescents, and a new study” published online Sept. 8 ahead of print in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry “says the sharpest rise occurred among young girls.” The study revealed that “the suicide rate of the girls increased an average of 6.6 percent each year” from 2003 to 2017, a rate that is “more than twice the increase for boys.” What’s more, “nearly 40 percent of the girls were 12 to 14 years old, indicating that this age group may need additional attention or different types of interventions,” the study indicated.

Related Links:

— “‘What’s Going on With Our Black Girls?’ Experts Warn of Rising Suicide Rates “Christina Caron, The New York Times, September 10, 2021

Healio (9/9, Marabito) reports, “Additional support and flexibility in academia following a loss can foster recovery and may help reduce burnout among health care professionals, according to an opinion piecepublished in JAMA.” Study author Krista Harrison, PhD, said in an interview with Healio that regular rituals, safe spaces at work to honor grief, a workplace culture of acceptance, and grief support groups can help health care workers manage burnout.

Related Links:

— “Q&A: Academia lacks structures to support health care professionals in times of grief “Maria Marabito, Healio, September 9, 2021

The Wall Street Journal (9/9, Armour, Subscription Publication) reports the Biden Administration on Thursday unveiled a plan aimed at cutting prescription drug prices by empowering the federal government to negotiate costs paid by Medicare and pass those potentially reduced costs to the private sector, among other proposals.

CNN (9/9, Luhby) reports HHS’ “29-page plan also backs Congress establishing a cap on what Medicare beneficiaries have to pay out-of-pocket for medication each year and devising efforts to slow price increases over time. And it calls for accelerating the development and use of generic and biosimilar drugs, including shortening manufacturers’ exclusivity period and increasing the prescribing of biosimilar medications by doctors.”

Related Links:

— “Biden Administration Unveils Plan to Cut Prescription-Drug Prices ” Stephanie Armour, The Wall Street Journal, September 9, 2021

Healio (9/9, Keenan) reports, “Adverse mental health symptoms and substance use were more prevalent among U.S. adults with disability than those without before and after the COVID-19 pandemic,” investigators concluded. Utilizing “nonprobability-based internet surveys, the COVID-19 Outbreak Public Evaluation (COPE) Initiative determined factors associated with adverse mental health symptoms and substance use among 5,119 adults with disabilities…between February and March.” The findings were published Aug. 27 in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Related Links:

— “Substance use, adverse mental health symptoms high among adults with disabilities “Julie S Keenan, Healio, September 9, 2021

Healio (9/8, Gramigna) reports research suggests that “sleep durations outside of a normal range worsened amyloid beta burden and cognition, underlining the importance of sleep in older adults,” investigators concluded after analyzing “data of 4,417 participants (59% women; mean age, 71.3 years) of the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s Disease study, which is ongoing in 67 sites across the U.S., Canada, Australia and Japan.” The study revealed “a linear association between self-reported shorter sleep duration and higher amyloid beta burden, as well as an association between short sleep duration and reduced cognition, largely in memory domains.” The findings were published online in JAMA Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Short, long sleep duration worsen older adults’ amyloid beta burden, cognition “Joe Gramigna, Healio, September 8, 2021