CNN (2/2, Marples) reports a study by the Harvard School of Dental Medicine found “34% of adults ages 18 to 25 misused their psychoactive medications,” which include “opioids, stimulants, tranquilizers and sedatives.” The analysis of “surveys of U.S. youth and young adults taken between 2015 and 2018” also found “over 20% of youth ages 12 to 17 who took psychoactive medications were also found to be misusing these drugs.” The findings were published Tuesday in the British Medical Journal.

Related Links:

— “Over one-third of young adults misuse psychoactive medications, study says “Megan Marples, Megan Marples, February 2, 2021

Healio (2/2, Downey) reports, “Cannabis use disorder was associated with self-harm, all-cause mortality, unintentional overdose death and homicide among youth with mood disorders,” investigators concluded after examining data on “204,780 youths aged between 10 and 24 years with a diagnosis of a mood disorder between July 1, 2010, and Dec. 31, 2017.” The findings were published online Jan. 19 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Cannabis use disorder a risk marker for self-harm among youths with mood disorders “Ken Downey Jr., Healio, February 2, 2021

NPR (2/2, Chatterjee) reports, “An abrupt spike in suicide deaths among students in the Clark County School District has officials in the Las Vegas district wondering if pressures brought on by the coronavirus pandemic might have been part of what fueled” that rise. NPR talked to medical professionals “at hospitals in seven states across the country, and all of them reported a similar trend: More suicidal children are coming to their hospitals – in worse mental states.” Meanwhile, psychiatrists and other physicians “who work with children say the pandemic has created a perfect storm of stressors for kids,” exacerbating “an ongoing children’s mental health crisis.”

Related Links:

— “Child Psychiatrists Warn That The Pandemic May Be Driving Up Kids’ Suicide Risk “Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, February 2, 2021

The New York Times (2/1, Blinder) reports, “College football players sustained far more concussions during practices than they did in games,” research indicates.

MedPage Today (2/1, George) reports, “College football players were more likely to have concussions and head hits during practices and preseason training rather than regular season play,” investigators concluded in “an observational study of National Collegiate Athletic Association…Division I players.” The study revealed that “in six NCAA teams across five pre-pandemic seasons, 72% of concussions and 67% of head impacts occurred during practices,” and “roughly half of all concussions occurred during preseason training, even though preseason training represented just 21% of the whole season.” The findings were published online in a brief report in JAMA Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Football Practices Pose More Concussion Risk Than Games, Study Suggests “Alan Blinder, The New York Times, February 1, 2021

NPR (1/29, Mann) reported President Biden is facing criticism for his handling of the ongoing opioid epidemic, which has received less attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some critics have pointed to his decision to delay guidelines that would have eased access to buprenorphine as a misstep.

Related Links:

— “With Biden Team Focused On Other Crises, Experts Say Drug Epidemic Is Exploding “Brian Mann , NPR, January 29, 2021