The Hill (12/17, Kelley) reports, “While deaths related to COVID-19 reach record highs in the U.S., new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that deaths from drug overdoses are accelerating amid the pandemic, signaling the continued emotional strain the pandemic is having on people.” The agency “said that more than 81,000 drug overdose fatalities occurred in the U.S. over the last 12 months, ending in May 2020.” Recently, the American Medical Association (AMA) “documented a similar spike in drug overdose deaths fueled by opioid abuse.” AMA Immediate Past President Patrice A. Harris, M.D., M.A., said, “We are appropriately focused on COVID, it is still top of mind for most people, and it’s understandable that we can lose focus on other issues…but we still have to make sure we are focused on the overdose epidemic that we continue to experience in this country.”

Meanwhile, PatientEngagementHIT (12/17, Heath) reports, “As the opioid overdose epidemic continues to ravage the nation, state leaders need to zero in on strategies that will expand patient access to care and address treatment barriers for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD), according to a new paper from the American Medical Association and Manatt Health.” Dr. Harris said, “Sadly, the drug overdose epidemic continues, and it has become more complicated during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Harris added, “It is long past due for all stakeholders to remove barriers to care and address systemic inequities that have been brought to light during this pandemic. Physicians and other health care professionals will continue to take action, and the AMA is willing to work with all stakeholders to implement these recommendations to prevent future deaths.

Related Links:

— “Drug overdose deaths accelerating due to pandemic: CDC “Alexandra Kelley, The Hill, December 17, 2020

HealthDay (12/17) reports on research finding that “in Maryland, suicide mortality increased among Blacks and decreased among Whites during the progressive closure period [March 5 to May 7, 2020] of the COVID-19 pandemic.” The research included data on “1,079 suicide decedents from 2017 to 2020,” and found that “mean suicide mortality increased among Black residents during” the March to May period from 0.177 per day in 2017 to 2019 to 0.344 per day, while it declined “among White residents (0.672 per day in 2020 versus 1.224 per day in 2017 to 2019).” The findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Suicide Mortality Up for Blacks During Closure Period of COVID-19, HealthDay, December 17, 2020

Psychiatric News (12/17) reports, “Suicide risk is about two times higher in patients with Parkinson’s disease than the general population, even after adjusting for physical and mental comorbidities,” investigators concluded after conducting a “a cohort study using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance data, identifying 35,891 patients who received a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis between 2005 and 2014, with follow-up through 2016.” Next, “each patient with Parkinson’s was matched with four control participants (those who had not been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease), for a total control cohort of 143,577.” The findings were published online Dec. 16 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Parkinson’s Disease Associated With Increased Risk of Suicide, Study Finds, Psychiatric News, December 17, 2020

Healio (12/16, Gramigna) reports, “Cotreatment with benzodiazepine and opioids was linked to increased long-term mortality risk,” researchers concluded after analyzing “data of 5,212 individuals aged 20 years or older who were included in the large, nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys…which were conducted between 1999 and 2015.” The findings were published online Dec. 9 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Benzodiazepine-opioid cotreatment linked to increased long-term mortality risk “Joe Gramigna, Healio , December 16, 2020

MedPage Today (12/16, Hlavinka) reports, “Suicide risk was nearly doubled for patients with Parkinson’s disease compared with the general population,” investigators in Taiwan concluded in a study that included “35,891 Parkinson’s patients.” The study revealed that “overall, the cumulative incidence of suicide during 2005-2016 was 66.6 and 32.3 deaths per 100,000 for the Parkinson’s and control groups.” The findings were published online Dec. 16 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)