Psychiatric News (7/12) reported study results show that youth who took part “in a two-week family intervention to reduce time spent on smartphones and other screen media showed improved behaviors relative to youth that did not participate.” Psychiatric News added, “While acknowledging that ‘more research is needed to confirm whether these effects are sustainable in the long term,’ the study authors noted that this clinical trial data provides a causal link between a reduction in screen time and improvements in psychological symptoms.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Short-Term Digital Break Improves Child Behavior, Study Finds, Psychiatric News, July 12, 2024

The Washington Post (7/13, Blakemore) reported research examined “the reasons young adults give for not drinking, which researchers say could help in crafting public health messaging aimed at reducing alcohol abuse.” Researchers concentrated on 614 individuals who did online surveys regarding their utilization of alcohol. Of the participants, the average age of whom was 21.5, 64.5% were White and 54.2% were male. The leading reasons participants provided for abstaining from consuming alcohol “on a given day were ‘I wasn’t interested in drinking’ (83.4 percent of non-drinking days), followed by ‘I didn’t want to get drunk’ (81.8 percent) and ‘I don’t usually drink on this night of the week’ (58.7 percent, mostly Sunday through Thursday).” The findings were published in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research.

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

mHealthIntelligence (7/10, Vaidya ) reports, “Telemental healthcare service availability has declined since the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), with only 79 percent of mental health treatment facilities offering telehealth after May 2023 compared to 81 percent before then, new research shows.” The study also found “the availability of audio-only telehealth declined from” 49.3% of facilities to 34.1%, “and the availability of telehealth for comorbid mental health and alcohol use disorder declined from” 76.3% of facilities to 66.5%. The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Telemental health service availability declined post-PHE,”Anuja Vaidya, mHealthIntelligence, July 10, 2024

Healio (7/10, Weldon) says, “Adolescents who experienced housing insecurity beginning in infancy reported worse overall health outcomes, including anxiety and depressive symptoms, according to study results.” The study’s “findings indicate a need for screening methods that identify housing insecurity at the start, as well as policies to prevent housing insecurity and associated health outcomes in this population, researchers concluded.” The findings were published in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Unstable housing in childhood associated with anxiety in adolescence,”Rose Weldon, Healio, July 10, 2024

The New York Times (7/9, Abelson, Robbins ) says, “The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday sharply criticized pharmacy benefit managers, saying in a scathing 71-page report that ‘these powerful middlemen may be profiting by inflating drug costs and squeezing Main Street pharmacies.’” FTC Chair Lina Khan “said the agency’s inquiry had shown ‘how dominant pharmacy benefit managers can hike the cost of drugs – including overcharging patients for cancer drugs.’” Khan “went on to say that the agency found evidence of ‘how PBMs can squeeze independent pharmacies that many Americans – especially those in rural communities – depend on for essential care.’”

Reuters (7/9, Aboulenein, Godoy , Wingrove, Niasse) reports, “The consolidation of pharmacies and health insurance companies through years of deal making has led to a handful of pharmacy benefit managers exercising outsized influence over prescription drug prices, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday.” The agency “argues the three biggest PBMs – managing 79% of U.S. prescription drug claims – have greatly enriched themselves at the expense of smaller pharmacies and consumers, according to an interim staff report calling for possible greater regulation.”

The Hill (7/9, Weixel ) says, “Six of the largest PBMs control nearly 95% of all prescriptions, according to the report.”

Related Links:

— “The New York Times (requires login and subscription)