Pulmonology Advisor (4/10, Goldberg) reported a study found that “inhaling marijuana via smoking or vaping is associated with a significantly greater risk for asthma attacks among young adults in the United States.” Researchers observed that “compared with non-marijuana users, individuals who reported using marijuana in the 12 months prior to baseline had greater odds of reporting an asthma attack across the next year. This included those who used electronic products only (odds ratio [OR], 1.81), those who inhaled combustible marijuana products only (OR, 1.64), and those using both electronic and combustible products (OR, 1.57). Notably, for every point higher on the ACT, participants were less apt to report asthma attacks in the next year (OR, 0.91).” The studywas published in Chest.

Related Links:

— “Inhaled Marijuana Use Linked to Increased Asthma Attack Risk in Young Adults,”Ron Goldberg, Pulmonology Advisor, April 10, 2026

Psychiatric News (4/10) reported a study found that “digital addiction among health care professionals was significantly associated with higher rates of anxiety, depression, and stress.” For the study, “researchers surveyed 371 health professionals from two hospitals in Turkey.” The participants used digital devices “an average of 4.4 hours per day, with 65% using them for social media platforms.” Researchers observed that “higher digital addiction scores were associated with more loneliness, anxiety, depression, and stress. Duration of digital device use was the strongest predictor of digital addiction. Similarly, higher loneliness scores were associated with higher digital addiction scores and more hours spent on digital devices. Together, loneliness and digital addiction explained 21% to 23% of the variance in anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms among participants.” The study was published in BMC Psychology.

Related Links:

— “Digital Addiction Associated With Depression, Anxiety Among Clinicians, Psychiatric News , April 10, 2026

The Washington Post (4/9, Cha) reports, “A growing body of research links heavy social media use not only to declines in mental health but to measurable cognitive effects – on attention, memory and focus – that in some studies resemble accelerated aging.” However, “science also suggests we have more control than we realize when it comes to reversing this damage, and the solution is surprisingly simple: Take a break.” In a study“published in PNAS Nexus and involving more than 467 participants with an average age of 32, even a short time” without Internet access on their phones “produced striking results – effectively erasing a decade of age-related cognitive decline.” The study participants’ “time online decreased from 314 minutes to 161 minutes, and by the end of the period the participants had improvements in sustained attention, mental health as well as self-reported well-being.”

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (4/9) reports a study found that patients with mental illness “who have severe symptoms or a co-occurring substance use disorder can benefit just as well as their peers from supported employment programs like individual placement services (IPS).” The researchers “analyzed employment trajectories among 1,656 participants in a randomized controlled trial of enhanced IPS services that measured employment, health, and quality-of-life outcomes over three years.” They observed that “individuals who had a history of employment and/or higher educational attainment were much more likely to experience a positive work trajectory (going from low to high employment or staying consistently high). In contrast, individuals approved for disability benefits were more likely to have consistently low employment.” The researchers concluded “that policy and programmatic efforts should focus on early, sustained educational and vocational support, particularly for youths with mental disorders.” The study was published in Psychiatric Services.

Related Links:

— “Psychiatric Symptom Severity or Presence of SUD Doesn’t Limit Success of Employment Services, Psychiatric News, April 9, 2026

HealthDay (4/7, Thompson) reports a study found that “preschool and kindergarten kids with up to a half-hour daily of unsupervised screen time wind up with poorer communication skills and a lower vocabulary.” According to researchers, “kids who averaged 10 to 30 minutes of solitary screen time a day tended to have worse language skills and were more apt to have problems with their conduct and emotions.” They noted that young children “pick up language from in-person interactions,” and that “video screens simply can’t replace the language exposure and social experience kids gain when they play and engage with peers.” The study was published in Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology.

Related Links:

— “Preschoolers’ Solitary Screen Time Could Mean Behavior Problems, Language Difficulties Later On,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, April 7, 2026