The Washington Post (1/25, Searing) reports a record 81,230 people died from drug overdoses in the US “in the 12 months ending last May,” according to a CDC report. Drug overdose deaths increased 18% “from the previous year, with increases recorded in 46 states (by more than 20 percent in 25 of those states) and just four states recording a decrease.”

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Healio (1/21, Schaffer) reports, “Low thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH] levels are positively associated with incident depression, particularly among women, and even among euthyroid adults,” investigators concluded after analyzing “baseline TSH and free thyroxine levels from 11,986 participants in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health.” The findings were published online Jan. 1 in the journal Clinical Endocrinology.

Related Links:

— “Low TSH levels associated with incident depression among women “Regina Schaffer, Healio, January 21, 2021

Psychiatric News (1/21) reports, “There was a fivefold increase in methamphetamine overdose deaths from 2011 to 2018 among U.S. adults aged 25 to 54, with American Indians and Alaska Natives experiencing the highest death rates,” investigators concluded after gathering “deidentified public health surveillance data on methamphetamine-related deaths from 2011 to 2018 from the National Vital Statistics System,” then limiting “their analysis to individuals between 25 and 54 years old, as national data show that four-fifths of people who use methamphetamines are within this age group.” The findings were published online Jan. 20 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Study Points to Methamphetamine Crisis Among American Indians, Alaska Natives, Psychiatric News, January 21, 2021

CNN (1/20, LaMotte) reports, “Heavy use of marijuana by teens and young adults with mood disorders – such as depression and bipolar disorder – is linked to an increased risk of self-harm, suicide attempts and death,” investigators concluded in a study that used “Ohio Medicare data to identify both cannabis use disorder and self-harm attempts and outcomes in youth between the ages of 10 and 24 years old.” The findings were published online Jan. 19 in JAMA Pediatrics.

HealthDay (1/20, Preidt) also covers the study.

Related Links:

— “Marijuana abuse by youth with mood disorders linked to suicide attempts, self-harm and death, study finds “Sandee LaMotte, CNN, January 20, 2021

Modern Healthcare (1/20, Brady, Subscription Publication) reports that “President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed several executive orders that would impact the healthcare industry.” The President, “in addition to several actions to address the COVID-19 pandemic…ordered federal agencies to review and possibly revise policies to advance racial equity and prevent and combat discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.

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— “Modern Healthcare (Requires Subscription), January 20, 2021