Psychiatric News (2/9) reported, “Taking antidepressants for late-life depression may improve certain aspects of cognitive function, particularly memory and learning, a review and meta-analysis…suggests.” Investigators came to this conclusion after analyzing “data from 22 studies (totaling 3,019 participants) of antidepressant therapy for older adults…with depression that included cognitive testing.” The findings were published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Antidepressants May Help Cognitive Function in Adults With Late-Life Depression, Psychiatric News , February 9, 2024

Reuters (2/8, Sunny) reports that a high-dose version of Hikma Pharmaceuticals’ opioid reversal spray, naloxone, did not improve survival rates compared to lower-dose offerings when administered by New York law enforcement in emergencies, a recent U.S. study finds. The study also indicated that the higher-dose spray led to a greater risk of opioid withdrawal symptoms. The spray was approved in 2021 to counteract potent opioids like fentanyl. The findings were published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The AP (2/8, Stobbe ) reports, “The 8-milligram naloxone spray – twice as potent as the highest dose previously available – was approved two years ago after pressure from experts and patient advocates who noted lower-dose antidotes often were being given multiple times to people suffering overdoses.”

Related Links:

— “High-dose opioid reversal spray no better than lower dose in field, US study finds,”Mariam Sunny, Reuters, February 8, 2024

NBC News (2/8, Edwards ) reports, “Teenagers with suspected substance use problems say they turn to drugs because of a crushing need to relax and escape worries, according to research published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” These results “follow reports of rising anxiety and depression among the nation’s youth, including unprecedented levels of hopelessness.”

CNN (2/8, McPhillips ) reports, “The most common reason that teens said they turned to drugs and alcohol was to feel mellow, calm or relaxed, with nearly three-quarters citing this reason.” But “many other top reasons were related to methods to cope with stress, with 44% saying they use substances to stop worrying about a problem or forget bad memories and 40% said they use substances to help with depression or anxiety.”

Related Links:

— “CDC report finds teens use drugs — often alone — to ease stress and anxiety,”Erika Edwards, NBC News, February 8, 2024

HealthDay (2/8, Thompson ) reports, “Reducing homelessness by 25% could save nearly 2,000 lives lost each year to opioid overdoses, a new study estimates.” Additionally, it “could save 850 lives from alcohol poisoning and 540 from cocaine overdoses, researchers from the University of Georgia estimate.” The results were published in Health Affairs.

Related Links:

— “Cutting U.S. Homelessness by 25% Could Prevent 2,000 Opioid Deaths Each Year,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, February 8, 2024

Healio (2/8, Weldon) reports, “Children living with parents with mental illness were four times as likely to be placed in out-of-home care than their peers, according to findings from a Swedish study published in Pediatrics.” In the study, researchers “found that children living with mentally ill parents were four times as likely to be placed in OHC than children who were not. The groups most at-risk were children aged 0 to 1 year, children exposed to maternal illness and children exposed to parental intellectual disability.”

Related Links:

— “Children living with parental mental illness more likely to be placed in out-of-home care,”Rose Weldon, Healio, February 8, 2024