Psychiatric News (2/8) reports, “On February 2, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration issued a final rule that permanently allows patients to begin treatment with buprenorphine via telehealth.” The new “rule also allows for increased flexibility related to methadone take-home doses, reducing the number of times patients must visit clinics.” APA had advocated for both provisions “to be included in the final rule, arguing that they would improve access to care while reducing stigma and disruptions to patients’ daily lives.” The new “rule goes into effect on April 2, with a compliance deadline of October 2.”

Related Links:

— “Federal Government Makes Telehealth Buprenorphine Prescribing Permanent, Psychiatric News, February 8, 2024

Healio (2/7, Welsh) reports, “Maternity leave duration has a strong positive association with breastfeeding duration for new mothers with disparities observed among different racial/ethnic groups, according to findings published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.” In the systematic review of 23 studies, “all non-review studies found a positive association between increased maternity leave and breastfeeding duration, and 95.2% of studies found a statistically significant relationship between the two variables.”

Related Links:

— “Parents with shorter maternity leave quit breastfeeding sooner,”Erin T. Welsh, Healio, February 7, 2024

Healio (2/7, Weldon) reports, “Around 20% of U.S. child passenger deaths in auto accidents from 1982 through 2020 involved an alcohol-impaired driver – typically the child’s own driver, according to a study” published in Pediatrics. Researchers found that “of the 7,944 child passengers who died in motor vehicle crashes from 2011 to 2020, 22% died in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver with a BAC of 0.08 g/dL or greater. In this subgroup, 64% died while riding in the same vehicle as an impaired driver. Additionally, 69% of impaired drivers survived the crash that killed their child passenger.”

Related Links:

— “1 in 5 child deaths in auto accidents involves alcohol-impaired driver,”Rose Weldon, Healio, February 7, 2024

Psychiatric News (2/7) reports, “Community-dwelling children with schizotypal personality disorder may benefit from dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, according to” research. Investigators found that “in the omega-3 only and omega-3 plus CBT groups, total schizotypy was reduced by 28.0% and 21.3%, respectively, by the end of treatment, and by 25.7% and 36.6%, respectively, at 3 months after treatment.” Meanwhile, “children in both groups showed greater improvement than children in the control group at 3 and 6 months, with the greatest improvements seen in children who reported higher omega-3 intake.” The findings on 290 children were published in Schizophrenia Bulletin.

Related Links:

— “Children With Schizotypal Personality Disorder May Benefit From Dietary Supplementation With Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Research Suggests, Psychiatric News, February 7, 2024

NBC News (2/6, Lovelace ) reports, “More than a year after the Food and Drug Administration announced a nationwide shortage of Adderall, doctors and patients say they are still struggling to get their hands on ADHD medications.” And “despite repeated promises from drugmakers that the supply crunches would be resolved soon, shortages persist and frustration is growing.” High demand, “coupled with drugmakers’ claim that they’re being restricted in how much they can make, has fueled a nationwide shortage, experts say.”

Related Links:

— “‘I’m fed up’: Frustrations grow as ADHD drug shortage continues,”Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, February 6, 2024