According to USA Today (5/20, O’Donnell), the US “medical system falls far short of meeting the demand for teen mental health services because cases of suicide and psychiatric disorders are skyrocketing.” In fact, “research from federal regulators and medical groups shows the suicide rate for young people ages 10 to 19 rose by 56% from 2007 to 2016, the latest year for which figures are available.” Despite that, “only 40% of young people with major depression got treatment, according to the National Institute for Mental Health.”

Related Links:

— “Help hard to find for teens struggling with mental health, thoughts of suicide, “Jayne O’Donnell, USA Today, May 20, 2019

Reuters (5/16, Rapaport) reports researchers found “children and teens who are bullied are more than twice as likely as peers who are not victimized to take painkillers.” The findings were published in Acta Paediatrica.

Related Links:

— “Bullied kids more likely to use painkillers, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, May 16, 2019

In a 2,500-word story, Bloomberg (5/16, Koons, Tozzi) reports that “the U.S. is in the midst of a mental health crisis,” and while “the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, a landmark law passed more than a decade ago, requires insurers to provide comparable coverage for mental health and medical treatments,” insurers are said to be “denying claims, limiting coverage, and finding other ways to avoid complying with the law.” Now, “Americans are taking to the courts to address what they see as an intrinsic unfairness.” Bloomberg breaks down its coverage of “America’s Mental Health Crisis” into five sections: The Lawmaker, Ghost Networks, The Advocate, Absent Enforcers, and The Determined Patient.

Related Links:

— “As Suicides Rise, Insurers Find Ways to Deny Mental Health Coverage, ” Cynthia Koons and John Tozzi, Bloomberg, May 16, 2019

Recent reports show a small but growing number of people are taking very high doses of loperamide, an anti-diarrheal medication, in an attempt to self-manage opioid withdrawal or to achieve a euphoric high. At high doses, these individuals may be at risk of severe or fatal cardiac events. Visit LoperamideSafety.org to learn the risks of using loperamide to manage withdrawal.

Related Links:

— “UNDERSTANDING LOPERAMIDE ABUSE

According to Healio (5/15, Demko), “substance-induced psychotic disorder occurred in people at high familial risk for drug and alcohol abuse and a moderate familial vulnerability to psychosis,” research indicated. The findings of the 7,606-participant study were published online May 6 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Substance-induced psychotic disorder may result from drug exposure, liability to psychosis, “Savannah Demko, Healio, May 15, 2019