The Boston Globe (5/9, Kowalczyk) reports that investigators “posing as the parent of a depressed 12-year-old called hundreds of child psychiatrists and pediatricians looking for appointments, and discovered what many actual parents know through bitter experience: Most of the time the calls were fruitless.” After phoning some 913 physicians listed as in network “by Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations in Boston, Chapel Hill, Houston, Minneapolis, and Seattle,” researchers discovered that “after two attempts, they were able to get an appointment with a pediatrician 40 percent of the time and with a psychiatrist a meager 17 percent.” The findings were published online May 5 in the International Journal of Health Services.

Related Links:

— “Search for mental health care for children is often fruitless,” Liz Kowalczyk, Boston Globe, May 2, 2017.

The Los Angeles Times (5/8, Karlamangla) reports some physicians are referring to their patients to peer support groups to help them cope with chronic diseases that can affect their lifestyles. The article highlights one such group in Los Angeles for patients with diabetes, and points out that the Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recommends peer groups as a way to address concerns that might not be given adequate attention during a short visit with a physician.

Related Links:

— “Doctors turn to the power of peer groups to help diabetics,” Soumya Karlamangla, Los Angeles Times, May 8, 2017.

Healio (5/5, Polhamus) reported that President Trump’s proposed 2018 budget “would all but eliminate funding for the Office of National Drug Control Policy [ONDCP], the agency spearheading the fight against the national opioid epidemic, according to a report from Politico.” As it stands now, “the White House’s budget proposal allots $24 million for fiscal 2018, a 95% decrease from the $388 million in federal funds the office received in 2017.”

Related Links:

— “White House budget proposal slashes funding for drug control office by 95%,” Andy Polhamus, Healio, May 5, 2017.

HealthDay (5/8, Miller) reports that research suggests “a child bullied in fifth grade is more likely to show signs of depression in seventh grade, and abuse substances like alcohol, marijuana or tobacco in 10th grade.” Investigators came to this conclusion after studying approximately 4,000 children. The findings were published in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Bullied in 5th Grade, Prone to Drug Abuse by High School,” Gia Miller, HealthDay, May 8, 2017.

In continuing coverage, the Washington Post (5/8, Andrews) reports in “Morning Mix” that “from 2008 to 2015, the percentage of children ages 5 to 17 hospitalized for suicidal thoughts or actions more than doubled,” researchers found after examining “data on suicidal or self-harm diagnoses from 32 children’s hospitals across” the US. Included in the study were data on some 118,363 instances. The findings were presented at the 2017 Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting.

Related Links:

— “Percentage of teens and young children hospitalized for suicidal thoughts doubled from 2008 to 2015, study finds,” Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, May 8, 2017.