General Mental Health Articles
- Florida’s new social media law limiting access for kids goes into effect in January — the same time, TikTok could go on the chopping block for what federal officials say are national security concerns. When it comes to social media, Josette Sullins, the founder and CEO of dehp Integrative Care in Arizona, said that it can be positive for some and a driver of depression or anxiety for others. Read more here.
Youth Mental Health
- Teen drug use hasn’t rebounded from its drop during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the results from a large annual national survey. About two-thirds of twelfth graders this year said they hadn’t used alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, or e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days. That’s the largest proportion abstaining since the annual survey started measuring abstinence in 2017. Read more here.
Military Mental Health
- The number of veterans who died by suicide in 2022 -- nearly 18 per day -- remained steady from the previous year but was down from a peak in 2018, with "encouraging" signs of progress among women and younger veterans, Veterans Affairs officials said. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs' two-part 2024 annual suicide prevention report, 6,407 veterans died by suicide in 2022, compared with 6,404 in 2021, a rate of roughly 34.7 per 100,000. Read more here.
- A program designed to educate veterans on the various treatments for mental health conditions actually hindered access to medical care and contributed to the underuse of six therapists at a Georgia Veterans Affairs clinic, a Department of Veterans Affairs investigation found. The VA's Office of Inspector General found evidence that the Hinesville VA Outpatient Clinic did not adequately manage its Choose My Therapy program, which informs patients of the different types of available care. Read more here.
The Opioid Crisis and Addiction Issues
- Across the country, many leading law enforcement officials remain hostile to buprenorphine and methadone, another highly effective addiction medication, denying a uniquely vulnerable population access to high-quality care amid the worst drug epidemic in the country’s history. Read more here.
- Heroin use among people who also use fentanyl appears to have seen a "dramatic" rise in the span of just a few months, particularly in the western U.S., according to new data from specialty lab Millennium Health provided first to Axios. The data suggests a rapid reversal in drug use trends and reflects a shift amid reports that fentanyl is currently in short supply in the U.S., said Eric Dawson, Millenium's vice president of clinical affairs. Read more here.
Health Insurance
- U.S. spending on hospital care grew at its fastest clip in more than three decades last year, according to a new federal analysis of health expenditures. Higher demand for medical procedures, including more Medicare patients receiving outpatient care, helped drive a 10.4% year-over-year spending surge on hospitals while prices for services remained relatively stable. The increase was the highest recorded since 1990. Read more here.
- Just over a third of U.S. psychologists say they don't accept any type of health insurance, according to the American Psychological Association's latest annual provider survey. The lack of mental health professionals in insurer networks can make it difficult for Americans to access counseling or other behavioral care. Read more here.
- Democrats are pessimistic that Congress will enact new rules around the health insurance industry, even as they try to appear responsive to growing calls for reform following the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. While politicians have roundly condemned the violence, the apparent assassination has exposed the deep cynicism with which much of the public, on the right and the left, sees the insurance industry. Read more here.
Gender-Affirming Care
- Should American states be allowed to ban puberty blockers for teenagers with gender dysphoria? That issue is currently being considered by the Supreme Court, which recently heard oral arguments about a Tennessee law restricting medical transition by minors. The Biden administration and the ACLU have sued to block the law. Read more here.
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