There has been a substantial increase over the last 20 years in antipsychotic prescribing among children and adolescents in England — especially among those with autism, an analysis of primary care records from 7.2 million children and adolescents aged 3-18 years shows. “This study demonstrates a trend concerning antipsychotic prescribing in children and adolescents,” study … Read more
There is a concerning lack of follow-up care for young people who experience a mental health crisis, new research suggests. Results from a large database study showed less than half of youth and young adults hospitalized for a psychiatric event received follow-up care within 7 days. The follow-up rate was less than 30% for those … Read more
In light of the alarming increase in mental disorders, members of the Spanish National Health System’s Interterritorial Council (CISNS) approved the 2022-2024 Mental Health Action Plan on May 11. The document, long awaited by professionals in the sector, was launched in coordination with the National Health System’s Mental Health Strategy. The roadmap outlines measures that … Read more
With two years of COVID-19 in the rearview mirror, anxiety among US adults has turned instead toward global events, results from the annual Healthy Minds Poll from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) show. “It’s not surprising that recent events, such as the war in Ukraine, racially motivated mass shootings, or the impacts of climate change, … Read more
Mental health hospitalization rates rose for Canadian children and youth between ages 5 and 24 years in 2020, despite a slight decrease in the overall number of hospital visits, according to new data. Hospitalizations for eating disorders increased significantly, rising nearly 60% for girls between ages 10 and 17 years. “One of the key questions … Read more
Eating disorders are among the most prevalent, disabling, and potentially fatal psychiatric illnesses, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated their burden, with a 15.3% increase in incidence in 2020 compared with previous years.1 This increase was almost difficult among adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa (AN), which is often insidious in onset and more difficult to … Read more
Just days after Russia invaded Ukraine, child and adolescent psychiatrist Dennis Ougrin, MBBS, PhD, and his wife Roxanne Litynska, who are both originally from Lviv, drove their car full of critical cargo from London to Przemyśl — a Polish border town that was experiencing a huge influx of refugees fleeing the war. The vehicle was … Read more