New data suggests that in general, antipsychotics are not associated with any increased risk of congenital malformations in a growing fetus, new data show. Dr Krista Huybrechts Overall, the findings suggest that antipsychotics are “not major teratogens and are therefore generally reassuring for women who require treatment with antipsychotics during pregnancy,” study investigator Krista Huybrechts, … Read more
Drug overdose deaths in pregnant and postpartum women rose by about 81% from 2017 to 2020, researchers report in a JAMA research letter published online Dec. 6. Pregnancy-associated overdose deaths were highest in 2020 as the COVID pandemic began, according to the researchers, Emilie Bruzelius, MPH, and Silvia S. Martins, MD, PHD, with the department … Read more
The Medicare and Medicaid programs spent more than $18 billion over 3 years on medications for which there was no proof of a significant clinical benefit, a new federal report shows. On Tuesday, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health and Human Services released an initial take on its ongoing … Read more
A new report shines a light on the toll the pandemic and other stressors have taken on the mental health of US children and adolescents over the last 6 years. The report shows a dramatic increase in use of acute care services for depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions, especially among teens and preteens. … Read more
Half of US counties have no access to a suicide intervention team, including those with the highest suicide rates, a timely new analysis shows. As of July 16, Americans experiencing a mental health crisis can call the federally mandated 988 national suicide lifeline to be connected to services and counselors. “Authorizing 988 provides needed support … Read more
An analysis at a large academic health system suggests that universal screening might help to reduce problematic disparities in depression treatment. The study began soon after the US Preventive Services Task Force recommended depression screening for all adults in 2016. The task force based this recommendation on evidence that people who are screened and treated … Read more
“People don’t think about schizophrenia when they think about HIV,” Christina Mangurian, MD, professor of clinical psychiatry and vice chair for diversity and health equity at the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF), told Medscape Medical News. The problem is complicated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, … Read more