General Mental Health Issues
- Americans see poor mental health as one of the biggest threats to public health, ranking just behind obesity and the long-running opioid epidemic, according to the latest Axios-Ipsos American Health Index. Almost 9 out of 10 people say their own emotional wellbeing is very or somewhat good, but they view mental health issues as a serious societal threat that now outranks access to firearms, cancer, or COVID-19. Read more here.
- Mental illness can cause or worsen obesity, and obesity can cause or worsen mental illness. Jody, an endocrinologist, and Karen, a psychiatrist, know this connection well and have therefore long checked in with each other to help their mutual patients. Until recently, a quick curbside chat would do, asking, “Can I add bupropion if this patient is taking another antidepressant?” or, “What should I use next, if metformin is not helping with weight loss in a patient taking an atypical antipsychotic?” Read more here.
- The New York attorney general’s office is asking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to double down on its warnings and discourage the use of an asthma drug. “The New York Office of the Attorney General writes to encourage the FDA to address the dangers of montelukast, particularly to the most vulnerable population —minor children— and protect all patients from these heartbreaking, unintended side effects,” Darsana Srinivasan, chief of the Office of the Attorney General’s Health Care Bureau, wrote in a letter addressed to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf. Read more here.
Youth Mental Health
- The Florida Republican-led House overwhelmingly passed legislation to create the strictest social media prohibitions in the country by cutting off anyone under age 16 from many platforms, despite some objections from Gov. Ron DeSantis. “Let me tell you what these companies do care about: keeping your kids addicted. Their business model depends on it,” state Rep. Tyler Sirois, a Republican from Merritt Island and co-sponsor of the bill, said on the House floor. Read more here.
The Opioid Crisis and Addiction Issues
- Compared with other patient populations, people who struggle with addiction are at the highest risk of leaving the hospital prematurely. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that patients with opioid use disorder are particularly susceptible to leaving the hospital early. Read more here.
- More than 4 in 10 Americans personally know someone who has died of an overdose, and an estimated 13% of the population have had their lives disrupted as a result, according to a new study in the American Journal of Public Health. With more than 100,000 people dying from overdoses a year, America's drug crisis has undeniably altered millions of lives. However, the study suggests that the epidemic's reach into American life has, if anything, been underestimated. Read more here.
- Oregonians passed a ballot measure in 2020 that created the most liberal drug law in the country, decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs and funneling hundreds of millions of dollars in cannabis taxes to addiction recovery services. Read more here.
- Many North Carolinians are preparing for an onslaught of helpline calls and increased need for addiction treatment surrounding problem gambling, which is being called a public health issue. “We’re ready. We know it’s coming. We understand what’s happened in other states, so that’s helped us prepare ourselves a little bit better,” Amanda Winters, program administrator for the NC Problem Gambling Program, told NC Health News. Read more here.
Gun Safety
- Gun violence in the U.S. is a public health crisis. According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021 was the second consecutive year in which guns were the leading cause of death among American children and teens. That year, nearly 49,000 people died from guns — equivalent to one person every 11 minutes. A report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health showed that gun ownership sharply increases the risk of dying by homicide and suicide. Read more here.
Health Insurance
- The amount of in-network care patients received across different specialties and settings jumped significantly as surprise billing protections took effect, according to a FAIR Health analysis shared first with Axios. The federal No Surprises Act, which shields insured patients from large unexpected medical bills from out-of-network providers, and similar efforts may have also resulted in more providers becoming part of insurers' networks, the data suggests. Read more here.
Gender-Affirming Care and Related Issues
- Congressional Democrats are pushing for more information about the living conditions of transgender inmates in federal prisons and jails amid a spate of lawsuits about alleged civil rights violations, including a refusal to provide gender-affirming care. Available research on transgender inmates is limited to data dating back several years and is not necessarily reflective of today’s conditions. A 2015 study by the National Center for Transgender Equality found that 37 percent of transgender inmate respondents who had been taking hormones prior to incarceration were prohibited from continuing treatment within the past year. Read more here.
- As news broke this week about the death of 16-year-old nonbinary student Nex Benedict, who died after a fight in a school bathroom, crisis calls to an Oklahoma LGBTQ+ support organization more than quadrupled — with 69 percent of callers referencing Benedict. As parents, youth, and the larger community grapple with the news, Lance Preston, the executive director of the Rainbow Youth Project, said he wants queer youth to know they are well-supported in the state. Read more here.
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