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Damage to children’s education — and their health — could last a lifetime

Before the pandemic, 16-year-old Na'ryen Cayou had everything he needed. He had his own room. A partial scholarship to a boys' prep school. A spot playing trombone in the marching band, performing in parades all over New Orleans.

1 Jul 2021

Collaborative care works effectively in treating patients with depression, anxiety and pain

With the growing prevalence of chronic pain, depression, anxiety, and other symptom-based conditions, physicians and the healthcare systems for which they work are increasingly considering how to augment the care they can provide within the limited time allotted for patient appointments.

29 Jun 2021

Sleep-wake behavior predicts mental health resilience during COVID-19

Now, a group of researchers from the USA and Australia has collaborated on a study analyzing objective sleep-wake data and the effect of COVID-19 on the mental health of adults in the USA.

25 Jun 2021

Black and Hispanic Americans suffer most in biggest US decline in life expectancy since WWII

Although James Toussaint has never had covid, the pandemic is taking a profound toll on his health.

24 Jun 2021

NIH study suggests link between cannabis use and suicidality in young adults

An analysis of survey data from more than 280,000 young adults ages 18-35 showed that cannabis (marijuana) use was associated with increased risks of thoughts of suicide (suicidal ideation), suicide plan, and suicide attempt.

22 Jun 2021

Hospitals, insurers invest big dollars to tackle patients’ social needs

When doctors at a primary care clinic here noticed many of its poorest patients were failing to show up for appointments, they hoped giving out free rides would help.

22 Jun 2021

Proven treatment for psychosis has been recognized as standard of care

Most people with a serious mental illness like schizophrenia will not obtain adequate care. Many end up in correctional facilities on medication or become homeless.

18 Jun 2021

LSU Health New Orleans Nursing receives HRSA grant to improve mental and behavioral health care

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing a $1.25 million grant over five years to improve access to mental and behavioral health care.

14 Jun 2021

In mental health crises, a 911 call now brings a mixed team of helpers — and maybe no cops

By the time Kiki Radermacher, a mental health therapist, arrived at a Missoula, Montana, home on an emergency 911 call in late May, the man who had called for help was backed into a corner and yelling at police officers.

14 Jun 2021

New open-source tool designed to predict drug overdose mortality in the U.S.

For two decades, the number of Americans who die each year from drug overdoses has steadily risen, from less than 20,000 in 1999 to more than 80,000 in 2020.

10 Jun 2021

Suicide prevention efforts among a 'hidden population' living in public housing

New research suggests that African American families living in public housing are a "hidden population" when it comes to national suicide prevention efforts.

5 Jun 2021

Number of specialty behavioral health establishments have increased but more work needs to be done

The number of specialty behavioral health establishments, their workforce and their wages have increased steadily between 2011 and 2019, according to a new study by Indiana University and University of Michigan researchers.

2 Jun 2021

Methamphetamine users more susceptible to have medical, mental, and substance use issues

People who use methamphetamine are nearly twice as likely to have medical multimorbidity, and over three times as likely to have a mental illness.

2 Jun 2021

Opioids like ‘lean’ permeate hip-hop culture, but dangers are downplayed

Nykerrius Williams knows about the close relationship between hip-hop and opioid use. Williams, 27, an independent rapper from Gibsland, Louisiana, who goes by the name Young Nyke, took oxycodone pills for the first time when he was 16 and has continued patterns of misuse of those pills, as well as Lortabs, Xanax and codeine cough syrups, until recently. To him, it's part of the business.

28 May 2021

Popular television shows can bolster teenagers' mental health

Popular television shows and movies can bolster teenagers' mental health and help them cope with bullying, sexual assault, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse and depression when these issues are depicted with empathy and appropriate resources are provided, a report published by UCLA's Center for Scholars and Storytellers shows.

26 May 2021

Connecticut's MAT programs have higher-than-average patient retention rates

Medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, is an important tool in the ongoing fight against opioid use dependence in the United States.

19 May 2021

Novel CBD analog alleviates pain in mouse model of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy

For patients with chronic pain, ineffective treatments, lowered work productivity, and other factors often coalesce, fueling feelings of hopelessness and anxiety and setting the stage for even bigger problems, including substance use disorders.

5 May 2021

Juvenile incarceration does not reduce the probability of future convictions

Harsh prison sentences for juvenile crimes do not reduce the probability of conviction for violent crimes as an adult, and actually increase the propensity for conviction of drug-related crimes, finds a new study by economists at UC Riverside and the University of Louisiana.