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Research tests the effectiveness of a callback program on preventing ER return visits

Can a simple phone call reduce the likelihood that a patient will have to return to the emergency room in the days just after being discharged?

15 Jul 2022

Study finds a drop in percentage of methadone-involved overdose deaths from January 2019 to August 2021

The percentage of methadone-involved overdose deaths relative to all drug overdose deaths declined from January 2019 to August 2021, according to a new study.

13 Jul 2022

Lifestyle factors may be more important than age in determining a person's cognitive function

Individuals with no dementia risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes or hearing loss, have similar brain health as people who are 10 to 20 years younger than them, according to a new Baycrest study. The study found that a single dementia risk factor could reduce cognition by the equivalent of up to three years of aging.

13 Jul 2022

Can AI-chatbots promote health-lifestyle changes?

Researchers discuss the impact of AI chatbot interventions on a wide range of health behaviors.

11 Jul 2022

Digital mental health companies draw scrutiny and growing concerns

When Pat Paulson's son told her he was feeling anxious and depressed at college, Paulson went through her Blue Cross Blue Shield provider directory and started calling mental health therapists.

8 Jul 2022

Culturally-sensitive interventions could be effective in preventing alcohol-related problems in Latino students

Negative consequences from excessive drinking are well-documented, but little is known about how to tailor interventions to prevent problem drinking by Latino college students, the fastest-growing ethnic minority group on U.S. college campuses.

5 Jul 2022

Crowdsourced data on overdoses pinpoints where to help

Men lined up outside the Corner of Hope, a homeless resource center, eyeing free supplies on plastic shelves inside a white van.

5 Jul 2022

SARS-CoV-2 infection may be a trigger of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-associated disorder

A new study reported four cases of Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein-Associated Disorder that commenced after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

21 Jun 2022

Sobering lessons in untying the knot of a homeless crisis

Michelle Farris never expected to become homeless, but here she was, sifting through garbage and towering piles of debris accumulated along a roadway on the outskirts of Northeast Portland.

21 Jun 2022

Adolescents and young adults less likely to get addiction treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic

A study analyzing prescription claims for a drug used to treat opioid addictions found that adolescents and young adults were less likely than usual to get treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially if they were covered by private, commercial health insurance.

17 Jun 2022

Clinical risk and protective factors for the presence and persistence of abdominal pain-related disorders of gut-brain interaction

The current study carries forward what is known about the risk of AP-DGBI conferred by various factors such as sex, infectious gastroenteritis, trauma, abuse, stress, psychological factors, somatic symptoms, family history, smoking, and drug abuse.

17 Jun 2022

The effect on newborns’ health from marijuana use during pregnancy

Researchers assessed the impact of marijuana use on neonatal outcomes.

10 Jun 2022

Dispatching mental health specialists for nonviolent emergencies can be beneficial, study shows

As U.S. cities rethink the role of law enforcement in nonviolent 911 emergencies, new Stanford research uncovers the strongest evidence yet that dispatching mental health professionals instead of police officers in some instances can have significant benefits.

8 Jun 2022

Washington state minorities more likely to suffer fatal opioid overdoses earlier in their lives than whites

While opioid-use cuts across socio-economic boundaries, racial and ethnic minorities in Washington state are more likely to suffer fatal overdoses earlier in their lives than non-Hispanic white residents, according to a recent study.

26 May 2022

The Blackfeet nation’s plight underscores the fentanyl crisis on reservations

As the pandemic was setting in during summer 2020, Justin Lee Littledog called his mom to tell her he was moving from Texas back home to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana with his girlfriend, stepson, and son.

25 May 2022

Treating pediatric psychiatric disorders with psychotropic drugs reduces later substance use disorder risk

One half of psychiatric and substance use disorders start by the age of 18; three-quarters by age 24. While these are concerning statistics, a new study from Massachusetts General Hospital finds that treating psychiatric disorders with psychotropic medications in children and adolescents does not increase the risk of developing substance use, misuse, or substance use disorder (SUD).

19 May 2022

How has COVID-19 affected maternal mental health?

Writing in the journal Reproductive Health, two researchers examine the unexpected impact of the virus on maternal mental health.

15 May 2022

Researchers warn against national strategies for a "new normal" of life with COVID-19

Researchers are warning U.S. leaders and health officials against national strategies for a "new normal" of life with COVID-19.

10 May 2022

National addiction treatment locator has outdated data and other critical flaws

At a psychiatric hospital in Michigan, Dr. Cara Poland's patients were handed a sheet of paper to find follow-up care. The hospital had entered local ZIP codes on a website — run by the nation's top substance use and mental health agency — and printed the resulting list of providers for patients to call.

9 May 2022

Study provides important insights into employee performance while working remotely

A research team from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health found that employee and company resiliency may be enhanced through the opportunity for employees to work remotely during natural disasters and other events that cause workplace displacement.

6 May 2022