The Week in Review: February 5-9

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This week, Psychiatric Times® discussed a wide variety of psychiatric issues and industry updates, from pain and suicidality in patients with depression to digital mental health interventions for adolescents with eating disorders.

HHS Announces $28 Million in Grant Funding for Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services

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The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced the launch of 2 grant programs through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) intended to expand substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services.

These initiatives are specifically aimed at helping pregnant and postpartum individuals, as well as individuals involved in adult and family treatment drug courts. An estimated 5% of individuals consume 1 or more addictive substances during pregnancy, according to the National Institute on Drug Use, and the more than 4000 drug courts currently in operation are estimated to help reduce recidivism in participants by up to 40%. Continue Reading

Digital Mental Health Interventions for Eating Disorders Among Adolescents

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A new study highlighted the efficacy of collaborative care digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) in indirectly managing eating disorder symptoms among adolescents.

Investigators analyzed 689 adolescents aged 13 to 17 who initiated mental health care with Bend Health between January 1st, 2023, and October 1st, 2023; engaged in at least 1 session with a coach or therapist during the study period; and finished the eating behaviors assessment before baseline. Results showed that 61.4% of adolescents with disordered eating behaviors at baseline showed significant improvements in those behaviors after a median of 2.23 months in care; longer durations of care resulted in larger improvements in disordered eating behaviors. Continue Reading

Serotonin System Degeneration Mapped in Mild Cognitive Impairment

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A reduction in serotonin transporter (5-HTT) in parts of the brain involved with executive function, emotion, and memory has been detected in persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

In a new study comparing a group with MCI to healthy, age-matched controls, this marker of serotonin system degeneration in those with MCI and cortical deposition of amyloid-ß were both correlated with cognitive impairment associated with progression to Alzheimer disease (AD). Although the investigators emphasize that correlation of lower serotonin transporter levels with the development of MCI does not show causation, it does suggest a potential therapeutic role for serotonergic medication in early, preclinical stages of AD. Continue Reading

Psychological Pain and Suicidality in Patients With Depression

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MDD is associated with an increased risk of suicide, so, identifying risk factors for and predictors of suicide in this patient population is crucial. Psychological pain (psychache) is an important factor in understanding suicide.

Psychological pain is characterized by intense feelings of shame, humiliation, anguish, despair, loneliness, and dread, as well as feelings of failure, abandonment, and belief that the pain is irreversible. Suicide may be viewed as the only means of escaping psychological pain that exceeds an individual’s threshold of tolerance. Continue Reading

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