Category: mental health

Meth In The Morning, Heroin At Night: Inside The Seesaw Struggle of Dual Addiction

Many users now mix opioids with stimulants like meth and cocaine — and researchers believe opioids kicked off this new stimulant wave.

Drug Users Armed With Naloxone Double As Medics On Streets Of San Francisco

The widespread availability of naloxone, which reverses overdoses, has radically changed the culture of opioid use on the streets, giving drug users a sense of security and inducing them to seek out the more powerful high of the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

Never Say ‘Die’: Why So Many Doctors Won’t Break Bad News

It’s never easy to tell a patient about a terminal illness, but a longtime doctor whose own diagnosis was botched says physicians must do better.

FDA Overlooked Red Flags In Drugmaker’s Testing of New Depression Medicine

In March, a chemical cousin of the anesthetic and club drug ketamine was approved for the treatment of patients with intractable depression. But critics say studies presented to the FDA provided at best modest evidence it worked and did not include information about the safety of the drug, Spravato, for long-term use.

Keeping Kids Healthy And Sane In A Digital World

Children are spending more time on their devices than ever before, despite evidence that excessive screen time puts their minds and bodies at risk. Parents should set limits and stick to them — and also change their own online behavior, experts say.

On Campaign Trail, Joe Biden Highlights Nation’s Lack Of School Psychologists

School psychologists provide the first line of treatment for children with mental health issues. Quantifying the shortage depends on who’s counting.

Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes

Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.

Heat And Violence Pose Twin Threats For Asylum-Seekers Waiting At Border

For Central American migrants who follow U.S. government rules for pursuing asylum, conditions on the Mexican side of the border are sweltering, filled with anxiety and illness. Few people have a clear timetable for when it will get any better.

For Civilians, Finding A Therapist Skilled In PTSD Treatments Is A Tough Task

Many therapists are not familiar with two key treatment options for trauma recommended by the American Psychiatric Association and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Why Missouri’s The Last Holdout On A Statewide Rx Monitoring Program

For the seventh year in a row, Missouri will retain its lonely title as the only state without a statewide prescription drug monitoring program. Fears about privacy violations and gun control scuttled the bill yet again, leaving a pastiche of half-step measures in place to fill the void in the fight against prescription drug abuse.