National trends and correlates of treatment resistance in major depressive episode and associated suicidal ideation and behaviors among adults in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To examine recent 12-year trends in prevalence of suicidal ideation and behaviors (SIBs) among US adults experiencing a past-year treatment-resistant depression (TRD). METHODS: Using data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health, we estimated the annual percentage of individuals aged ≥18 with TRD who reported past-year SIBs, and estimated linear trends adjusting for potentially confounding factors from 2009 to 2020. RESULTS: Of estimated 237.5 million US adults, 7.1 % met diagnostic criteria for a past-year major depressive episode (MDE) between 2009 and 2020. Of these, 9.7 % met criteria for TRD. The proportion reporting past-year suicidal ideation in TRD ranged from 39.5 % (95 % confidence interval [CI], 32.1-47.3 %) in 2009-2010 to 43.4 % (95 % CI, 36.7-503 %) in 2019-2020, with an average annual percent change (AAPC) of 1.3 % (95 % CI, -0.7 % to 3.3 %). The prevalence of past-year suicide attempts in TRD was 7.3 % across the study period (AAPC, 0.1 %; 95 % CI, -4.3 % to 4.7 %). Past-year SIBs were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of meeting criteria for TRD among adults with MDE (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.53; 95 % CI, 1.35-1.75 for suicidal ideation; AOR, 2.17; 95 % CI, 1.79-2.62 for suicide attempts). No significant differences were observed between 2019 and 2020, reflecting the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: Among individuals with TRD, proportions of SIBs are high. These findings underscore an urgent need for suicide prevention efforts in this high-risk population, including preventive services across diverse settings and accessibility to evidence-based pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions.

Association of mental health related quality of life and other factors with treatment seeking for substance use disorders: A comparison of SUDs rooted in legal, partially legal, and illegal substances.

The association of subjective mental health-related quality of life (MHRQOL) and treatment use among people experiencing common substance use disorders (SUDs) is not known. Furthermore, the association of a given substance's legal status with treatment use has not been studied. This work aims determine the association of MHRQOL with SUD treatment use, and how substance legal status modulates this relationship. Our analysis used nationally-representative data from the NESARC-III database of those experiencing past-year SUDs (n = 5,808) to compare rates of treatment use and its correlates among three groups: those with illicit substance use disorders (ISUDs); those with partially legal substance use disorders, i.e., cannabis use disorder (CUD); and those with fully legal substance use disorders, i.e., alcohol use disorder (AUD). Survey-weighted multiple regression analysis was used to assess the association of MHRQOL with likelihood of treatment use among these three groups, both unadjusted and adjusted for sociodemographic, behavioral, and diagnostic factors. Adults with past-year ISUDs were significantly more likely to use treatment than those with CUD and AUD. Among those with ISUDs, MHRQOL had no significant association with likelihood of treatment use. Those with past-year CUD saw significant negative association of MHRQOL with treatment use in unadjusted analysis, but not after controlling for diagnostic and other behavioral health factors. Those with past-year AUD had significant negative association of MHRQOL with treatment use in both unadjusted and adjusted analysis. If legalization and decriminalization continue, there may be a greater need for effective public education and harm reduction services to address this changing SUD landscape.

Sleep disturbance and suicidal ideation among youth with depression.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbance may exacerbate the risk of suicide among youth with depression, but whether this association is independent of psychopathology requires further study. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 576 youths (13-25 years old) recruited from January 2022 to May 2023. The patients were first divided into two groups by the presence of suicidal ideation according to the Columbia-Suicide Severity Scale (C-SSRS). Sleep quality was assessed by the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and mental health with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA). Logistic regression was conducted to analyze the association between sleep disturbance and suicidal ideation, adjusted for depressive symptoms severity. RESULTS: The suicidal ideation group exhibited more severe sleep disturbances, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms than the non-suicidal ideation group. Pearson correlation showed that sleep disturbance (AIS) was significantly correlated with the severity of anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the AIS factor "daytime dysfunction" (ß = 0.145; OR = 1.156, 95 % CI: 1.02, 1.309; p = 0.023) was significantly associated with suicidal ideation after adjusting for demographic characteristics and depressive symptoms severity. LIMITATIONS: Due to the cross-sectional nature of the data, no causal inference can be made regarding the observed associations between sleep disturbance and suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: Sleep disturbance, particularly in the realm of daytime dysfunction, is associated with increased suicidal ideation among depressed youth. Clinicians need to assess and manage sleep disturbance in the context of suicidal ideation for young depression patients.

Receipt of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Outpatient Settings in a National Sample of Privately Insured Patients With Mood Disorders.

PURPOSE: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), an effective treatment for bipolar and major depressive disorder, is underused. Little information is available on use of ECT in potentially less costly outpatient settings, possibly reducing cost barriers. METHODS: Insurance claims from the 2008 to 2017 MarketScan Commercial Database for patients diagnosed with mood disorders were used to compare 4 groups of ECT users in each year: those receiving (1) exclusively outpatient ECT, (2) first inpatient and subsequently outpatient, (3) outpatient and subsequently inpatient, and (4) exclusively inpatient ECT. Groups were compared on the proportion receiving ECT in each group over time as well as on the total numbers of treatments received along with group differences in sociodemographic and diagnostic characteristics and health care costs. RESULTS: Among 2.9 million patients diagnosed with mood disorders, the proportion who received ECT (n = 8859) was small (0.30%) and declined over the decade to 0.17%. Among those who received ECT, most did so exclusively as outpatients (52.3%), the group with fewest comorbidities and lowest costs. This proportion increased by 19.7% over the decade, whereas the proportion receiving ECT exclusively in an inpatient setting (12.1%) fell by 30.6%. The total number of treatments per patient averaged 11.7 per year and increased by 28.0% over the decade, with outpatients decreasing to slightly less than average. Health care costs were greatest for those who started ECT as inpatients. CONCLUSIONS: Although the proportion of privately insured patients receiving ECT in outpatient settings has increased, reducing cost barriers, the use of ECT continued to be extremely limited and declining.

Correlates of Past Childhood Homelessness in a Nationally Representative Sample of US Adults.

ABSTRACT: Limited empirical data have been available on the adult sequelae of childhood homelessness. Using nationally representative data from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions-III, we compared a hierarchy of adults who were never homeless, those who were only homeless as children, and those who were homeless both as children and adults, hypothesizing greater adversity as one moved up the three-level hierarchy on sociodemographic, behavioral, and lifetime mental health diagnostic characteristics. As a further evaluation of the status of adults who were homeless as both children and adults, we compared this highest risk group to those who had been homeless only as adults. Individuals who experienced childhood homelessness were 46.9 times more likely than others to also experience adult homelessness. Testing the hierarchical hypothesis, compared with those who were never homeless, individuals who experienced homelessness only as children reported numerous associated disadvantages, including childhood sexual abuse/neglect, parental adversities, adult incarceration, psychiatric disorders, and low academic achievement/employment. Those reporting both child and adult homelessness, in contrast to childhood homelessness alone, additionally met the criteria for multiple substance use disorders, confirming our hierarchical hypothesis. Those reporting both child and adult homelessness also showed more numerous social and psychiatric problems when compared with those experiencing homelessness for the first time as adults. This study demonstrates how homelessness in childhood is associated with extensive social and psychiatric adversities in both childhood and adulthood.

Prevalence and correlates of suicide risk among non-psychiatric inpatients in a general hospital in China.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the suicide risk and mental health status of non-psychiatric inpatients in general hospital and explore the risk factors of suicide. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted at a tertiary general hospital in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. On-line assessment of mental health status and suicide was completed at admission and discharge. We assessed depression, anxiety, insomnia and suicide of inpatients and binary logistics regression was used to examine the risk factors of suicide. RESULTS: From April 1, 2021 and January 31, 2022, 3685 inpatients were included. The detection rates of depression, anxiety and insomnia were 14.6 %, 9.0 % and 17.8 %, respectively. There were 2.7 % of inpatients at suicide risk. Binary logistics regression demonstrated that the inpatients with anxiety were at higher risk of suicide. LIMITATIONS: (1) Single-center study limits the generalization of conclusion, (2) low response rate at discharge. CONCLUSIONS: The comorbidity of physical illnesses and mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, and suicide among non-psychiatric patients in general hospital was common. An assessment of anxiety may help identify individuals at high suicide risk. Medical staff in general hospitals should be trained to improve their ability to identify mental disorders and high-risk individuals for suicide, provide timely interventions and effectively reduce the suicide risk of patients.

Efficacy and safety of ketamine-assisted electroconvulsive therapy in major depressive episode: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To meta-analyze clinical efficacy and safety of ketamine compared with other anesthetic agents in the course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in major depressive episode (MDE). METHODS: PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, GoogleScholar, and US and European trial registries were searched from inception through May 23, 2023, with no language limits. We included RCTs with (1) a diagnosis of MDE; (2) ECT intervention with ketamine and/or other anesthetic agents; and (3) measures included: depressive symptoms, cognitive performance, remission or response rates, and serious adverse events. Network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed to compare ketamine and 7 other anesthetic agents. Hedges' g standardized mean differences (SMDs) were used for continuous measures, and relative risks (RRs) were used for other binary outcomes using random-effects models. RESULTS: Twenty-two studies were included in the systematic review. A total of 2322 patients from 17 RCTs were included in the NMA. The overall pooled SMD of ketamine, as compared with propofol as a reference group, was -2.21 (95% confidence interval [CI], -3.79 to -0.64) in depressive symptoms, indicating that ketamine had better antidepressant efficacy than propofol. In a sensitivity analysis, however, ketamine-treated patients had a worse outcome in cognitive performance than propofol-treated patients (SMD, -0.18; 95% CI, -0.28 to -0.09). No other statistically significant differences were found. CONCLUSIONS: Ketamine-assisted ECT is tolerable and may be efficacious in improving depressive symptoms, but a relative adverse impact on cognition may be an important clinical consideration. Anesthetic agents should be considered based on patient profiles and/or preferences to improve effectiveness and safety of ECT use.

Are opioids effective analgesics and is physiological opioid dependence benign? Revising current assumptions to effectively manage long-term opioid therapy and its deprescribing.

A re-examination of clinical principles of long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) for chronic pain is long overdue amid the ongoing opioid crisis. Most patients on LTOT report ineffectiveness (poor pain control, function and health) but still find deprescribing challenging. Although prescribed as analgesics, opioids more likely provide pain relief primarily through reward system actions (enhanced relief and motivation) and placebo effect and less through antinociceptive effects. The unavoidable physiologic LTOT dependence can automatically lead to a paradoxical worsening of pain, disability and medical instability (maladaptive opioid dependence) without addiction due to allostatic opponent neuroadaptations involving reward/antireward and nociceptive/antinociceptive systems. This opioid-induced chronic pain syndrome (OICP) can persist/progress whether LTOT dose is maintained at the same level, increased, decreased or discontinued. Current conceptualization of LTOT as a straightforward long-term analgesic therapy appears incongruous in view of the complex mechanisms of opioid action, LTOT dependence and OICP. LTOT can be more appropriately conceptualized as therapeutic induction and maintenance of an adaptive LTOT dependence for functional improvement irrespective of analgesic benefits. Adaptive LTOT dependence should be ideally used for a limited time to achieve maximum functional recovery and deprescribed while maintaining functional gains. Patients on LTOT should be regularly re-evaluated to identify if maladaptive LTOT dependence with OICP has diminished any functional gains or leads to ineffectiveness. Ineffective LTOT (with maladaptive LTOT dependence) should be modified to make it safer and more effective. An adequately functional life without opioids is the ideal healthy long-term goal for both LTOT initiation and LTOT modification.

Monotonic Association of Increasing Past-Year Substance Use Disorder across a Four-Level Trauma Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Hierarchy in a Nationwide Sample.

OBJECTIVE: There is limited information on the differences in the association of substance use disorders (SUD) with four clinically relevant hierarchical groups based on trauma exposure and its consequences (1-no trauma; 2-trauma but no PTSD; 3-remitted PTSD; and 4-current PTSD). METHODS: Among adults enrolled in a large nationally representative survey, the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions Wave III (NESARC III), we compared differences in SUD prevalence between each of the hierarchical trauma group and the prior group adjusting for potentially confounding factors. RESULTS: Unadjusted results show that each increase in the hierarchy was associated with a greater likelihood of SUD diagnoses, even after adjusting for potentially confounding variables. However, after adjusting for covariates, comparison of adults with past to those with current PTSD showed persistence of SUD indicators. CONCLUSION: SUD prevalence increased substantially with trauma exposure even without PTSD and monotonically increased further with past and current PTSD, respectively, illustrating the differential effect of the clinical consequences of trauma.

Emergency Department Use Among Recently Homeless Adults in a Nationally Representative Sample.

Introduction: In this study we examined the association of homelessness and emergency department (ED) use, considering social, medical, and mental health factors associated with both homelessness and ED use. We hypothesized that social disadvantage alone could account for most of the association between ED use and homelessness. Methods: We used nationally representative data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC-III). Emergency department use within the prior year was categorized into no use (27,674; 76.61%); moderate use (1-4 visits: 7,972; 22.1%); and high use (5 or more visits: 475; 1.32%). We used bivariate analyses followed by multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analyses to identify demographic, social, medical, and mental health characteristics associated with ED use. Results: Among 36,121 respondents, unadjusted logistic regression showed prior-year homelessness was strongly associated with moderate and high prior-year ED use (odds ratio [OR] 2.31 and 7.34, respectively, P < 0.001). After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, the associations of homelessness with moderate/high ED use diminished (adjusted OR [AOR] 1.27 and 1.62, respectively, both P < 0.05). Adjusting for medical/mental health variables, alone, similarly diminished the association between homelessness and moderate/high ED use (AOR 1.26, P < .05 and 2.07, P < 0.001, respectively). In a final stepwise model including social and health variables, homelessness was no longer significantly associated with moderate or high ED use in the prior year. Conclusion: After adjustment for social disadvantage and health problems, we found no statistically significant association between homelessness and ED use. The implications of our findings suggest that ED service delivery must address both health issues and social factors.

Characterization of quality of life among individuals with current treated, untreated, and past alcohol use disorder.

Background: Understanding health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among those who seek treatment for their alcohol use disorder (AUD) and those not seeking AUD treatment is critical to decreasing morbidity and mortality, yet HRQOL in these groups has been little characterized.Objectives: Characterize HRQOL among those who meet diagnostic criteria for AUD, both receiving and not receiving treatment.Methods: This analysis used the NESARC-III database (n = 36,309; female = 56.3%), a nationally representative survey of US adults, to compare four groups: those treated for current AUD; those untreated for current AUD; those with past AUD only; and those who never met criteria for AUD. Multiple regression analysis was used to account for differences in sociodemographic and other behavioral factors across these groups. HRQOL was operationalized using annual quality-adjusted life years (QALYs).Results: Patients treated for past-year AUD had a deficit of 0.07 QALYs/year compared to those who never met criteria for AUD (P < .001). They retained a still clinically meaningful 0.03 QALYs/year deficit after controlling for concomitant psychiatric disorders and other behavioral health factors (P < .001). Those with past-year untreated AUD or past AUD had a near-zero difference in QALYs compared with those who never met criteria for AUD.Conclusion: These findings suggest that previously-reported differences in HRQOL associated with AUD may be due to the problems of the relatively small sub-group who seek treatment. Clinicians seeking to treat those with currently untreated AUD may do better to focus on the latent potential health effects of AUD instead of current HRQOL concerns.

Abbreviation: AUD: alcohol use disorder; HRQOL- health-related quality of life; NESARC-III: National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions Wave III; SF-12: 12-Item Short Form Survey; SF-6D: Short-Form Six-Dimension; QALYs: Quality adjusted life years; AUDADIS-5: Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule-5; NIAAA: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; MCS: mental component summary; PCS: physical component summary; EuroQOL-5D: EuroQOL 5-Dimension; SUD: substance use disorder.

Efficacy and Safety of Ketamine-assisted Electroconvulsive Therapy in Major Depressive Episode: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To meta-analyze clinical efficacy and safety of ketamine compared with other anesthetic agents in the course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in major depressive episode (MDE). Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, GoogleScholar, and US and European trial registries were searched from inception through May 23, 2023, with no language limits. We included RCTs with (1) a diagnosis of MDE; (2) ECT intervention with ketamine and/or other anesthetic agents; and (3) measures included: depressive symptoms, cognitive performance, remission or response rates, and serious adverse events. Network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed to compare ketamine and 7 other anesthetic agents. Hedges' g standardized mean differences (SMDs) were used for continuous measures, and relative risks (RRs) were used for other binary outcomes using random-effects models. Results: Twenty-two studies were included in the systematic review. A total of 2,322 patients from 17 RCTs were included in the NMA. The overall pooled SMD of ketamine, as compared with a propofol reference group, was -2.21 (95% confidence interval [CI], -3.79 to -0.64) in depressive symptoms, indicating that ketamine had better antidepressant efficacy than propofol. In a sensitivity analysis, however, ketamine-treated patients had a worse outcome in cognitive performance than propofol-treated patients (SMD, -0.18; 95% CI, -0.28 to -0.09). No other statistically significant differences were found. Conclusions: Ketamine-assisted ECT is tolerable and may be efficacious in improving depressive symptoms, but a relative adverse impact on cognition may be an important clinical consideration. Anesthetic agents should be considered based on patient profiles and/or preferences to improve effectiveness and safety of ECT use.

Rising Rates of Suicidal Behaviors and Large Unmet Treatment Needs Among US Adults With a Major Depressive Episode, 2009 to 2020.

OBJECTIVE: To examine recent 12-year trends in the incidence of suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SAs) and receipt of mental health treatment among individuals experiencing a past-year major depressive episode (MDE). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health, we estimated the annual percentage of individuals with MDE who reported past-year SI or SAs and their use of mental health services from 2009 to 2020 and calculated odds ratios (ORs) for longitudinal change adjusting for potentially confounding factors. RESULTS: During our study period, the weighted unadjusted proportion of patients with a past-year MDE who reported SI increased from 26.2% (668,690 of 2,550,641) to 32.5% (1,068,504 of 3,285,986; OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.25 to 1.51) and remained significant in the multivariable-adjusted analysis (P<.001). The greatest increase in SI was seen among Hispanic patients, young adults, and individuals with alcohol use disorder. Similar trends were seen for past-year SAs, increasing from 2.7% (69,548 of 2,550,641) to 3.3% (108,135 of 3,285,986; OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.61), especially among Black individuals, patients with incomes greater than $75,000, and those with substance use disorders. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, the temporal trend of increasing SI and SAs remained significant (P<.001 and P=0.04, respectively). Among individuals with past-year SI or SAs, there was no notable change in the mental health service use, and over 50% of individuals with MDE and SI (2,472,401 of 4,861,298) reported unmet treatment needs. No notable differences were observed between 2019 and 2020, reflecting the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. CONCLUSION: Among individuals with MDE, rates of SI and SAs have increased, especially among racial minorities and individuals with substance use disorders, without a corresponding change in mental health service use.

Association of Recent and Past Suicide Attempts With Health-Related Quality of Life.

Background: Suicide prevention is a major public health priority. The effectiveness of suicide prevention initiatives is typically assessed by reductions in incidents of suicidal behavior. However, the association of suicide attempts with changes in measures of overall health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has been understudied.Methods: Nationally representative data from 36,309 adults from the 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions Wave III (NESARC-III) were used to compare 3 groups: individuals with any suicide attempt in the past 3 years, individuals with a suicide attempt prior to the past 3 years, and those with no prior attempts. Using the 12-item Short Form (SF-12) items, standard measures of mental component score (MCS) and physical component score (PCS) of HRQOL and of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were constructed and compared across these groups. Multivariable regression analyses adjusted scores for sociodemographic, diagnostic, and behavioral covariates.Results: Overall, 1.0% (n = 355) reported an attempt in the last 3 years, 4.3% (n = 1,569) reported an attempt prior to the past 3 years, and 94.7% (n = 34,385) had no prior attempt. In unadjusted analysis, individuals with recent attempts reported much lower MCS scores compared to individuals with no prior attempts (-13.5 points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -15.4 to -11.6) as well as those with past attempts (-7.7 points; 95% CI, -8.5 to -7.0). QALYs were also much lower (-0.13; 95% CI, -0.14 to -0.11 for those with recent attempts and -0.09; 95% CI, -0.10 to -0.08 for those with past attempts, respectively). Adjustment for correlated factors, especially psychiatric disorders and substance use disorders, accounted for 75%-86% of the association of recent and past suicide attempts with MCS-HRQOL and 89%-91% of QALYs; ie, these factors were largely incorporated in these measures of HRQOL.Conclusions: Individuals with relatively recent suicide attempts report significantly lower MCS-HRQOL and QALYs compared to both individuals with no prior attempts and individuals with more remote attempts. Psychiatric and substance use comorbidities account for most but not all of the group differences in these measures and thus provide a brief approach to assessing suicide prevention initiatives encompassing multiple aspects of well-being and providing a basis for future cost-benefit analysis.

Victimization in schizophrenia and its relation to violence.

BACKGROUND: People with schizophrenia are frequently victims of violence. Previous attempts to examine the reasons for this have mostly used cross-sectional designs that limit the ability to distinguish, among the correlates they identify, potential causes of victimization from its consequences. METHOD: We studied patients with schizophrenia participating in the NIMH-funded Clinical Antipsychotic Treatment for Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) trial. The dependent variable was self-reported victimization during the 18-month CATIE follow-up. Independent variables were assessed at study entry and included demographics, childhood experiences, recent victimization and violent behavior, social circumstances, and mental health symptoms. Bivariate and multivariate analyses examined correlates of victimization and, among those victimized, the correlates of also acting violently oneself. RESULTS: Of 1179 participants, 206 (17.5 %) reported one or more incidents where they were victimized over the 18-months. Over a third had been hit with a fist or an object. Most perpetrators were family or acquaintances. Controlling for other variables, victimization was associated with having been recently victimized at baseline as well as with sexual abuse in childhood, frequent interactions with close friends and depressive, but not schizophrenia, symptoms. Victimized participants who reported acting violently themselves (113; 55%) were more likely to report violent behavior at baseline and frequent interactions with close friends. CONCLUSIONS: Victimization in schizophrenia is often associated with aggressive behavior by the victim and is more often related to social involvement, past trauma, substance use and depression than to schizophrenia symptoms. Treatments that encourage socialization may incur an unintended risk of victimization.

Increasing Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes Among U.S. Residents, 2013-2020.

INTRODUCTION: Cannabis use for medical purposes is legalized across 39 states and the District of Columbia in the U.S. The objective of this study was to evaluate temporal trends and correlates of cannabis use for medical purposes in the U.S. METHODS: Data from the 2013-2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health were used. Since 2013, medical cannabis use has been assessed using a dichotomous question asking whether any medical cannabis use was recommended by a doctor among those who used cannabis in the past 12 months. A modified Poisson model was used to estimate the average annual percentage change in medical cannabis use from 2013 to 2020. The analyses were repeated for key sociodemographic and clinical subgroups. Data were analyzed from September to November 2022. RESULTS: The prevalence of U.S. residents using cannabis for medical purposes increased significantly from 1.2% in 2013-2014 to 2.5% in 2019-2020, with an average annual percentage change of 12.9% (95% CI=10.4, 15.5), and many of sociodemographic and clinical subgroups showed similar significant increases in cannabis use for medical purposes. In the multivariable-adjusted model, living in a state that legalized medical cannabis remained significantly associated with medical cannabis use (AOR=4.10; 95% CI=3.68, 4.56). CONCLUSIONS: The study documents a continued nationwide increase in the use of cannabis for diverse medical purposes between 2013 and 2020, two decades after the first state passed legalizing legislation.

Can multisite clinical trial results change clinical practice? Use of long-acting injectable risperidone nationally in the Veterans Health Administration.

BACKGROUND: Multisite practical clinical trials evaluate treatments in real-world practice. A multisite randomized Veterans Health Administration (VHA) cooperative study (CSP#555) published in 2011 compared the first long-acting injectable (LAI) second-generation antipsychotic (SGA), Risperidone Consta®, in veterans with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, to oral antipsychotics, with unexpected null results for effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Whether null results of this type could change VHA practice has not been studied. METHODS: A longitudinal observational analysis was used to evaluate the impact of the trial findings on VHA clinical practices. National administrative data compared new starts on LAI risperidone during the 4 years before the publication of CSP#555 in 2011 to new starts on LAI risperidone during the 4 years after. RESULTS: Among 119,565 Veterans with the indicated diagnoses treated with antipsychotics from 2007 to 2015, the number and proportion of new starts on LAI risperidone declined significantly following the study publication, as did the total number of annual users and drug expenditures. However, data from 2007 to 2010 showed the decline in new starts actually preceded the publication of CSP#555. This change was likely explained by the increase in new starts, total use, and expenditures on a newer medicine, LAI paliperidone, a 4-week LAI treatment, in the 2 years prior to the publication of CSP#555. CONCLUSIONS: The declining use of LAI risperidone likely primarily reflects the substitution of a longer-acting LAI SGA, paliperidone, that came to market 2 years before the study publication, a substitution that may have been reinforced by null CSP#555 study results for LAI risperidone.

Multimorbidity and Correlates of Comorbid Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in a Nationally Representative US Sample.

ABSTRACT: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) frequently occur together, but sociodemographic, behavioral, and diagnostic correlates of this comorbidity have not been comprehensively studied. Data from the nationally representative US sample surveyed in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III ( N = 36,309) were used to define three groups, individuals with a) both past-year GAD and MDD ( n = 909, 16.9%), b) GAD only ( n = 999, 18.6%), and c) MDD only ( n = 3471, 64.5%). The comorbid group was compared with each single-diagnosis group on sociodemographic, behavioral, and diagnostic characteristics based on effect sizes (risk ratios and Cohen's d ) rather than p values because of the large sample sizes. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors independently associated with the comorbid group. Bivariate analysis showed that the comorbid group had more parental and childhood adversities, additional psychiatric disorders, and poorer mental health quality of life than both single-disorder groups. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression of the comorbid group showed that on two of five factors, additional psychiatric diagnoses were significantly more frequent than in the GAD-only group, and that on three of six factors, additional psychiatric diagnoses were significantly more frequent than in the MDD-only group. There is a significantly higher burden of social adjustment problems, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and poorer mental health-related quality of life among individuals with comorbid GAD-MDD than those with single disorders. The adversities associated with this non-SUD psychiatric comorbidity are comparable to those associated with the more extensively studied comorbidity of psychiatric and substance use disorders and deserve further research and treatment.

Mental health problems of black and white children in a nationally representative epidemiologic survey.

Black children face more numerous socio-economic disadvantages than White children, but whether they have more adverse mental health problems remains understudied. Using nationally-representative data from the 2018-2019 National Survey of Children's Health, we examined differences in mental health problems between non-Hispanic Black (n = 2,890) and White (n = 30,015) children aged 6-17. Multivariate analyses were used to determine whether differences in mental health conditions could be accounted for by other factors. We found Black children were significantly less likely than White children to have clinically-identified internalizing conditions (especially anxiety) and more likely to be identified with conduct problems. Black children were also substantially more likely to have greater exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), to be uninsured, experience poverty, and less likely to receive needed mental health services. After adjusting for these potential confounders, Black children remained half as likely to have clinically-recognized internalizing conditions, but were no longer more likely to have clinically-identified conduct problems. Differences in ACEs alone fully accounted for the racial difference in conduct problems. These results point to the potential impact of assessment bias by clinicians and underscore the potential benefit of routine screening for depression/anxiety in racial/ethnic minority children, especially in light of rising suicide rates among Black youth.

Gender differences in outcomes of early intervention services for first episode psychosis.

AIMS: There is growing interest in early intervention in psychotic disorders. However, gender differences in the outcomes of such treatment have not been studied in a randomized clinical trial. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders with less than 6 months antipsychotic exposure entered a cluster randomized trial of early intervention services compared to usual care in the Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode Early Treatment Program (RAISE-ETP) study. Masked evaluators assessed the Quality of Life Scale (QLS) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) every 6 months. Our secondary analyses examined gender differences in baseline characteristics, 2-year gender outcomes, and intervention responses. RESULTS: Altogether 404 individuals aged 15-40 entered the study: 111 (27.4%) women and 293 (72.5%) men. At baseline, women were significantly more likely to have been married (p = .007) and to be living independently (p = .012) than men. Women were also more likely to be diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type (p = .006) and scored higher on the depression subscale of the PANSS (p = .0004) but not the CDSS. Women were less likely to use or abuse cannabis (p = .0004), though no less likely to abuse alcohol. Controlling for these differences, there were no significant gender differences in the QLS or PANSS outcomes. CONCLUSION: Baseline gender differences in comorbid substance use and prevalence of mood symptoms in women with first episode psychosis are consistent with previous studies. The absence of significant gender differences in outcomes with early intervention has not been previously reported in a multi-site randomized US clinical trial.