Systems
CVS agrees to $315 million opioid dispensing settlement
CVS Pharmacy will pay $315 million to settle a 2024 Justice Department lawsuit alleging it unlawfully dispensed opioids, prioritizing profit over safety.
Systems
Systems on Mind and Margin: Mental health policy and funding, Workforce shortage, School-based mental health, Criminal justice and mental illness, Research funding and Stigma and public attitudes.
Systems
Nobel Prize Awarded for Optogenetics, a Mental Health Research Breakthrough
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel for pioneering optogenetics, a light-based technique transforming brain research and offering new hope for treating psychiatric disorders and blindness.
Systems
HHS Launches SURPASS Program to Accelerate Clinical Trials
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched the SURPASS program and three complementary initiatives.
Systems
Glucosamine supplement linked to faster progression to dementia
A large health-record analysis links glucosamine use to a 25% higher likelihood of mild cognitive impairment progressing to dementia.
Systems
Antagonistic narcissism fuels cold feelings toward mental health professionals
A study finds narcissistic rivalry, a defensive and hostile form of narcissism, is linked to cold feelings toward mental health professionals.
Systems
University Students Skew Global Mental Health Research
A new study in Nature Communications finds that relying on university-educated participants, even from non-Western countries, skews psychological research.
Systems
HHS Appoints Eight New Members to Preventive Task Force
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has appointed eight new members to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, including a new chair, reshaping the panel that issues evidence-based guidance on preventive health services.
Systems
Aging Doctors Lack Standard Cognitive Screening Policies
A study finds no G7 country has a nationwide framework to evaluate aging physicians' cognitive health, though about 25 U.S.
Systems
Lifestyle Program Boosts Cognition 55% More Than General Health Advice
A two-year study in Latin America found a structured lifestyle program with coaching improved global cognition 55% more than basic health advice in older adults.
Systems
GLP-1 Prescription Rates Higher for Adults With Serious Mental Illness
A study of U.S. insurance claims shows adults with serious mental illness received GLP-1 drug prescriptions at higher rates than those without SMI.
Systems
Coffee, Tea Affect Older Women's Bone Density
A 10-year study of 10,000 older women found tea drinking linked to slightly higher hip bone density.
Systems
VR Training May Aid Childhood Myopia
A six-month study of 120 children found that virtual reality-based digital defocus vision training slowed the progression of nearsightedness.
Systems
House GOP Probes DEA Fentanyl 'Walk' Policy
House Republicans are investigating a DEA tactic that allowed large fentanyl shipments to reach streets to build bigger cases.
Systems
Keto diet cuts liver fat 67% in trial
A ketogenic diet led to a 67% reduction in liver fat for people with obesity and prediabetes.
Systems
Long-Term Melatonin Use Linked to 90% Higher Heart Failure Risk
A large preliminary study found adults with chronic insomnia who used melatonin long-term had a roughly 90% higher risk of developing heart failure.
Systems
Plant-Based Meats All Contain Fungal Toxins
A UK survey of 212 plant-based foods and drinks found every product contained at least one fungal toxin, though levels were below EU guidelines.
Systems
Psychiatrists Warn of Fallout From Lindsay Clancy Case Scrutiny
Forensic and reproductive psychiatrists warn that intense legal and public scrutiny of the Lindsay Clancy case may make psychiatrists more reluctant to treat mothers with mental illness.
Systems
Civil Rights Office Cuts Amid Autism Cases
The Trump administration has reduced support for autistic students by cutting federal agencies and funding, while a Black family alleges discrimination against their son in Florida schools.
Systems
US Senators Criticize Trump Administration's Health Data Demands for Lifesaving Aid
Eight Democratic senators have expressed concern over the Trump administration's demands for access to foreign health data as a condition for lifesaving aid.
Systems
Congo's Ebola Outbreak on Track to Surpass History's Deadliest
The Ebola outbreak in Congo is spreading at an unprecedented speed and could be three times the current known size, according to data from authorities and Africa's top public health agency.
Systems
Evelyn Griffin Is Louisiana's New Surgeon General
Evelyn Griffin is the new Surgeon General of Louisiana, aiming to transform public health in the state.
Systems
Blood Transfusions May Transmit Harmful Brain Proteins, Research Suggests
Research suggests blood transfusions may transmit harmful brain proteins like amyloid-beta, prompting calls for further study and safety measures. John Collinge, MD, and colleagues have reviewed evidence for transmitting amyloid-beta, a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA).
Systems
Reclassifying Muscle Dysmorphia to Improve Care for Boys and Men
Muscle dysmorphia, a condition characterized by a hyperfixation on building muscles, is often overlooked in boys and men, despite being a significant mental health issue. An expert is advocating for reclassifying the condition as an eating disorder to improve care and recognition.
Systems
NMDA Receptor Encephalitis: Structural Brain Changes and Clinical Outcomes
A cross-sectional study in Germany investigates the relationship between structural brain changes and post-acute outcomes in patients with NMDA receptor encephalitis, highlighting the importance of fractal dimensionality as a new imaging marker of long-term outcomes.
Systems
Trump's FDA Pick Faces Scrutiny Over Competing Interests
Heidi Overton, a key health policymaker in the Trump administration, has been nominated to lead the Food and Drug Administration. Her appointment has raised concerns about her potential competing interests.
Systems
Prioritizing Care for People with Severe Mental Illness
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to prioritize care for people with severe mental illness, who face significant physical health inequalities.
Systems
The Future of AI in Mental Health: Balancing Innovation and Responsibility
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform the field of mental health, experts are raising concerns about its safety, equity, and accountability. A recent editorial in The Lancet Psychiatry highlights the need for a coordinated approach to the development and implementation of AI in mental health care.
Systems
Increased Risk of Psychiatric Disorders in IBD Patients
A Swedish cohort study found that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk for several psychiatric disorders both before and after diagnosis.
Systems
Federal Policy Complicates Efforts to Combat Opioid Crisis
A new federal policy may hinder organizations' ability to distribute test strips that identify adulterants in street drugs, potentially increasing overdose rates.
Systems
Looksmaxxing Apps: A Growing Threat to Adolescent Mental Health
The rise of looksmaxxing apps, which use AI to score facial attractiveness, is raising concerns among mental health professionals. These apps, popular among teenage boys, promote narrow beauty standards and may contribute to body dysmorphia and eating disorders. Experts warn that the lack of age verification and unvalidated scoring methods pose significant risks to vulnerable youth, particularly those from marginalized communities.