Comfort Zone Camp’s Post

In a decade of drug overdoses, more than 320,000 American #children lost a #parent More than 320,000 children across the United States lost a parent due to a drug overdose between 2011 and 2021. That's according to a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry Wednesday. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gWKnBsmf #overdose #drugs #substanceuse #Substanceusedisorder

In a decade of drug overdoses, more than 320,000 American #children lost a #parent More than 320,000 children across the United States lost a parent due to a drug overdose between 2011 and 2021. That's according to a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry Wednesday. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gzRqrq28 #overdose #drugs #substanceuse #Substanceusedisorder

Excerpt: More than 321,000 children in the U.S. lost a parent to a drug overdose from 2011 to 2021, an alarming figure that shows the nation’s obligation to “comprehensively address the needs of individuals, families and communities” when tackling the growing overdose crisis, experts say. A new study published Wednesday in the medical journal JAMA Psychiatry found that the rate of children who lost a parent to an overdose more than doubled in that decade span, jumping from 27 to 63 children per 100,000. In total, the study estimates that 321,566 children in the U.S. lost a parent to a drug overdose in that time span. And while the rates of loss increased consistently each year across all demographics examined in the study, people of color were disproportionately affected by this trend.

Between 2011 and 2021, more than 321,500 children in the United States lost a parent to drug overdose, per a study published yesterday in JAMA Psychiatry. The ratio of community-dwelling children who lost a parent to drug overdose more than doubled (27 per 100,000 in 2011 to 63 per 100,000 in 2021). Importantly, these "loss ratios" (my term) were highest in children of non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native individuals (187 per 100,000 in 2021), and the average annual percentage change (AAPC) was most dramatic in non-Hispanic Black parents (23.8%; 95% CI, 16.5-31.6). These parental losses cause individual, familial, community, and generational traumas, as well as health care and socioeconomic disparities. It is crucial that responses to the overdose crisis account for the full burden of drug overdose on families and children, including addressing the economic, social, educational, and health care needs of children who have lost parents to overdose. The study provides valuable insights into the effects of drug overdose on children and families and highlights the need for comprehensive support systems for those who have experienced this type of loss. Read the full study here: https://lnkd.in/eWTmgXCV

Imagine a child's world turning upside down overnight. Have you heard of PANDAS? It's not the cuddly black and white bears but a puzzling condition affecting children: • Sudden behavioural changes • Unexpected OCD symptoms • Uncontrollable tics • Anxiety attacks out of the blue These could be signs of Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (#pandas). As healthcare professionals, we must recognise these symptoms early. Want to learn more about identifying PANDAS and supporting affected families? Let's discuss this in the comments! https://lnkd.in/ddgskXBp #healthcare #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #CBT

A cancer diagnosis in children is a highly traumatic experience for both the child and their family, potentially leading to post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 203 families of hospitalized children with cancer from three tertiary hospitals in South China. We assessed the prevalence of PTSS and its risk factors among both children and their parents. Our findings revealed a low PTSS prevalence in children (7.9%), while parents showed a much higher prevalence (77.3%). Interestingly, there was no correlation between PTSS in children and their parents. Families with a newly diagnosed or relapsed child, lower income, or financial stress were more likely to experience PTSS. These results highlight the need for early and regular PTSS assessments in pediatric cancer care, particularly focusing on families with financial difficulties or newly diagnosed children. Efforts from families, healthcare providers, and policymakers are crucial to provide the necessary emotional and financial support to these families. Central South University Xiangya School of Nursing Nursing School of Xinjiang Medical University The Nethersole School of Nursing, CUHK #PTSS #pediatriccancer #cancercare

#Clozapine revolutionized the treatment of serious mental illness but it is tragically underutilized (due to FDA REMS restrictions). Please help change that by signing and sharing the petition below. #schizophrenia #schizoaffectivedisorder #suicideprevention #psychosis #mentalhealth #wellness #recovery #psychiatry #NAMI

Let's break down the findings of a recent study looking at deaths of children and young adults taking antipsychotic medications. 🧵 https://lnkd.in/g9-rv3CC This study employed a retrospective cohort design, focusing on a large sample of over two million children and young adults, specifically those enrolled in Medicaid. The participants selected for this study were between the ages of 5 and 24 years and notably excluded individuals with severe somatic diseases or diagnosed psychoses, such as schizophrenia in hopes of isolating the effects of antipsychotic medications from other confounding health factors. They examined the use of second-generation antipsychotic agents, comparing various dosages (both at or <100 mg and >100 mg in chlorpromazine equivalents) against control meds, which included α agonists, atomoxetine, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers. Their primary objective was to assess the association of these medications with mortality rates, using a comprehensive analysis of prescription data and mortality records over the study period. The methodology incorporated adjustments for potential confounders and employed propensity score-based overlap weights to ensure a robust and reliable analysis of the data. It's an associational study, but the associations they found are not to be ignored. What did they find? Keep reading. I will tell you. ⬇️ For antipsychotic doses of 100 mg or less, the rate difference (RD) in mortality was 3.3 per 100,000 person-years. Stats suggested a slight, but not statistically significant, increase in risk of death. For doses greater than 100 mg the rate difference (RD) in mortality was significantly higher at 22.4 per 100,000 person-years. This group had a hazard ratio (HR) value of 1.37 --> 37% increased risk of the event (in this case, death) in the group being studied (those receiving antipsychotic doses greater than 100 mg) compared to the control group (those receiving lower doses or different medications). They found a significant association between higher doses of antipsychotic medications and an increase in overdose deaths. In the group receiving higher doses, there was a ⬆️ rate of deaths attributed to overdoses compared to the control group or those receiving ⬇️ doses. Similarly, there was a significant association between ⬆️ doses of antipsychotics and deaths due to other unintentional injuries. This indicates that such deaths were more common in the group receiving ⬆️ doses of these medications. I suspect that if parents received full informed consent regarding these medications, they would appreciate an alternative and effective evidence-based treatment option like the ketogenic diet. Something that has been used safely and effectively in children and young adults for over 100 years. RCTs using the ketogenic diet in populations with psychotic symptoms cannot come fast enough. Wouldn't you agree? #ketogenic t #metabolicpsychiatry

“Doctors at Utah’s two biggest health care systems will have the option to treat patients with psilocybin and MDMA — illegal drugs being fast-tracked for development by the Food and Drug Administration because of promising research showing their success in treating depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance misuse and other mental health issues.” Discover our mission, donate to our research, or sponsor a veteran(s) or veteran family at Heroic Hearts Project, a non-profit connecting struggling veterans & spouses to ayahuasca, psilocybin other psychedelic therapy options in countries or states where they are legal to heal their mental traumas from war. #mentalhealth, #veterans #specialforces #specialoperations #ptsdrecovery, #suicideprevention #plantmedicine #psychedelicassistedtherapy #indigenoushealingtraditions #sacredmedicine #ayahuasca #ketamineassistedtherapy #psilocybin #ibogaine #neuroplasticity #neurogenesis #heroicheartsproject #heroicheartsuk