Category: Mental Health
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Trump administration cuts up to $1.9 billion from mental health and addiction treatment programs
Trump administration cuts up to $1.9 billion from mental health and addiction treatment programs The federal agency that oversees mental health and addiction treatment on Tuesday made major cuts to programs across the behavioral health field, according to eight sources with knowledge of the decisions. While the exact funding cuts enacted by the Substance Abuse…
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3 drug policy questions to watch in 2026
3 drug policy questions to watch in 2026 Drug policy was largely a backburner issue in 2025. Despite the ambitions of some moderate or right-leaning activists, and an apparent passion for the issue from health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., substance use and addiction issues have made few headlines in the past year. Read the…
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STAT+: Boehringer Ingelheim prepares schizophrenia app for FDA submission after trial results
STAT+: Boehringer Ingelheim prepares schizophrenia app for FDA submission after trial results HANOVER, N.H. — Boehringer Ingelheim this week provided more details about a late stage clinical trial of an app designed to treat under-addressed symptoms of schizophrenia and revealed the company is preparing to submit the app to the Food and Drug Administration for…
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A new top drug regulator and the future of psychedelics
A new top drug regulator and the future of psychedelics On this week’s episode of “The Readout Loud”: a look at an emerging class of psychedelic drugs that may treat depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric conditions without the hallucinogenic “trip.” Plus, a dash through the week’s biotech news. The turmoil at the Food and Drug…
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STAT+: Pfizer and Tris agree to $41.5 million settlement with Texas over ADHD drug for children
STAT+: Pfizer and Tris agree to $41.5 million settlement with Texas over ADHD drug for children Pfizer and Tris Pharma have agreed to pay $41.5 million to settle allegations by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that they provided an ADHD medicine to children on Medicaid while knowing about “flawed” manufacturing practices. The companies were accused…
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Opinion: I spent two hours telling a chatbot about mental health problems. Its responses scared me
Opinion: I spent two hours telling a chatbot about mental health problems. Its responses scared me A version of this essay first appeared on the website of the U.S. PIRG Education Fund. With the rise of ChatGPT and social media companies like Snapchat and Instagram integrating AI chatbots into their platforms, conversing with an AI…
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When SNAP benefits run out, ‘people can die,’ say health experts
When SNAP benefits run out, ‘people can die,’ say health experts Millions of Americans are set to lose access to food benefits starting Saturday because of the government shutdown, with at least 25 states telling recipients they won’t receive checks for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in November. Health care experts warn that families…
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More people with psychosis are using cannabis. Medical professionals are worried
More people with psychosis are using cannabis. Medical professionals are worried Cannabis use rates among people with psychosis have surged in states that have legalized the drug, according to a new study. Medical professionals say the trend — especially when combined with more potent variants of the drug available on the market — could worsen…
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STAT+: FDA will convene an advisory committee to tackle AI mental health device regulation
STAT+: FDA will convene an advisory committee to tackle AI mental health device regulation The Food and Drug Administration will convene experts to discuss challenges around regulating mental health products that use artificial intelligence, as a growing number of companies release chatbots powered by large language models whose output can be unpredictable. The move suggests…
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STAT+: AbbVie to buy Gilgamesh’s psychedelic drug for up to $1.2 billion
STAT+: AbbVie to buy Gilgamesh’s psychedelic drug for up to $1.2 billion AbbVie on Monday said it will buy Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals’ investigational psychedelic drug to treat major depression, a sign that pharma companies are warming up more to the burgeoning field. The pharma giant will acquire the treatment, called bretisilocin, for up to $1.2 billion,…
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Opinion: STAT readers debate involuntary commitment, Sarepta, and more
Opinion: STAT readers debate involuntary commitment, Sarepta, and more First Opinion is STAT’s platform for interesting, illuminating, and provocative articles about the life sciences writ large, written by biotech insiders, health care workers, researchers, and others. To encourage robust, good-faith discussion about issues raised in First Opinion essays, STAT publishes selected Letters to the Editor…
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Opinion: Ending the federal LGBTQ+ suicide prevention line is a public health failure
Opinion: Ending the federal LGBTQ+ suicide prevention line is a public health failure Last month, the federal government announced it would eliminate the national suicide prevention hotline’s specialized services for LGBTQ+ callers — a decision that pulls vital support away from some of the most at-risk young people in America. The end of the service…
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STAT+: ADHD medicines linked to less impulsive behavior, crashes, and crime
STAT+: ADHD medicines linked to less impulsive behavior, crashes, and crime A study tracking nearly 250,000 Swedish people using ADHD medication for 14 years found that these treatments can reduce risks of traffic crashes, injuries, and criminal behavior — and that conclusion remained true even as more girls, women, and adult men received a diagnosis.…
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Mental health care may be harder to obtain after HHS rule reversal
Mental health care may be harder to obtain after HHS rule reversal For a recent therapy session, Andria Donaghy’s insurance plan paid her psychiatric nurse practitioner only $11 on a $125 service. “To even put that on paper is insulting,” she said. “These people give their lives [to help others] and that’s what you pay…
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STAT+: Bristol’s Cobenfy disappoints as supplemental antipsychotic drug
STAT+: Bristol’s Cobenfy disappoints as supplemental antipsychotic drug A landmark new treatment for schizophrenia didn’t provide additional benefits to patients when given on top of standard-of-care therapy, Bristol Myers Squibb announced Tuesday. The drug, Cobenfy, was approved last year based on data from three randomized studies comparing the drug to placebo. It was the first…