Opioid Overdose Deaths Spike; Inpatient Psych Beds Dwindling

During the COVID-19 pandemic, new CDC data showed that drug overdose deaths spiked, particularly for deaths involving synthetic opioids. “As we continue the fight to end this pandemic, it’s important to not lose sight of different groups being affected in other ways. We need to take care of people suffering from unintended consequences,” CDC Director Robert Redfield, MD, said in a statement.

Clowns helped to ease children’s anxieties and pain and to bolster their overall psychological well-being while admitted to the hospital. (The BMJ)

Pregnant women whose exercise routines were impacted by the pandemic tended to have more depressive symptoms. “Moderate exercise has been shown to decrease depression risk in pregnant women, so disruptions to exercise routines may lead to worse mental health outcomes,” said lead author Theresa Gildner, PhD, of Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, in a statement. (PLOS One)

Due to social distancing measures for COVID-19 patients, available inpatient psychiatric beds are becoming fewer and farther between. (STAT)

A study of ICU clinicians found that symptoms of work-related burnout — like exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment — were distinctly different than symptoms of depression and anxiety, and should therefore be separately screened for in high-risk healthcare professionals. (JAMA Network Open)

A group of Irish psychiatrists are calling for a ban on sports gambling advertisements. (iGaming Business)

A Napa psychiatric hospital had an outbreak of COVID-19, infecting 65 patients and staff members so far. (San Francisco Chronicle)

A new study found that 16 mg per day of the blood pressure drug prazosin (Minipress) was helpful for cutting the number of heavy drinking days in people with alcohol use disorder and high alcohol withdrawal symptoms. (American Journal of Psychiatry)