The national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline debuted in July 2022 to provide an easy-to-remember phone number to access trained crisis counselors and emergency mental health services. A new study finds that the launch did not coincide with significant and equitable growth in the availability of most crisis services, except for a small increase in peer support services.

Research comparing different approaches to dementia care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias found no significant differences in patient behavioral symptoms or caregiver strain, whether delivered through a health system, provided by a community-based organization, or as usual care over an 18-month period—but did improve caregiver confidence in managing dementia-related challenges.

About The Study: This repeated cross-sectional study including 69.2 million obesity management drug dispensed prescriptions revealed an increase from 0.76 million in July 2017 to 1.5 million in February 2024, with an upward trend in monthly phentermine and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist prescriptions. There was a robust positive correlation between public online search activity for semaglutide and tirzepatide and their prescription trends. The joint surge in prescriptions and online searches and their close correlation highlight the real-time associations between public awareness and prescription trends. 

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study of participants in the All of Us Research Program, there were significant mental health disparities between participants in sexual and gender minority (SGM) and cisgender heterosexual (non-SGM) groups. These findings underscore the need for tailored mental health interventions to improve the well-being of SGM populations, while noting that the associations do not imply causality but reflect the stigma and minority stress experienced by these individuals. 

According to a new study from researchers at the University of California San Diego’s Center for Healthy Eating and Activity Research (CHEAR), self-guided family therapy for obesity could work just as well as traditional approaches at a fraction of the cost.