State funding for suicide prevention and mental health crises services has increased over the past five years but varies across the United States, according to a new study led by researchers at NYU School of Global Public Health.

JMIR Publications released four feature News and Perspectives articles this week, covering digital resurrection technologies, shadow AI in healthcare, the potential for voice to be analyzed for early biosignals of chronic disease, and how a recent FDA approval reflects the growing use of video games in mental health treatment.

As scientific debate intensifies over solar geoengineering, clean energy constraints, and political influence on research, Frontiers Science House convenes leading scientists, business leaders, and policy heads during Climate Week NYC. Journalists can attend in person or online and request one-on-one speaker interviews.

A new study published in The Lancet Public Health assessed candy and soda sales in supermarkets, drug stores, and mass-market retailers in Berkeley, as well as three comparison cities in California, after a first-of-its-kind healthy checkout ordinance was implemented in 2021 and then became enforceable in 2022. Changes in sales varied by product and store type: soda sales decreased substantially after the HCO was implemented and enforced, while sales of small-packaged candy decreased significantly in supermarkets after the HCO was enforced. Overall candy sales increased moderately after the policy was implemented (but not after enforcement), but so did sales in healthy, lower-sugar items such as snack-sized nuts and seeds. Supermarkets, which complied the most with the HCO, saw the greatest declines in sales of these sugary items, while drug stores, which complied the least, did not have reduced candy or soda sales.

A new study published in The Milbank Quarterly provides insight from leaders, clinicians, and care coordinators for six of the 17 Medicaid ACOs in Massachusetts between 2018-2024, finding that these ACOs were able to improve the quality of patients’ maternal care by intentionally and strategically incorporating new maternal metrics and initiatives mandated in their contracts, as well as by providing the necessary resources and infrastructure to meet these requirements. Mandating specific maternal health initiatives, from timely prenatal care to postpartum depression screening, motivated the ACOs to adapt or develop programs that align with maternal health goals.