Research Roundup: The Public Charge Rule; Youth Suicide; Mental Health Stigma

Urban Institute: With Public Charge Rule Looming, One In Seven Adults In Immigrant Families Reported Avoiding Public Benefit Programs In 2018
In October 2018, the Trump administration proposed an expansion of the “public charge” rule, signaling a significant departure from current immigration policy. The proposed rule would consider an immigrant’s past use of noncash public benefit programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Medicaid, as a negative factor in applications for green cards (i.e., permanent residency) or temporary visas. The rule would also weigh low income, poor health status, and other characteristics as negative factors. (Bernstein et al, 5/21)

JAMA Psychiatry: Association Of Increased Youth Suicides In The United States With The Release Of 13 Reasons Why
In this time series analysis of monthly suicide data from 1999 to 2017, an immediate increase in suicides beyond the generally increasing trend was observed among the target audience of 10- to 19-year-old individuals in the 3 months after the show’s release. Age- and sex-specific models indicated that the association with suicide mortality was restricted to 10- to 19-year-old individuals, and proportional increases were stronger in females. (Niederkrotenthaler et al, 5/29)

Urban Institute: Fighting The Stigma: Mental Health Among Asian Americans And Pacific Islanders
Although the US has made progress in raising awareness of mental health and normalizing conversations about the topic, a great deal of stigma remains around mental illness and poor mental health, and many still face barriers to accessing services and supports. Among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, these issues are often shrouded by silence and shame, allowing misconceptions and minimization of mental health concerns to thrive. (Hu, 5/20)

JAMA Psychiatry: Burden Of Environmental Adversity Associated With Psychopathology, Maturation, And Brain Behavior Parameters In Youths
Low SES and TSEs are associated with common and unique differences in symptoms, neurocognition, and structural and functional brain parameters. Both environmental factors are associated with earlier completion of puberty by physical features and brain parameters. These findings appear to underscore the need for identifying and preventing adverse environmental conditions associated with neurodevelopment. (Gur et al, 5/29)

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation: The Opioid Epidemic And Medicaid’s Role In Facilitating Access To Treatment
As the opioid epidemic continues to devastate many parts of the country, Medicaid plays an important role in efforts to address the crisis. In 2017, nearly two million nonelderly adults had opioid use disorder (OUD)1,2 and there were 47,600 opioid overdose deaths in the United States, more than double the number in 2007. Medicaid has historically filled critical gaps in responding to public health crises, such as the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and the Flint water crisis. As with these other public health crises, Medicaid provides health coverage and access to necessary health care for those struggling with OUD. Additionally, as of May 2019, 36 states and Washington, D.C. have adopted Medicaid expansion, with enhanced federal funding, to cover adults with income up to 138% of the federal poverty level ($17,236 for an individual in 2019). All Medicaid expansion benefit packages must include behavioral health services, including mental health and substance use disorder services. (Orgera and Tolbert, 5/24)

JAMA Internal Medicine: Association Of Nonfasting Vs Fasting Lipid Levels With Risk Of Major Coronary Events In The Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial–Lipid Lowering Arm
In this secondary analysis of 8270 participants in the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial–Lipid Lowering Arm, nonfasting lipid levels were similar to fasting lipid levels measured 4 weeks apart in the same participants in association with incident cardiovascular events overall and by randomized statin therapy. Concordance of fasting and nonfasting lipid levels for classifying participants into appropriate risk categories was high. (Mora et al, 5/28)