Child Mental Health Emergency; Lybalvi Hits Shelves; Vanessa Bryant Psych Eval

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association have joined forces to declare a national emergency in children’s mental health, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Today’s declaration is an urgent call to policymakers at all levels of government — we must treat this mental health crisis like the emergency it is,” said AAP President Lee Savio Beers, MD, in a statement.

False reporting of nursing home residents with schizophrenia appears to be even worse for Black patients. (The New York Times)

Over nearly 40 years of follow-up, a study found that offspring born to mothers with type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes saw an increased risk for developing any psychiatric disorder — and more specifically schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, intellectual disabilities, developmental disorders, or behavioral disorders. (JAMA Network Open)

The combination treatment olanzapine-samidorphan (Lybalvi) for schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder is now available for prescription in the U.S., following its approval in June, Alkermes announced.

New Hampshire purchased a private 111-bed psychiatric hospital for children. (U.S. News & World Report)

And in related news, the University of Washington is opening a new behavioral health facility in Seattle, featuring 150 beds mostly dedicated to those with mental health conditions who are civilly committed, older adults, and those seeking voluntary treatment. (The Seattle Times)

Sage Therapeutics and Biogen detailed plans to submit a new drug application to the FDA in late 2022 for their investigational 2-week, once-daily drug zuranolone, seeking an indication for major depressive disorder. An additional filing for postpartum depression is expected in early 2023.

Black market fentanyl is one of the top drivers of the current opioid epidemic and related overdose deaths. (NPR)

Los Angeles County attorneys are requesting that Kobe Bryant’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, undergo psychiatric evaluation to assess for emotional distress, stating that it’s “necessary to evaluate the nature and extent of the families’ alleged injuries.” (AP)