R-Ketamine Phase II Flop; More Antipsychotics for Kids; Horse Tranq-Laced Opioids

Investigational R-ketamine agent PCN-101 missed the primary endpoint of a phase IIa clinical trial in people with treatment-resistant depression, failing to lower depression scores 24 hours after dosing, Atai Life Sciences announced.

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the weekly rate of in-person mental health service utilization dropped by over 50%, though this was quickly followed by a 16- to 20-fold increase in telehealth service uptake. (JAMA Health Forum)

The 39-item validated Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire had good-to-excellent overall and conditional reliability in identifying autism in kids. (Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology)

An average 3.3% annual increase in antipsychotic prescriptions for children and adolescents in England was seen over 20 years after 2000. The most common indication for the first antipsychotic prescription was autism spectrum disorder. (The Lancet Psychiatry)

A wide range of mental health problems can be caused by childhood abuse or neglect. “Interventions that prevent maltreatment are therefore not only essential for child welfare, but could also prevent long-term suffering and financial costs due to mental illness,” noted study author Jessie Baldwin, PhD, of University College London, in a press release. (American Journal of Psychiatry)

The animal tranquilizer xylazine is popping up in street opioids around the country. (New York Times)

Motor impairment may be an early sign of mental illness in kids with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, according to a 4-year Danish study. (The Lancet Psychiatry)

The new 988 suicide hotline received 154,585 more calls, texts, and chat messages in November 2022 compared with the old national hotline in November 2021. (Fortune)

Famed psychiatrist and bioethics pioneer Willard Gaylin, MD, passed away late last month at the age of 97. (New York Times)

A former opioid addiction clinic owner in Kansas was sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison for meth trafficking, according to the Department of Justice.