Top psych stories of December: Prescription cannabinoids, assessing autism risk via hair

Healio Psychiatry’s five most-viewed stories in December highlight the lack of evidence for prescription cannabinoids in treating psychiatric disorders, the FDA’s breakthrough designation for a device that may assess autism risk using a hair strand, and the effects of geography and race/ethnicity on late-life depression severity.

Current evidence does not support prescription cannabinoids for psychiatric disorders

Available evidence does not sufficiently support prescription cannabinoids for treating psychiatric disorders, according to results of a review published in American Journal of Psychiatry. Read more.

FDA grants breakthrough designation to device that may assess autism risk via hair strand

The FDA has granted breakthrough device designation to Linus Biotechnology Inc. for a diagnostic aid that may identify the presence of autism spectrum disorder using a single strand of hair. Read more.

Geography, race/ethnicity impact late-life depression severity

Severity in symptoms of late-life depression may be linked to geography, as well as racial/ethnic disparities depending on location, according to a cohort study published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Read more.

Psychotherapy provision declined significantly in recent decades

The number of psychiatrists who provided psychotherapy significantly declined between 1996 and 2016, according to study results published in American Journal of Psychiatry. Read more.

Health care workers faced moral injury during pandemic

Health care professionals experienced fear of infection, short staffing and inadequate protective equipment during the pandemic in 2020, resulting in emotional distress, according to results of a qualitative study published in JAMA Network Open. Read more.