Health
COVID pandemic triggered spike in antidepressant use among young females, study finds
Young people turned to antidepressants in greater numbers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, new research has shown.
Use of these medications was already on the rise prior to March 2020, but the pandemic accelerated that trend, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics on Feb. 26.
“Using 2016-2022 data from a comprehensive national database, we found that the antidepressant dispensing rate to adolescents and young adults was increasing rapidly before March 2020 but increased nearly 64% faster afterward,” Kao Ping Chua, M.D., PhD, a pediatrician and researcher at University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
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The data was pulled from the IQVIA Longitudinal Prescription Database, which compiles prescription information from most U.S. retail pharmacies.
Teen girls and young women were entirely responsible for the increase, the study found. “Among female adolescents aged 12 to 17 years, the antidepressant dispensing rate increased 130% faster after March 2020 than beforehand, compared with 57% faster among female young adults aged 18 to 25 years,” said Chua.
Teen girls and young women were entirely responsible for the increase in antidepressants, the study found. (iStock)
Among young males, however, antidepressant prescriptions decreased or changed very little, despite studies suggesting that the mental health of male adolescents worsened during the pandemic.
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“Given this, it is surprising that the rate of antidepressant dispensing to male adolescents declined,” Chua noted.
“I worry that this decline may reflect underdiagnosis and undertreatment of mental health concerns.”
Mental health experts share reactions
Marlene McDermott, LMFT, PhD, a Philadelphia-based licensed marriage and family therapist with Array Behavioral Care, said the increase is likely due to greater access to mental health care — which allows more teenagers to seek treatment that they may have always needed.
She was not involved in the study.
“I think it will be important to monitor these numbers over the next two years to determine if this is a new baseline, or if there is a significantly worsening mental health crisis for teens,” she told Fox News Digital.
Use of antidepressant medications was already on the rise before March 2020, but the pandemic accelerated that trend, according to the new study. (iStock)
“The destigmatization of mental health treatment is a good thing for the adolescent population,” McDermott added. “If the use of antidepressants lowers the death by suicide rates, we are on the right track.”
Marissa Stridiron, M.D., New Jersey-based medical director of acute care at Array Behavioral Care, who was also not involved in the study, pointed out that there was a large increase of children and adolescents in crisis coming into emergency rooms during the pandemic.
“The destigmatization of mental health treatment is a good thing for the adolescent population.”
“[This was] due to fewer earlier interventions from school-based therapeutic options, social isolation, a rise in social media use and resultant cyberbullying,” she told Fox News Digital.
Although crisis visits have decreased as the pandemic has ebbed, Stridiron noted that it still appears to be higher than pre-pandemic levels.
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“National media attention surrounding psychiatric crises in children and adults has led to increased access and earlier interventions in the outpatient realm, including from primary care physicians,” she said.
“This is great because it means we are capturing more patients in outpatient settings and initiating treatments earlier, thus reducing or preventing crises.”
Teens and young adults should seek medical attention if they are having depression symptoms, say mental health professionals. (iStock)
One limitation of the study, author Chua noted, is that it was not able to directly evaluate why antidepressant use by adolescents and young adults changed so much during the pandemic.
“In particular, it’s unclear why antidepressant dispensing to male adolescents declined,” he said.
Based on these findings, the researchers believe there may be an increased need for antidepressant medications as well as additional research into these trends.
“Adolescents and young adults with mental health symptoms should know that they are not alone,” said Chua.
“It is important for them to seek medical attention if they are having these symptoms and for their parents to encourage them to do so.”
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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Yoga is known to boost relaxation, strength and flexibility – and now a new study has found the practice could improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances after cancer treatment.
The findings were presented last week at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
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The study was conducted across multiple U.S. community cancer care sites, including 410 adult cancer survivors averaging 54 years of age. Around 75% were breast cancer survivors, and none of them had practiced yoga regularly within the prior three months.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances in cancer survivors. (iStock)
The participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Half of them received only standard survivorship care without the yoga, while the other half received standard care and were also enrolled in the Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) program.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training.
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Based on questionnaires completed by the patients, the survivors in the yoga group experienced “moderate-to-large” reductions in overall mood disturbance, “small-to-medium” reductions in anxiety and “medium-to-large” reductions in fatigue, the study found.
The improvements in mood and fatigue appeared to be linked to yoga’s beneficial effect on sleep quality, according to the researchers.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training. (iStock)
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug,” lead investigator Yuri Choi, PhD, of the Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, in Rochester, New York, told Fox News Digital.
The study did not reveal any major safety concerns or serious adverse events related to the yoga practice.
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug.”
The study did have some limitations, chiefly that the findings are preliminary and have not yet been peer-reviewed for a medical publication.
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“The sample in our clinical trial was relatively homogeneous, with most participants being women (96%), breast cancer patients (75%), Caucasian (93%), and having some college or higher education (82%),” noted Choi.
“We are adapting our intervention to reach all cancer patients and survivors, including the creation of a mobile app to reach people in rural communities.”
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The research also excluded patients with metastatic cancer (whose disease had spread to other parts of the body).
The total study was only four weeks, so more research is needed to determine long-term benefits.
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted. (iStock)
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted.
Some yoga studios may use different names for Gentle Hatha and Restorative yoga, such as Foundations Yoga or Healing Yoga, Choi noted.
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“Survivors should also look for certified yoga instructors who have experience working with cancer patients/survivors or individuals with other challenging health conditions,” the researcher advised. “They should not be afraid to ask their oncology team for referrals to qualified instructors in their community.”
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Choi also noted that the research did not reveal whether other types of yoga, such as heated-room or rigorous-flow yoga, are safe or beneficial for cancer survivors.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute.
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