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Study Finds Depression, Suicidal Ideation Among College Students Increased Over Past 15 Years
Results of an analysis of health survey data from more than 560,000 U.S. college students concludes that depression symptoms have steadily increased over the past 15 years, particularly among women, minorities and students experiencing financial stress. The study specifically found that the rate of self-reported depression symptoms continued to grow over the 15 years of the analysis period (2007-2022), extending a trend reported by many researchers for the past two decades. According to Carol Vidal, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Children’s Center, thoughts of suicide, or “suicidal ideation,” increased across all demographic groups regardless of race, age, gender or financial stress, but reports of other symptoms, such as restlessness and lack of concentration rose most steeply among female, financially distressed and minority students. Read more here.
Related: JAMA - Loneliness, Anxiety Symptoms, Depressive Symptoms, and Suicidal Ideation in the All of Us Dataset
NABITA - Post-Incident Response in Higher Education
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SAMHSA Announces More Than $69 Million in Funding Opportunities for Serious Mental Illness and Suicide Prevention Grant Programs
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), on March 6 announced $69.1 million in funding opportunities for three grant programs: the Children's Mental Health Initiative (CMHI), Implementing Zero Suicide in Health Systems (Zero Suicide) and Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT). “Last month, I launched a comprehensive plan to strengthen prevention, expand treatment, and advance President Trump’s Great American Recovery Initiative,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “These grants will directly address the root causes of addiction — including homelessness and serious mental illness — and strengthen community safety by expanding treatment that prioritizes recovery, stability, and self-sufficiency." Read more here.
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OPWDD Launches Home-Enabling Supports Technology Service
The New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) has announced the availability of a new program called Home-Enabling Supports for individuals with developmental disabilities who live in their communities in uncertified homes and are enrolled in the OPWDD Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver. The service is intended to help people achieve greater independence by using technology and tools that can reduce reliance on staff in the home and community while supporting safety, health, and participation in community life. OPWDD has approved providers across the state to deliver the service, and individuals interested in learning whether Home-Enabling Supports may be appropriate are encouraged to speak with their Care Manager. Read more here.
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New York State Does the Work on Behavioral Health Interoperability
A lot of strides have been made enabling semantic interoperability across care settings over the past 15 years or so, but one area where data exchange remains challenging is behavioral health. New York State's public mental healthcare system was one place where this challenge – lack of easy access to patient data, where and when it was needed – was hindering care delivery and harming the patient and provider experience. "There was a fragmentation of care across New York State," said Nitin Gupta of the state's Office of Mental Health. "We worked with 22 different teams across New York State, and each of those teams were collecting data in their own EMRs – some were standard EMRs, some were non-standard EMRs." Gupta, director of PSYCKES, a HIPAA-compliant, web-based app to support clinical decision-making, care coordination and quality improvement across New York State, is scheduled to speak next week at the 2026 HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition in Las Vegas. Read more here.
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Veteran Suicide Rate in New York State Jumps by 25%
New data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs show a sharp increase in suicide rates among New York State veterans, reaching the highest level in more than 20 years. According to the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth), the veteran suicide rate in New York rose to 24.9 per 100,000 in 2023—a 25.8% increase from 2022. By comparison, the suicide rate for New York’s general population declined slightly to 10.7 per 100,000, a 1.8% decrease. The findings are a troubling reversal after several years during which veteran suicide rates in New York remained stable or declined. “Combat operations in Iran and Venezuela place our troops in danger. But the challenges facing service members do not end when their deployments do; the crisis of veteran suicide is ongoing,” said David Sandman, Ph.D., President and CEO of the New York Health Foundation. “Veteran suicide is not inevitable; it is preventable.” Read more here.
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Rethinking How We Measure Recovery from Substance Use
Nearly 50 million people in the United States struggle with substance use disorders, and nearly three in four use more than one substance. People with poly-substance use disorders are more likely than single drug users to suffer poor health, relapse from treatment, and overdose. They're also three times more likely to die. The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition does not acknowledge polysubstance use disorder. The predominant recovery paradigm tells people with multiple substance dependencies that they aren't in recovery until they achieve full abstinence from all of them. But that sends a discouraging message, said Allison Tegge, a research associate professor at Virginia Tech's Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC. In a new study published in Harm Reduction Journal, Tegge and her team propose a new measure, proportion of remission, that aims to give polysubstance users credit for progress when they quit one substance and to bolster confidence as they work to quit others. Read more here.
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Rural Health Transformation Program: State Focus on Behavioral Health
Access to behavioral health care is a central focus across many states’ Rural Health Transformation program (RHTP) applications, shaping both overarching goals and investment strategies. State approaches generally align across four core areas:
- Expanding access to integrated primary and behavioral health care services
- Strengthening the rural behavioral health crisis continuum
- Building and sustaining the rural behavioral health workforce
- Embedding mental health and substance use services across broader rural health payment approaches and technology investments
Together, these strategies reflect emerging trends in how states are using RHTP program funds and point to key policy and implementation priorities likely to shape rural mental health and substance use systems over the coming years. Across these areas, states are increasingly directing investments toward evidence-based, measurable interventions that can be scaled. Read more here.
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New Resource: White Paper on Medicaid Work Requirements Under H.R. 1
The National Council for Mental Wellbeing has released a new white paper, “H.R. 1 and the Impact of Medicaid Work Requirements,” examining the bill’s new community engagement requirements for Medicaid expansion enrollees, which most states are expected to begin implementing on January 1, 2027. The paper provides background on the policy, highlights lessons learned from previous state implementation efforts, and offers recommendations for providers and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It also outlines considerations for organizations serving individuals with mental health and substance use challenges, including those who may qualify for exemptions. Read the white paper here.
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NAMI Releases Issue Brief on Trends in Mental Health and Criminal Justice State Policy
In recognition of National Criminal Justice Month, NAMI released a new publication, Trends in Mental Health and Criminal Justice State Policy. The mental health crisis in the criminal justice system has led to communities searching for ways to reduce criminal justice system involvement and increase investments in mental health care. NAMI’s Trends in Mental Health and Criminal Justice State Policy shows how state policymakers and advocates can address this problem. This issue brief offers state legislators and advocates policy recommendations and examples of legislation that supports individuals with mental health conditions who are at risk of being or are justice system-involved. Many of the new state laws in this brief were championed by NAMI State Organizations and their advocates. Read more here.
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UPCOMING EVENTS & TRAININGS
Means Reduction Counseling and Overdose Prevention Strategies
March 12, 12:30 - 1:30 pm, Zero Overdose/Zero Suicide
Becoming a MHFA Instructor
March 12, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Having an Impact: Young Adult Change-Makers Explore Mental Health Challenges and Accomplishments
March 17, 12 - 1 pm, NYS Public Health Association
Workforce Solutions Jam: Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce - Technology as an Extender
March 17, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
An Introduction to Problem Gambling Screening Tools
March 17, 1 - 2 pm, National Council on Problem Gambling
Leading Change With H.O.P.E. — How Leaders Can Enable Change That Sticks
March 18, 1 - 2 pm, Positively Partners
Family Support Services: What Are They and How Do You Get Them?
March 19, 10 - 11 am, OPWDD
Suicide and Substance Misuse: Supporting Safety
March 23, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm, PCSS
The South Carolina Model: Competence to Stand Trial Pre-Screening Consultation Services
March 23, 1:30 - 3 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center
ADHD Neurobiology: Exploring Dopamine, Norepinephrine, & Serotonin in an Integrative Model
March 25, 12 - 1 pm, PsychU
First Responder Women and Reproductive Health
March 25, 12 - 1 pm, SPCNY/OMH
Understanding The Role of Toxic Shame in Substance Use Disorders
March 25, 12 - 1:30 pm, NAADAC
Dually Enrolled Medicaid and Medicare Beneficiaries: Publicly Available Databases and Tools to Improve Understanding and Provide Relevant Services
March 25, 2 - 3 pm, SAMHSA CFRI
Setting the Record Straight: What AOT Is—and Is Not
March 25, 2:30 - 3:30 pm, Policy Research Associates
2026 Working with Addictions Summit - VIRTUAL
March 28 - 29, NAADAC/Mental Health Academy
Care Coordination and Referral Partnerships in the Integrated Care Field
March 31, 3 - 4 pm, Center of Excellence for Integrated Health Solutions
Brain Injury 101: Understanding & Identifying Brain Injury
March 31, 10 - 11 am, DOH/OMH/OASAS
Evidence-based Treatment for Stimulant Use Disorder
April 7, 1 - 2 pm, Providers Clinical Support System
Rural Overdose Prevention: What State Policymakers Need to Know
April 9, 2 - 3 pm, National Conference of State Legislatures
Building an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in an OTP Setting: Adapting to the Expanding ASAM Criteria 4th Edition
April 15, 12 - 1:30 pm, NAADAC
Becoming a MHFA Instructor
April 16, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
New York's Healthcare System in the Face of Federal Uncertainty
April 20, 12 - 1 pm, Albany Law School
Brain Injury Treatment: Psychopharmacology & Medical Interventions
April 21, 10 - 11 am, DOH/OMH/OASAS
Workforce Solutions Jam: Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce - Lived Experience as a Resource
April 21, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Ethical Issues and Best Practices in Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Clinical Supervisors, Counselors, and Interns
April 29, 12 - 1:30 pm, NAADAC
Supporting Individuals Engaged in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment for Peers
May 13, 12 - 1:30 pm, NAADAC
Brain Injury: Practical Strategies for Engagement
May 19, 10 - 11 am, DOH/OMH/OASAS
Essential Clinical and Peer Supervision Practices in Substance Use Disorder Services
June 17, 12 - 1:30 pm, NAADAC
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CLMHD CALENDAR
March
Mental Health Committee Meeting
March 12: 3 - 4 pm
Children & Families Committee Meeting
March 17: 12 - 1:30 pm
Membership Call
March 18: 9 - 10:30 am
IOCC Meeting
March 23: 1 - 3 pm
April
Executive Committee Meeting
April 1: 8 - 9 am
Addiction Services & Recovery Committee Meeting
April 9: 11 am - 12 pm
Mental Health Committee Meeting
April 9: 3 - 4 pm
LGU Clinic Operators Call
April 14: 10 - 11 am
Membership Call
April 15: 9 - 10:30 am
Developmental Disabilities Committee Meeting
April 16: 1 - 2 pm
Children & Families Committee Meeting
April 21: 12 - 1:30 pm
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