Morning Medical Update: New CDC director; 63% of children do not receive mental health services after firearm injury; Suicide attempts peak season

New CDC director

Experts believe former North Carolina Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen will be the new leader of the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Cohen has experience as a former Obama administration official. If appointed she will replace Dr. Rochelle Walensky who is stepping down at the end of the month.

63% of children do not receive mental health services after firearm injury

More than 11,258 American youths experienced nonfatal firearm injuries in 2020. Within six months of those injuries, 63% of youths enrolled in Medicaid did not receive mental health support. According to the article, ‘after injury, the percentage of children diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and suicidal ideation/self-injury nearly doubled.’

Suicide attempts peak season

While suicide ideation peaks in winter, suicide attempts are most common in late spring and early summer, specifically between 4 and 6 a.m. “The most at-risk individuals become slightly less depressed and may gain more energy to contemplate and plan their method to attempt suicide,” study investigator Brian O'Shea, PhD, assistant professor of social psychology at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom said in an interview. All responses in the study were based on self-reports.