TL;DR
The Veterans Affairs will require signed consent forms and documented risk-benefit discussions before prescribing antidepressants to younger veterans. Separately, a randomized trial found an investigational smartphone app reduced negative symptoms of schizophrenia, and a small pilot trial linked cutting ultraprocessed foods to lower depression and anxiety scores.
The Department of Veterans Affairs will require signed consent forms and documented discussions of antidepressant risks and benefits before younger veterans can receive a prescription, according to a report in The New York Times highlighted in a September 30 psychiatry roundup by MedPage Today. The policy change comes amid a week of sobering mental health data, including CDC figures showing roughly 49,000 U.S. suicide deaths in 2023 — more than double the nation’s homicide deaths that year.
Get oils, diffusers and self-care delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
The new VA policy applies specifically to younger veterans, who will need to sign consent forms and have documented conversations with clinicians about the risks and benefits of antidepressants before a prescription is issued, the New York Times reported. The VA has not publicly detailed the full scope of the policy in the roundup material, including an exact implementation date or which age range counts as “younger veterans.”
In research news, a randomized trial published in JAMA Network Open found that an investigational smartphone app reduced the severity of negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Negative symptoms — such as reduced motivation and social withdrawal — are often less responsive to existing medications than positive symptoms like hallucinations, making a digital tool aimed at them a notable development, though the app remains investigational and is not yet approved or widely available.
A small pilot crossover trial published in JAMA Psychiatry indicated that patients with major depressive disorder showed lower depression and anxiety scores when they reduced the amount of ultraprocessed foods in their diet. As a small pilot study, the findings are preliminary and would need to be confirmed in larger trials before any dietary recommendation could be made on this basis.
Why the VA Consent Policy Draws Attention
The VA consent requirement matters because it changes how a large health system handles one of the most commonly prescribed drug classes, and because it arrives alongside stark suicide data. CDC figures published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report showed about 49,000 suicide deaths in 2023, compared with roughly 23,000 homicide deaths — a gap that underscores the scale of the mental health crisis the policy is responding to. The measure also reflects a broader pattern of increased clinical caution around psychotropic medications: a separate study in the American Journal of Psychiatry found the annual prevalence of dispensed benzodiazepines dropped 26.7% from 2013 to 2024, which researchers attributed to greater clinical caution and updated safety labeling.
For veterans, the policy could mean more informed decision-making — or, some clinicians may worry, added friction in accessing treatment. The roundup material does not specify how the VA weighed those trade-offs.
Products Worth Considering
Withings Body Scan Smart Scale with Segmental Body Composition and ECG, Black
Therabody Theragun Relief Massage Gun, 3-Speed, Navy
Fitbit Sense 2 Smartwatch – Shadow Grey/Graphite
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
A Heavy Week in Psychiatry News
The roundup compiled developments across military and civilian mental health. The acting Navy secretary said eight sailors assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide, according to The Hill. In Colorado, a state with one of the nation’s highest pediatric suicide rates, emergency room visits for pediatric mental health concerns jumped 65% between 2019 and 2025 at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Axios reported. Chicago launched a street psychiatry team to reach homeless individuals with mental health issues, according to CBS News.
Other research in the roundup included: Acadia Pharmaceuticals’ investigational Alzheimer’s psychosis drug remlifanserin missed its primary endpoint in a phase II trial, though the company plans to advance the 5HT2A receptor inverse agonist to phase III; greater antipsychotic adherence was associated with more outpatient behavioral health visits and fewer emergency department visits in young adults with first-episode psychosis (JAMA Network Open); and a systematic review in Psychological Medicine linked cannabis use to higher risk of violent behavior. Roughly 9% of older adults reported past-year cannabis use, with 11% of those meeting criteria for cannabis use disorder (Addiction).
“An investigational smartphone app reduced the severity of negative symptoms in schizophrenia.”
— JAMA Network Open, randomized trial
What the Reports Leave Open
Several details remain unclear. The roundup does not specify the VA policy’s effective date, the exact age range covered by “younger veterans,” or which antidepressants and indications are included. The schizophrenia app trial’s effect size and duration are not described in the source material, and the app remains investigational. The diet and depression trial was a small pilot crossover study, so its findings cannot be generalized without larger controlled trials. Circumstances behind the eight reported suicide attempts aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group have not been detailed, and the acting Navy secretary’s statement has not been independently expanded upon in the roundup.
Watch for Policy Rollout and Larger Trials
The VA is expected to publish implementation guidance for the consent requirement, which will clarify who is covered and how documented discussions will be recorded. Acadia Pharmaceuticals plans to move remlifanserin into phase III trials despite its phase II miss. The schizophrenia app researchers will likely pursue larger studies and, if results hold, regulatory review. The diet-depression findings would need replication in bigger trials before informing clinical guidance. Ongoing monitoring of military mental health — including the Navy’s response to the USS Abraham Lincoln incidents — is expected to continue.
Key Questions
What does the new VA antidepressant policy require?
According to the New York Times, younger veterans will need to sign consent forms and have documented discussions about the risks and benefits of antidepressants before receiving a prescription. Implementation details, including timing, were not specified.
Does the VA policy mean antidepressants are unsafe?
No. The policy adds an informed-consent step before prescribing; it does not establish that antidepressants are unsafe. It reflects a broader trend of increased clinical caution in psychotropic prescribing, similar to the documented decline in benzodiazepine dispensing from 2013 to 2024.
Is the schizophrenia app available to patients now?
No. The app is investigational. A randomized trial in JAMA Network Open found it reduced negative symptom severity in schizophrenia, but it has not received approval for general clinical use.
Can changing your diet treat depression?
The evidence is preliminary. A small pilot crossover trial in JAMA Psychiatry found lower depression and anxiety scores when patients with major depressive disorder reduced ultraprocessed foods. Dietary changes may be a supportive measure, not a treatment substitute, and anyone managing depression should consult a healthcare professional.
How common is suicide in the U.S. compared with homicide?
CDC data published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report showed about 49,000 suicide deaths in 2023, more than double the roughly 23,000 homicide deaths that same year.
Source: rss
