HealthDay (10/18, Haelle) reported that, according to a 99-patient study published online Sept. 29 in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, “family rejection could be potentially deadly for teens already at risk for suicide.” After adjusting for confounding factors, researchers found that “boys with feelings of invalidation from their families were almost four times more likely to attempt suicide than boys who didn’t feel rejected.” In fact, “boys who felt rejected most often during the follow-up were eight times more likely to attempt suicide than those who felt accepted by their families.”

Related Links:

— “Family Acceptance Key to Curbing Teen Suicides, Study Shows,” Tara Haelle, HealthDay, October 17, 2014.

HealthDay (10/18, Preidt) reported that, according to a study published Oct. 13 in the American Sociological Review, use of stimulation medications by US children appears to be “30 percent higher during the school year than in the summer.” After analyzing “prescriptions written for stimulants in the United States during the 2007 to 2008 school year,” researchers theorized that “many children may use stimulants to help them meet academic demands.”

Related Links:

— “U.S. Kids Use ADHD Meds More During School Year,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, October 17, 2014.

Medscape (10/18) reported that, according to a study published in the October issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry, “the likelihood that a child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) will receive stimulant medication goes beyond their symptoms.” The study of 1,920 children revealed that “low maternal education increases the likelihood that a child with AD/HD will receive medication, whereas immigrant status decreases the odds.”

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

Reuters (10/17, Seaman) reports researchers from the University of Georgia have found that, while African American teens growing up in poverty are more likely to have chronic illnesses than other kids, emotional support from caretakers can offset the damage from living in a stressful environment. The study examined 420 19-year-old African American adolescents and is published in the journal Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Mentoring kids in poverty helps lower their health risks: study,” Andrew M. Seaman, Reuters, October 16, 2014.

HealthDay (10/17, Reinberg) reports that, according to a report released by the US National Center for Health Statistics, “depression and obesity tend to go hand in hand.” Researchers found that the “combination was so common that 43 percent of depressed adults were also obese,” with the association “even more prevalent among those taking antidepressants: 55 percent of those patients were also obese.”

Related Links:

— “Obesity and Depression Often Twin Ills, Study Finds,” Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, October 16, 2014.

HealthDay (10/16, Mozes) reports that, according to a study published online Oct. 15 in the journal Psychiatric Services, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association, “residents of major US metropolitan areas who need a psychiatrist are often likely to come up empty-handed, regardless of ability to pay.” After attempting “to get an appointment with 360 outpatient psychiatrists based in either Boston, Houston or Chicago,” researchers encountered “wrong numbers, unreturned phone calls, and full practices.”

Related Links:

— “Just Try Getting an Appointment With a Psychiatrist,” Alan Mozes, HealthDay, October 15, 2014.

HealthDay (10/16, Preidt) reports that, according to a study published online in the journal Clinical Psychological Science, adolescent “girls have more relationship-related stress than boys, which puts them at greater risk for depression.” After assessing “400 white and black American teens” for depression four times at intervals of approximately seven months, researchers found that “girls had more relationship-related stress (such as fights with parents or friends) than boys, which increased their risk for depression.”

Related Links:

— “Teen Girls May Face Greater Risk of Depression,” Robery Priedt, HealthDay, October 15, 2014.

Medwire News (10/16, Piper) reports that according to a 634-patient study published online Oct. 13 in the journal Bipolar Disorders, “experiencing verbal abuse in childhood has a lasting negative effect on the course of bipolar disorder [BD].” Researchers found that “verbal abuse in isolation was associated with an earlier onset of bipolar disorder and worse prognosis compared with no abuse.” What’s more, “the effect of verbal abuse on age of bipolar onset was related to its frequency, with patients reporting having experienced verbal abuse ‘occasionally’ or ‘frequently’ developing bipolar disorder earlier than those experiencing it ‘never’ or ‘rarely.’”

Related Links:

— “Verbal abuse worsens bipolar disease outcome,” Lucy Piper, MedWire, October 16, 2014.

In print and in its “Well” blog, the New York Times (10/14, D5, Brody) reports that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) “is often socially, emotionally and vocationally crippling.” But, when the condition is “properly treated, 60 percent to 85 percent of patients improve significantly and remain better for years, although booster sessions often are needed to maintain improvement.”

The most effective treatment technique is a form of cognitive behavior therapy called “exposure and response prevention…done once or twice a week for up to 30 hours total.” Patients with OCD may also suffer from anxiety and depression. Treatment is more effective if started sooner than later, and the condition will not go away on its own.

Related Links:

— “O.C.D., a Disorder That Cannot Be Ignored,” Jane E. Brody, New York Times, October 13, 2014.

HealthDay (10/14, Preidt) reports that according to a study presented Oct. 7 at the Eating Disorders Association of Canada’s annual meeting, “eating disorders can begin before puberty and may be linked with other mental health issues.”

After evaluating some 215 eight- to 12-year-old children, researchers found that “more than 15 percent of the kids made themselves vomit occasionally, and about 13 percent had bulimic-like behaviors.” Notably, “psychiatric problems were present in 36 percent of the children’s families, and many of the children had mental health issues such as anxiety and mood and attention disorders, the study found.”

Related Links:

— “Eating Disorders May Start in Elementary School,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, October 13, 2014.