Think Progress (3/2, Collins) reports that “Facebook wants to capitalize on the confessional nature of its platform” and plans to unveil a “new suicide prevention tool — which it created in partnership with a few mental health organizations — that allows users to reach out to their troubled loved ones virtually and connect them with online resources after spotting the first sign of trouble.” Lisa Horowitz, PhD, MPH, a “staff scientist and pediatric psychologist at the National Institute of Mental Health, praised Facebook’s latest strategy to meet troubled youngsters on a medium they use often, saying that the suicide prevention app enables friends and family members to step in immediately.”

Related Links:

— “Will Facebook’s Efforts Actually Help Prevent Suicide?,” Sam P.K. Collins, Think Progress, March 2, 2015.

Reuters (3/2, Rapaport) reports that athletes in high school may not be getting enough help with mental health problems including bullying, depression, eating disorders and substance use. For that reason, new guidelines published in the March issue of the Journal of Athletic Training suggest that parents and athletic coaches should all learn the signs of when kids are experiencing such problems and refer them to mental healthcare professionals, if necessary.

Related Links:

— “High school athletes need more help with mental health issues,” Lisa Rapport, Reuters, March 2, 2015.

The Washington Post (2/28, Millman) “Wonkblog” reported that a study published online Feb. 26 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggests that “economic tumult may have been behind a sharp increase in suicides among adults between 40 and 64.” After analyzing “information from the National Violent Death Reporting System, a detailed database maintained by the CDC,” researchers found that “the proportion of suicides linked to external factors — such as job, financial or legal woes — increased from 33 percent in 2005 to 37.5 percent by 2010 among middle-age adults.”

Related Links:

— “The financial crisis may have been to blame for a sudden spike in middle-age suicides,” Jason Millman, Washington Post, February 27, 2015.

The Washington Post (3/4, Bernstein) “To Your Health” blog reports that the US “faces a shortage of as many as 90,000 physicians by 2025, including a critical need for specialists to treat an aging population that will increasingly live with chronic disease…reported” the Association of American Medical Colleges. This “report predicts that the greatest shortfall, on a percentage basis, will be in the demand for surgeons – especially those who treat diseases more common to older people, such as cancer.”

Related Links:

— “U.S. faces 90,000 doctor shortage by 2025, medical school association warns,” Lenny Bernstein, Washington Post, March 3, 2015.

HealthDay (3/4, Thompson) reports that a review published online March 3 in the journal Pediatrics suggests that 7.2 “percent of children worldwide have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD).” The review’s conclusion is based upon “data from 175 prior studies conducted over” 36 years, encompassing some “one million” North American and European youngsters. Notably, the review’s “estimate comes in lower than the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reports that 11 percent of US school-age children had been diagnosed with AD/HD by 2011.”

Related Links:

— “About 7 Percent of Kids Worldwide Have ADHD: Study,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, March 3, 2015.