Investigators Examine Differences In Transgender Teens’ Tendency Toward Suicidal Thoughts And Behavior

STAT (11/7) reports that in findings published last month in Pediatrics, researchers “analyzed mental health among 2,000 teens, more than half of whom were transgender.” The researchers “asked teens to identify their current gender identity and what gender they were assigned at birth.” The findings reveal that “transgender boys were at the highest risk of a suicide attempt requiring medical attention, followed by non-binary teens assigned male at birth.” Also, “transgender girls were six times more likely than cis boys to have suicidal thoughts.”

Related Links:

— “Mental health studies lump transgender teens under one umbrella — and miss clues to help them in the process, “Megan Thielking, STAT, November 7, 2019

Four Additional Hours Of Physical Activity Per Week May Reduce Odds Of Incident Depression Among People With A Genetic Predisposition For Depression, Research Suggests

Healio (11/5, Gramigna) reports, “Among people with a genetic predisposition for depression, four additional hours of physical activity” per week “may reduce the odds of incident depression by 17%,” researchers concluded after analyzing “data from the longitudinal Partners Healthcare Biobank, which integrated genomic data for nearly 8,000 individuals of European ancestry with lifestyle survey responses – including some on physical activity – and high-dimensional electronic health records.” The findings were published online Nov. 5 in the journal Depression & Anxiety. MD Magazine (11/5, Walter) also covers the study.

Related Links:

— “Increased physical activity may reduce depressive episodes by 17%, “Joe Gramigna, , November 5, 2019

US Regional And National Newspapers Falling Short Of Meeting Suicide Death Reporting Guidelines, Researchers Say

Psychiatric News (11/5) reports, “Regional and national newspapers in the United States are falling short of meeting guidelines for reporting on suicide deaths,” researchers concluded after analyzing “coverage following the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain in June 2018 in print newspapers with a minimum circulation of 200,000.” The study revealed that “the publications adhered to only about half of the national recommendations for reporting on suicide, such as avoiding details of lethal means or use of a sensational headline.” The findings were published online Nov. 1 in a research letter in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Newspapers Can Do More to Change Public Perception of Suicide, Report Suggests, Psychiatric News, November 5, 2019

Traumatic Experiences In Childhood May Do Lifelong Harm To Physical And Mental Health, Education, And Work, Research Indicates

The AP (11/5, Stobbe) reports, “U.S. health officials estimate that millions of cases of heart disease and other illnesses are linked to abuse and other physical and psychological harm suffered early in life.”

MedPage Today (11/5, Hlavinka) reports, “Of 144,017 individuals who completed a phone survey, those who reported at least four ACEs (15.6%) had a higher risk for all measured conditions, including coronary heart disease (CHD, adjusted odds ratio 1.8, 95% CI 1.3-2.1), obesity (aOR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.3), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (aOR 2.8, 95% CI 2.5-3.1),” the study found. People “with four or more ACEs were also more likely to report depression (aOR 5.3, 95% CI 4.9–5.7) and socioeconomic hardships, such as unemployment (aOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.5–2.0), compared with people who did not report ACEs,” the research revealed. The findings were published online in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Healio (11/5, Bortz) also covers the story.

Related Links:

— “US health officials link childhood trauma to adult illness, “Mike Stobbe, AP, November 5, 2019

Many People With Down Syndrome May Have Dementia By Age 55, Study Suggests

HealthDay (11/4, Preidt) reports, “Most people with Down syndrome have dementia by age 55, a new study shows.” Researchers “analyzed Medicaid claims data on 3,000 people with Down syndrome, aged 21 and older, in Wisconsin” and found that “3 in 5 people with Down syndrome will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia by age 55.” In comparison, those “without Down syndrome are rarely diagnosed with dementia before age 65.” The results were published in JAMA Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Down Syndrome Carries Raised Risk of Dementia by 55, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, November 4, 2019

Researchers Examine Health Outcomes Tied To ED Visits By Teens For Self-Harm

Reuters (11/4, Rapaport) reports that “teens who visit the emergency” department (ED) “for self-harm injuries have a higher risk of repeat” ED “visits for self-harm and suicide attempts and a higher mortality risk than their peers,” researchers concluded after following “5,661 adolescents who visited Ontario” ED “for self-harm,” and then also tracking “10,731 similar teens seen in the” ED “for other reasons.” The findings were published online Nov. 4 in CMAJ.

Related Links:

— “Teen self-harm tied to higher risk of ER visits, suicide attempts, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, November 4, 2019

Number Of US Adolescents Admitted To EDs For Injuries Related To Sexual Abuse More Than Doubled Between 2010 And 2016, Data Indicate

CNN (11/4, Christensen) reports that research indicates “the number of US adolescents admitted to” emergency departments (EDs) “for injuries related to sexual abuse more than doubled between 2010 and 2016.” The data indicated that “for kids ages 12 to 17, the number increased from 2,280 in 2010 to 5,058 in 2016.” Investigators also “found that the number of emergency department admissions for child sexual abuse jumped from 5,138 in 2010 to 8,818 in 2016, an increase of more than 70%.” The findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics.

HealthDay (11/4, Preidt) reports that the data also “showed that 85% of the” ED “admissions for cases of confirmed sexual abuse in this age group involved girls and 15% of the cases involved boys.”

The Hill (11/4, Sullivan) reports, “The researchers…noted that rates of sexual abuse have been declining, so the increase in treatment could be because of other factors, such as better coordination and awareness between medical and legal professionals.”

Also covering the story are Reuters (11/4, Carroll) and MedPage Today (11/4, Hlavinka).

Related Links:

— “Child sex abuse cases treated in ERs rose more than 70% in seven years, study says, ” Jen Christensen, CNN, November 4, 2019

Veterans With Moderate, Severe Pain Intensity More Likely To Attempt Suicide, Study Says

Newsweek (11/1, Dodge) reported, “Veterans with moderate or severe pain intensity are more likely to attempt suicide, according to a recent study by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The study evaluated more than 200,000 cases over a two-year period, discovering lower survival rates among veterans with pain, even when considering a history of suicide attempts, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and financial concerns.”

Related Links:

— “Veterans In Pain Are More Likely To Attempt Suicide, Va Study Shows, “Blake Dodge, Newsweek, November 1, 2019

Methamphetamine May Induce Psychosis Similar To Presentations Of Schizophrenia, Study Suggests

Newsweek (11/3, Dodge) reported that “according to an article published” in the November 2018 issue of the journal Frontiers of Psychiatry, methamphetamine “can induce a psychosis similar to presentations of schizophrenia.” Recreational use of methamphetamine “has been associated [with] both auditory and visual hallucinations, delusions and disorganized speech.” These triggered symptoms are “not exactly a far cry from some of the most common markers of schizophrenic episodes like distortions in perceptions, false beliefs, unclear or confused thinking and disorganized speech, according to the authors.” The study abstract disclosed that 554 current users of methamphetamine were included in the study.

Related Links:

— “Amid Meth Resurgence, Police Often Can’t Tell The Difference Between Trips And Mental Illness: Report
, “Blake Dodge, Newsweek, November 3, 2019

Construction Workers, Miners More Likely Than Other Workers To Use Opioids, Cocaine, Study Suggests

CBS News (11/1, Cerullo) reported on its website, “Construction workers and miners are used to physically demanding, often dangerous work. Yet these jobs may also expose hard-hats to another risk: substance abuse.” The piece continued, “A recent study found that workers in these industries are more likely than other workers to use opioids and cocaine. A little over 3% of those employed in the construction trade and extraction industry had used non-prescription opioids over the past month, compared to 2% of other types of workers, according to the research, which was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.”

Related Links:

— “Construction workers and miners are the most likely to use opioids, “Megan Cerullo, CBS News, November 1, 2019