Medscape (10/4, Harrison) reports that research indicates “the financial costs associated with frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), the most common dementia in patients under age 60 years, are nearly twice as high as those associated with Alzheimer’s disease.” Data “from the web-based survey show the total annual per-patient cost of caring for a patient with FTD was $119,654 in 2016 US dollars,” approximately “two times higher than reported costs of taking care of a patient with AD.” The survey indicated “the median annual household income” one year “before an FTD diagnosis was in the range of $75,000 to $99,000. But 12 months after diagnosis it fell to the $50,000 to $59,000 range – a drop of up to 50%.” The findings were published online Oct. 4 in Neurology.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

Healio (10/4, Oldt) reports, “Analysis of a population-based cohort of” 11,108 “twins revealed a causal association between exposure to bullying and concurrent anxiety, depression, hyperactivity and impulsivity, and other mental health symptoms,” researchers reported. The findings were published online Oct. 4 in JAMA Psychiatry. The authors of an accompanying editorial “applauded the contribution of these findings to the mental health field.”

Related Links:

— “Bullying in childhood linked to poorer mental health,” Silberg J, et al., Healio, October 4, 2017.

HealthDay (10/4, Thompson) reports that research published online Oct. 4 in Neurology suggests “women who develop high blood pressure in their 40s could be much more vulnerable to dementia later in life.”

MedPage Today (10/4, Kneisel) reports that investigators “analyzed records for 5,646 members of the Kaiser Permanente system (3,095 women, 2,551 men) during 1964-1973 (average age 33 years) and 1978-1985 (average age 44 years).” The researchers found that “women who developed hypertension in their 40s were at significantly increased risk of dementia (HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.24–2.40) compared to normotensive women.” However, no association “was seen between midlife blood pressure and subsequent dementia risk in men.”

Related Links:

— “High Blood Pressure in 40s a Dementia Risk for Women?,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, October 4, 2017.

Reuters (10/4, Rapaport) reports that “23 percent of suicide victims age 50 or older shared suicidal thoughts with another person in the month before their death,” researchers found after examining “data on 46,857 suicide deaths among adults 50 or older in US states.”

HealthDay (10/4, Preidt) reports that “the older” the adults “were, the more likely they were to disclose” their intentions, the study revealed.

Healio (10/4) reports researchers also concluded via “logistic regression analyses” that “depressive mood…and health problems” were tied to “increased likelihood of suicide intent disclosure.” The findings were published online Oct. 3 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Older adults more likely to disclose suicidal thoughts as they age,” Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, October 4, 2017.

HealthDay (10/2, Mundell) reports that in wake of the Las Vegas shootings, “psychiatrists urge young people and their parents to not give way to fear.” Psychiatrist Victor Fornari, MD, “director, child and adolescent psychiatry, Zucker Hillside Hospital,” said, “The acts of violence we have seen are rare events, and should not interfere with young people from attending concerts.” Psychiatrist Matthew Lorber, MD, of the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said, “It is natural for parents to be fearful [after such events], but they have to be careful to not teach teens to be afraid of everything, but rather teach teens smart safety precautions.”

Related Links:

— “Reassuring Kids After Another Senseless Tragedy,” E.J. Mundell, HealthDay, October 2, 2017.

Healio (10/2) reports, “Illicit drug use initiation was highest for marijuana in 2016, followed by prescription pain relievers, tranquilizers and stimulants,” researchers from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found after analyzing “data from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) for individuals aged 12 years and older.”

Related Links:

— “Survey results shed light on substance use initiation trends,” Rachel N. Lipari, PhD, Healio, October 2, 2017.

The AP (10/3, Neergaard) reports the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism will launch Tuesday a novel online tool to help patients find alcohol treatment professionals. NIAAA Director George Koob “ordered development of the Alcohol Treatment Navigator after realizing if medical professionals were confused, families must be lost.” The Navigator offers a step-by-step guide to assessing options beyond detox and Alcoholics Anonymous, including links to thousands of board-certified addiction physicians or psychiatrists, accredited alcohol treatment centers, and licensed therapists, organized by ZIP code.

Related Links:

— “Trying to get sober? NIH offers tool to help find good care,” LAURAN NEERGAARD, ABC News, October 3, 2017.

Healio (9/29, Oldt) reported, “Adults who used cannabis were significantly more likely to use nonmedical prescription opioids,” researchers found after analyzing “data from wave 1 (2001-2002) and wave 2 (2004-2005) of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.” The findings were published online Sept. 26 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Cannabis use may increase risk for opioid abuse,” Olfson M, et al., Healio, September 29, 2017.

HealthDay (9/29, Preidt) reported, “Older adults who’ve lost their sense of smell appear to have an increased risk of dementia,” researchers concluded after conducting a “long-term study” that “included nearly 3,000 participants, aged 57 to 85, who were tested on their ability to identify five common odors.” The findings were published online Sept. 25 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Related Links:

— “Failing Sense of Smell Tied to Dementia Risk,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, September 29, 2017.

The NPR (10/1, Haelle) “Shots” blog reported, “Young adults on the autism spectrum” may be “more likely to also have been diagnosed with a psychiatric condition, such as depression, anxiety and” attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) “than are typically developing people or those with other developmental disabilities,” researchers found after examining data from two large “groups of young adults, ages 18-24, in Ontario, Canada.” The findings were published online Sept. 13 in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Related Links:

— “Many Young Adults With Autism Also Have Mental Health Issues,” TARA HAELLE, NPR, October 1, 2017.