The Washington Post (12/23, Ingraham) “Wonkblog” reports that US alcohol deaths have reached a “35-year high.” In 2014, some “30,700 Americans died from alcohol-induced causes, including alcohol poisoning and cirrhosis.” Excluded from this figure are “deaths from drunk driving, other accidents, and homicides committed under the influence of alcohol.” Were those deaths to be “included, the annual toll of deaths directly or indirectly caused by alcohol would be closer to 90,000, according to” a CDC report published Dec. 18 in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

TIME (12/23, Chan) points out, “Excessive alcohol use is a leading cause of preventable death, according to the” CDC, accounting “for about 88,000 deaths each from 2006 to 2010, health officials said.”

Related Links:

— “Americans are drinking themselves to death at record rates,” Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post, December 22, 2015.

On the front of its Personal Journal section, the Wall Street Journal (12/22, D1, Beck, Subscription Publication) reports in “Health Journal” that drinking heavily on a chronic and long-term basis may cause brain damage and cognitive decline. To avoid those effects, the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) recommends no more than 14 drinks weekly or four on one day for men and no more than seven drinks weekly or three on one day for women.

Related Links:

— “The Effects of Chronic Heavy Drinking on Brain Function Are Underdiagnosed,” Melinda Beck, WallStreet Journal, December 21, 2015.

In an opinion piece in the Washington Post (12/22), Marney A. White, PhD, MS, an associate professor of psychiatry and chronic disease epidemiology at Yale University, writes that not only is suicide “the leading cause of death among college students,” but also that “nearly one in five college-aged adults currently have or will develop a mental health problem within the next year.” White calls for adoption of “a public health approach focused on early identification and treatment” of students who could be at risk for the development of a “serious mental disorder.”

Related Links:

— “To prevent suicide in college, make mental health screening mandatory,” Marney A. White, Washington Post, December 21, 2015.

The Huffington Post (12/22, Jeltsen) reports that a study published in 2012 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders revealed that “13 percent of women aged 50 and older exhibited symptoms of eating disorders.” Due to “lingering stereotypes about who gets sick,” older women with eating disorders “can face lower rates of diagnosis, unique medical complications and limited treatment options, as well as the stigma that comes with having a disease” often seen in adolescents.

Related Links:

— “Inside The Hidden World Of Adult Eating Disorders,” Melissa Jeltsen, Huffington Post, December 21, 2015.

In a front-page article, the Washington Post (12/19, A1, Ingraham, Johnson) reported that “for the first time on record, Americans are as likely to die by a gunshot as in a traffic accident, according to” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released this month. According to the Post, deaths involving guns “now outnumber vehicle deaths in 21 states and the District of Columbia.” The Post adds this “trend was driven largely by the sharp drop in the rate of traffic fatalities” and while homicide rates involving guns “have fallen in recent years, [they] have been offset by the rising prevalence of suicides.”

Related Links:

— “How gun deaths became as common as traffic deaths,” Christopher Ingraham and Carolyn Y. Johnson, Washington Post, December 18, 2015.

HealthDay (12/19, Preidt) reported, “Heightened fear responses occur in certain areas of the brain in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” the findings of a 67-participant study published online Dec. 15 in Translational Psychiatry suggest. Magnetic resonance imaging brain scans revealed “heightened activity” in the brain’s “visual cortex.” The finding “is significant because along with visual processing, that area of the brain also assesses threats.”

Related Links:

— “Study Maps Areas of Brain Linked to PTSD,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, December 18, 2015.

Reuters (12/19, Kennedy) reported that active duty service members deployed to Afghanistan appeared not only to have an increase in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder not just immediately after combat deployment, but also up to five years afterward, a 1,007-soldier study published online Dec. 8 in The Lancet Psychiatry suggests. The study authors suggested that PTSD screening should continue for more than the first two years following combat deployment to detect new or recurring cases.

Related Links:

— “Veterans’ PTSD may recur down the line,” Madeline Kennedy, Reuters, December 18, 2015.

The AP (12/21, Stobbe) reported that a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Friday found that fatal overdoses from prescription opioids and heroin “surged” in 14 states last year, “pushing the nation to a record count.” Overdose deaths in the US eclipsed 47,000 in 2014, a 7 percent increase from the previous year, the highest amount reported since at least 1970, according to CDC records. The states where rates went up are Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. West Virginia had the highest overdose rate with 35.5 fatalities per 100,000, surpassing the national rate of 15 per 100,000. California had the most total overall deaths last year, with over 4,500. Ohio was second, with more than 2,700.

The Washington Post (12/19, Bernstein) reported that fatal overdoses due to heroin and prescription pain medicines were up 28 percent and 16.3 percent in 2014, respectively. The “10,574 heroin deaths and the 18,893 deaths from prescription opioids were two big contributors to a sharp increase in fatal drug overdoses last year.” Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, “The bottom line is the opioid overdose epidemic has not abated and appears to have soared in 2014.” He added, “It’s clear that the opiate epidemic from 2013 to 2014 got worse, not better.”

According to The New York Times (12/18, A16, Kolata, Subscription Publication), “men and women of all races and ethnic groups and nearly all ages were affected by drug overdoses.”

Related Links:

— “REPORT: DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS SURGED IN 14 STATES LAST YEAR,” Mike Stobbe, Associated Press, December 18, 2015.

HealthDay (12/17, Haelle) reports, “Young children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) may experience more problems socializing with their peers, which can then contribute to worsening symptoms,” a study of nearly 1,000 youngsters suggests. When investigators “compared the children’s symptoms and social interactions at ages four, six and eight, they found that kids with the most severe AD/HD symptoms also experienced the most rejection from their classmates.”

Related Links:

— “ADHD May Hamper Social Relationships Early in Life,” Tara Haelle, HealthDay, December 16, 2015.

Roll Call (12/16, Bowman) explored the politics behind stalled “mental health system overhaul legislation,” including HR 2646, introduced by Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA). That bill “has faced roadblocks: navigating the complex mental health system, educating lawmakers about needed improvements and lacking specific, vocal support from leadership.” One sticking point is “the discourse surrounding gun violence.”

While Republicans contend that “the government must better enforce existing gun laws, and that mental health system changes could help better treat those with mental illness, and prevent…mass shootings,” Democrats counter by saying that Republicans are “pushing for mental health system changes because the public is pressuring Congress to take some action after these shootings, and they do not want to battle the National Rifle Association about changing gun laws.”

Related Links:

— “Why Mental Health Bill Isn’t Moving,” Bridget Bowman, Roll Call, December 16, 2015.