Bloomberg News (1/9, Kitroeff) reported that research indicates that “some of America’s future lawyers are hiding drug, alcohol, and depression problems instead of seeking help.” Researchers came to this conclusion after surveying “more than 3,300 law students…about their drinking, drug use, and mental health.” These individuals “may be afraid to report the problems because they think that doing so would jeopardize their chances of being admitted to the bar or getting a good job after graduating, according to the” research (pdf), which was published in the Bar Examiner.

Related Links:

— “Study: Future Lawyers Are Hiding Depression and Drug and Alcohol Use,” Natalie Kitroeff, Bloomberg News, January 8, 2016.

In an opinion piece for The Hill (1/7) “Congress Blog,” Bernadette Melnyk, dean of Ohio State University’s School of Nursing, writes that “one of every four to five American adolescents has some kind of mental health challenge, many of them struggling with various levels of depression and anxiety, yet many do not receive treatment.” Melnyk also comments that an additional 15 percent of youngsters are overweight and 17 percent are obese, suggesting an “unaddressed national crisis.”

Melnyk is critical of the education system for not addressing the issue and says “we must do better recognizing what is obvious and implementing solutions that make a difference in classrooms.” She mentions an NIH-funded study that showed the benefits of teaching teens cognitive-behavioral skills.

Related Links:

— “For the mental and physical health of students,” Bernadette Melnyk, The Hill, January 6, 2016.

Reuters (1/7, Doyle) reports that 55 percent of 15- to 20-year-olds admit to having been exposed to alcohol marketing and advertising on the Internet, a study published online Jan. 6 in Pediatrics suggests. Researchers arrived at this conclusion after examining data on a survey conducted in 2011 in which some 2,000 underage people were polled.

Related Links:

— “Underage youth widely exposed to online alcohol marketing,” Kathryn Doyle, Reuters, January 6, 2016.

The Washington Post (1/7, Ingraham) reports in its “Wonkblog” that a study of 2,800 US 12th graders conducted by Texas A&M and the University of Florida revealed that alcohol is a gateway drug, finding “the vast majority of respondents reported using alcohol prior to either tobacco or marijuana initiation.” Tobacco was the first drug, of the three, to be used by 32% of respondents. The study (1/7) was published in the January issue of the Journal of School Health.

Related Links:

— “The real ‘gateway drug’ is 100% legal,” Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post, January 6, 2016.

HealthDay (1/7, Preidt) reports, “Premature menopause may increase a woman’s later risk of depression,” the findings of a 14-study review published online Jan. 6 in JAMA Psychiatry indicate. Researchers found that women “whose menopause began when they were 40 and older had a lower risk of depression later in life than those with premature menopause.”

Related Links:

— “Can Early Menopause Trigger Depression Later in Life?,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, January 6, 2016.

The Washington Post (1/4, Bernstein) reported in “To Your Health” that the National Council for Behavioral Health was scheduled to announce yesterday that “it will train another 500,000 people in its Mental Health First Aid course” in order to “help people recognize when someone is suffering from a mental health or substance abuse disorder and to encourage intervention.”

Related Links:

— “Trying to make mental health first aid as familiar as CPR,” Lenny Bernstein, Washington Post, January 4, 2016.

The Wilmington (DE) News Journal reported that “hearing voices can be a symptom of a mental health disorder, such as schizophrenia.” However, a study “published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that surveyed more than 31,000 people on the prevalence of hearing voices over their lifetime found that only one in 10 experienced delusions.” Hearing voices may also result from trauma, the article pointed out.

Related Links:

— “Hearing voices is not necessarily a sign of mental illness,” Jen Rini, Wilmington (DE) News Journal, January 4, 2016.

On its “Morning Edition” program and in its “Shots” blog, NPR (1/5, Hamilton) reported on “growing evidence that a lack of sleep can leave the brain vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease.” Brain scientists at the Oregon Health & Science University are “about to launch a study of people that should clarify the link between sleep problems and Alzheimer’s disease in humans.” Evidence in mice suggests that in “animals that don’t get enough solid shut-eye,” toxins related to Alzheimer’s “can build up and damage the brain.”

Related Links:

— “Lack Of Deep Sleep May Set The Stage For Alzheimer’s,” Jon Hamilton, National Public Radio, January 4, 2016.

On its front page, the Wall Street Journal (1/1, A1, Walker, Subscription Publication) reported that US prescription medication spending rose 12.2% last year, about five times faster than the growth rate in 2013, according to data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS also announced that in 2014, out-of-pocket costs for prescription medicines rose by 2.7%. The rise in medication prices has led some middle-class patients to either forgo treatment, deplete savings, or take on new debt.

Related Links:

— “Patients Struggle With High Drug Prices,” Joseph Walker, Wall Street Journal, December 31, 2015.

The Washington Post (1/1, Ingraham) “Wonkblog” reported that in 2015, “at least 265 children under the age of 18 picked up a firearm and accidentally shot themselves or someone else with it.” This figure was compiled by Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control advocacy group. Many of the shootings appear to happen when children find “an unsecured gun” in the home. Access to firearms may also result in suicides in young people. A study published 2004 in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that child access prevention laws “prevented 333 teen suicides between 1989 and 2001.”

Related Links:

— “At least 265 people were accidentally shot by kids this year,” Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post, December 31, 2015.