One major television news network, along with several major newspapers, media outlets and wire sources, cover a troubling rise in overdose deaths from heroin, as detailed in a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly all the sources quote CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, who expressed alarm at this trend and who tied it to a new set of public health problems.

NBC Nightly News (7/7, story 6, 2:35, Holt) reported that the CDC released “alarming new numbers…showing a dramatic rise in the heroin epidemic,” with heroin overdose deaths nearly quadrupling between 2002 and 2013, and the number of women using the drug doubling.

Related Links:

— “CDC Report Notes Alarming Rise in Heroin Use Across U.S.,” Erika Edwards, NBC Nightly News, July 7, 2015.

The Washington Post (7/7, Gebelhoff) “To Your Health” blog reports in continuing coverage that a study published online July 1 in JAMA Psychiatry suggests that antipsychotic medication “use has been on the rise among adolescents, even though most had not been diagnosed with a mental disorder.” After analyzing “data from thousands of prescriptions to analyze trends between 2006 and 2010,” investigators also “expressed concern that in cases where there are diagnosed mental disorders, the antipsychotic drugs are being used to treat unapproved conditions, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and depression.”

Related Links:

— “Most antipsychotic drugs prescribed to teens without mental health diagnosis, study says,” Robert Gebelhoff, Washington Post, July 6, 2015.

The Telegraph (UK) (7/7, Knapton) reports that a study published in BMJ Open suggests that consuming alcohol during pregnancy is “now a ‘significant health concern’ after finding three quarters of British women carry on drinking, while 33 per cent drink more than six units in one sitting.” The researchers analyzed nearly 18,000 women and found about “75 per cent of pregnant women in the UK reported drinking some alcohol in pregnancy, lower than in Ireland at 86 per cent but higher than in Australia at 40 per cent and New Zealand at 56 per cent.”

Related Links:

— “Pregnant women should be tested for alcohol amid binge drinking fears,” Sarah Knapton, The Telegraph, July 6, 2015.

Reuters (7/7, Harding) reports that treating children impacted by war for anxiety and depression may benefit their long-term behavior and mental health, according to a study of 529 youngsters from Sierra Leone published online July 6 in the journal Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Care for depression, anxiety helps war-exposed children long-term,” Anne Harding, Reuters, July 6, 2015.

HealthDay (7/4, Mozes) reported that research suggests that “experiencing a traumatic event during childhood may” increase “the risk for migraines as an adult.” Investigators came to this conclusion after analyzing “data from a mental health survey involving nearly 23,000 men and women over the age of 18.” The findings were published in Headache.

Related Links:

— “Childhood Trauma Tied to Migraine Risk as Adult,” Alan Mozes, HealthDay, July 3, 2015.

The Washington Post (7/3, Gebelhoff) “Speaking of Science” blog reported that a “new statistical study” published July 2 in PLOS One adds “to the long-standing debate over whether media can plant ideas for ‘copycat murderers.’” For the study, investigators “created a model to analyze high-profile tragedies, and found that mass killings — events with four or more deaths — and school shootings create a ‘period of contagion.’”

The ABC News (7/3, Mohney) website reported that researchers “found that the probability of a mass killing or school shooting increased between 20 to 30 percent for an average of 13 days.” The study’s lead author “said for every three mass killings one more was incited due to ‘contagion.’” In the case of “school shootings, every three events appeared to incite one additional event.”

Related Links:

— “Study: Why some mass killings and school shootings seem to be contagious,” Robert Gebelhoff, Washington Post, July 2, 2015.

The New York Times (7/5, A11, Philipps, Subscription Publication) reports that Vets4Warriors, a counseling program for thousands of military personnel stationed around the world, is struggling to survive after the Pentagon decided to consolidate the work of similar organizations and end funding to the program. According to the Times, the New Jersey Legislature voted to give the hotline $2.5 million so that “the program could operate another year, giving it time to find private funding.” The hotline has also had to “rely on word of mouth and unofficial referrals” to connect to troops in need now that the Pentagon has also decided to no longer provide their number to troops.

Related Links:

— “Veterans Hotline Tries to Survive Without Pentagon Funds,” Dave Phillips, New York Times, July 4, 2015.

On its front page, the Washington Post (7/5, A1, Kunkle) took a look at how some people, fearing Alzheimer’s, have changed their lives in order to delay onset of the disease. Surveys have revealed that fear of getting Alzheimer’s is second only to cancer, and the worry crosses “all generations: more than 75 percent of millennials, Generation Xers and baby boomers worry about what will happen to their memory as they age.”

The Post added, “Dallas Anderson, program administrator for population studies for Alzheimer’s and dementia at the National Institute on Aging, said a healthy, 65-year-old woman has about a 17 percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s.” Men have a “nine percent” chance, “partly because their expected life spans are shorter, Anderson said.”

Related Links:

— “Alzheimer’s Fears Prompt Some To Try To Delay Onset.
,” Fredrick Kunkle, Washington Post, July 4, 2015.

Reuters (7/2, Kearney) reports that fireworks on the Fourth of July may trigger stress responses and panic attacks in combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Now, the group Military with PTSD has implemented a sign campaign to let people know that fireworks affect the half million Afghanistan and Iraq veterans with PTSD.

According to the Orlando (FL) Sentinel (7/2, Miller) “Vital Signs” blog, “at least 75 percent of veterans with PTSD say that loud noises bother them, especially fireworks.”

The Riverside (CA) Press Enterprise (7/2, Muckenfuss) reports that the signs from Military with PTSD read, “Please be courteous with fireworks, a combat veteran lives here.” Shawn Gourley, executive director of Military with PTSD, “said the idea is that veterans can place the signs in front of their homes so that neighbors can alert them to any planned firework activity.” KSAT-TV San Antonio (7/2, Gerber) also covers the story on its website and on the air.

Related Links:

— “U.S. campaign highlights stress of fireworks on combat veterans,” Lila Kearney, Reuters, July 1, 2015.

The Washington Post (7/1, Itkowitz) reports in “In the Loop” on “a subtle shift in the way politicians and advocates talk about” post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The word “disorder” is being increasingly dropped from the condition, which is now often referred to as “post-traumatic stress.” Some people believe that by dropping the word “disorder,” the stigma surrounding PTSD and its treatment will be lessened.

Related Links:

— “Dropping the ‘D’ in PTSD is becoming the norm in Washington,” Colby Itkowitz, Washington Post, June 30, 2015.