The Baltimore Sun (10/10, Doran) reports on Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections, or PANDAS, a disorder in which “children experience an atypical immune system reaction which can cause obsessions, compulsions, motor and vocal tics, anxiety, mood swings and cognitive and learning challenges.”

Although little is known about the syndrome, “recent neurological research, led by National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers and other scientists and physicians around the nation, has expanded the boundaries of what is known about these conditions.”

In Maryland “and many other states, Oct. 9th has been designated PANDAS Awareness Day,” which the paper says creates educational opportunities.

Related Links:

— “Little known disorder underscores education needs [Commentary],” Patricia Rice Doran, Baltimore Sun, October 9, 2014.

On its front page and as part of its “The Cost of Not Caring” series, USA Today (10/10, A1, Zoroya) reports in a 2,900-word article called “40,000 Suicides Annually, Yet America Simply Shrugs,” that the “nearly 40,000 American lives lost each year make suicide the nation’s 10th-leading cause of death, and the second-leading killer for those ages 15-34.”

In recent years, “biological research [has] led scientists…to assert that suicidal behavior is a disorder that deserves to be included in the bible on mental health illnesses – the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder – so doctors could better diagnose, identify and move into treatment those who are suicidal,” and “American Psychiatric Association officials who periodically revise the manual want more study.”

Maria Oquendo, MD, a psychiatry professor at Columbia University, said, “They (the authors) said it’s an idea that obviously needs to be considered but is not quite ready for inclusion.”

Related Links:

— “40,000 suicides annually, yet America simply shrugs,” Gregg Zoroya, USA Today, October 9, 2014.

The New York Times (10/8, Reynolds) “Well” blog reported that according to a study published in the September issue of the journal Pediatrics, physical activity appears to enhance cognitive performance in youngsters. The study of 220 eight- and nine-year-old children revealed that kids who took part in a year-long exercise program “displayed substantial improvements in their scores on each of the computer-based tests of executive function.”

In addition, “they were better at ‘attentional inhibition,’ which is the ability to block out irrelevant information and concentrate on the task at hand, than they had been at the start of the program, and had heightened abilities to toggle between cognitive tasks.”

Related Links:

— “How Exercise Can Boost Young Brains,” Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times, October 8, 2014.

Medscape (10/9, Brauser) reports that according to a meta-analysis published in the October issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry, “psychotherapy may be effective in treating subclinical depression and may prevent progression to major depressive disorder (MDD).” The “meta-analysis of 18 studies of adult participants with subclinical depression showed that among those who received some form of psychotherapy, there was a significant reduction in the incidence of major depressive episode six months later, compared with those who received a controlled condition.” What’s more, “psychotherapy had a moderate effect on lowering depressive symptoms.”

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

TIME (10/8, Sifferlin) reports that, according to two reports published in The Lancet Psychiatry, “schools should be a first line of defense for catching young people at risk for mental health issues from depression to” attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD).

UK-specific data in the reports indicate that “about 75% of adults who access mental health treatment had a diagnosable disorder when they were under age 18, but in high-income countries, only 25% of kids with mental health problems get treatment.” But, “by prioritizing mental health in a child’s early years, more people will get the treatment they need early on.”

Related Links:

— “Why Schools Should Screen Their Students’ Mental Health,” Alexandra Sifferlin, Time, October 7, 2014.

Medscape (10/8, Cassels) reports that, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in conjunction with the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly “a quarter of American adults experienced at least one mental health disorder in the past year.”

The report found that “22.5% of American adults (51.2 million people) had at least one mental disorder in the past year.” Some 17 million Americans “(7.4% of the adult population) suffered mood disorders, including major depression and bipolar disorders.”

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

In “The Appraisal,” the New York Times (10/7, A27, Chaban, Subscription Publication) reports that the Greenburger Center for Social and Criminal Justice seeks “to cut the United States incarceration rate of 2.3 million in half over the next decade.”

While this will involve “advocacy campaigns and lobbying, including for sentencing reforms and the decriminalization of drugs,” it will focus primarily on “the establishment of better mental health treatment for inmates in the United States,” starting with a 25-bed center to help people with convictions who also have mental illnesses.

Founder Francis J. Greenburger, a New York developer, has a son with mental illness who is now serving a five-year prison sentence for arson.

Related Links:

— “From a Father’s Anguish Comes a Plan to Help Mentally Ill Inmates,” Matt A. V. Chaban, New York Times, October 6, 2014.

HealthDay (10/7, Preidt) reports that, according to a study published online in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, when it comes to treating a substance abuser suffering from a severe mental disorder, “treating substance abuse at the outset is more likely to reduce violent acts.” Researchers arrived at this conclusion after following “nearly 300 patients for six months after their enrollment in an outpatient treatment program for both substance abuse and mental illness.”

The study’s lead author wrote, “Our findings suggest that treatment attendance is very important for these individuals and treatment programs should include interventions that are likely to decrease substance abuse, as this may provide the additional benefit of reducing the risk of later aggression among dual-diagnosis patients.”

Related Links:

— “Addiction Treatment Key to Curbing Violence in Mentally Ill: Study,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, October 6, 2014.

HealthDay (10/7, Thompson) reports on a new study that finds mental health problems in one-third of German cancer patients. The study, published yesterday in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, notes 32% of cancer patients’ responses to researchers were consistent with “a full-blown psychological disorder.”

Investigators from the University of Leipzig interviewed 2,100 patients aged 18-75 and compared their responses to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). Mental illness rates varied based on cancer type, ranging from a low of 20% for patients with pancreatic, prostate, stomach, or esophageal cancers and a high of 40% for patients with breast or head and neck cancer or melanoma.

Related Links:

— “Cancer Diagnosis Can Take Toll on Mental Health, Study Finds,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, October 6, 2014.

HealthDay (10/6, Preidt) reports a study published in the journal Translational Behavioral Medicine suggests that overweight and obese people are the frequent target of cyberbullying and negative messages on social media. Reviewing more than 1.3 million messages with keywords relating to obesity, researchers found a “large number of negative stereotypes, ‘fat’ jokes, self-deprecating humor and alienation of overweight and obese people.”

Related Links:

— “The Obese Are Frequent Targets for Cyberbullies,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, October 3, 2014.