The New York (NY) Times (4/3, A4, Carey, Subscription Publication) reports in a 1,000-word article that today Congress will hear testimony from legislators, patient advocates, and people living with psychiatric diagnoses “on the most ambitious overhaul plan in decades.” Experts call the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act’s prospects “uncertain” because of the legislative branch’s partisanship, although “both houses of Congress adopted one of its central provisions, expanding funding for outpatient treatment programs through other legislation,” last week.

Related Links:

— “Mental Health Groups Split on Bill to Overhaul Care,” Benedict Carly, New York Times, April 2, 2014.

On its website, CBS News (4/2, Firger) reports that a new study published in the journal Neurology found that regular “rigorous physical activity” by young people could improve mental fitness later in life. According to the article, the study examined levels of cardiorespiratory fitness in 2,747 young adults between 18 and 30 years old with two treadmill tests 20 years apart.

Researchers found a link between the time a person could stay on a treadmill and the number of correctly-recalled words on a memory test. In the follow-up, participants who could remain on the treadmill longer “also tended to score higher on the memory test,” with better performance in psychomotor speed and executive functioning.

Reuters (4/3, Doyle) reports in its coverage that those in better shape when the study began were more likely to possess higher education, healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels, be more active, and smoke less. During the memory test, researchers found that for each additional minute a subject spent on a treadmill during the initial test, that individual correctly recalled .12 more words, and performed better on trick question and reactions speed tests.

The study’s author, David R. Jacobs, said that it is possible that more exercise when younger simply reduces blood pressure, thereby reducing the risk for dementia and cognitive decline.

Related Links:

— “Exercising young keeps the brain fit in middle age,” Jessica Firgir, CBS News, April 2, 2014.

In the “ABCs Of Child Psychiatry” column in Psychology Today (4/1), child psychiatrist David Rettew, MD, wrote that “activities related to wellness (things like exercise, good relationships, and nutrition) can really help those who struggle with psychiatric disorders, in addition to helping those who don’t meet criteria for a disorder but are trying to optimize mental functioning.”

Rettew pointed out that Dr. Dilip Jeste, former president of the American Psychiatric Association, “promoted the importance of ‘positive psychiatry’ during his tenure.”

Related Links:

— “Mental Health Is More Than Mental Illness,” David Rettew, M.D., Psychology Today, April 1, 2014.

Reuters (4/2) reports that according to a study published March 31 in the journal Circulation, young adults who do not have hypertension or higher than normal blood pressure may maintain better cognitive function in their middle years, compared to young adults whose blood pressure was higher than normal. For the study, researchers followed more than 3,000 young adults ranging in age from 18 to 30 for 25 years. At the 25-year point, participants underwent a battery of tests to evaluate various cognitive functions.

Related Links:

— “Heart health in young adults tied to later dementia risk,” Fox News, April 1, 2014.

On its front page, the New York Times (4/2, A1, Santos, Goode, Subscription Publication) reports in a 1,500-word story “on the growing number of people with severe mental disorders who, in the absence of adequate mental health services, are coming in contact with the criminal justice system, sometimes with deadly consequences.”

Across the US, “police officers find themselves playing dual roles as law enforcers and psychiatric social workers.” Unfortunately, some mental health crises can be made worse by fearful or reflexive actions taken by police officers. For that reason, some cities have established mental health crisis intervention units or have at least “put in place training for officers in how to deal with mentally ill people, teaching them to defuse potentially volatile situations and to treat people who suffer from psychiatric illnesses with respect.”

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about one in 17 people living in the US may have a mental illness of a serious nature.

Related Links:

— “Police Confront Rising Number of Mentally Ill Suspects,” Fernando Santos, New York Times, April 1, 2014.

The AP (4/1, Volz) reports that Disability Rights Montana on Monday filed a Federal lawsuit against seven officials with the Montana Department of Corrections and Department of Public Health and Human Services over claims that the officials have “warehoused” individuals with mental illness.

According to the lawsuit, the state officials have been placing patients with mental illness into Deer Lodge prison in order to increase bed space in the Montana State Hospital; the patients are then “mistreated and denied proper mental-health care,” representing cruel and unusual punishment and violations of due process, the AP says.

Disability Rights Montana says those determined to be “guilty but mentally ill” that are transferred from the hospital to the prison encounter significant hardship and is asking a judge to find that the inmates were discriminated against and had their constitutional rights violated.

Related Links:

— “Group: Montana warehouses mentally ill inmates,” Matt Volz, Washington Times, April 1, 2014.

In “Quick Study,” the Washington Post (4/1, Searing) reports that according to a study published online March 18 in the Journal of Adolescent Health, military relocation of families from one city to another may affect children’s mental health. After analyzing data “on 548,336 children, six to 17 years old, who had one parent in the US military,” researchers found that “adjustment disorders, conduct disorders, drug problems, self-injurious behavior and suicide attempts were more likely among youths who had moved.”

Related Links:

— “Moving kids from one town to another may affect their mental health, study finds,” Linda Searing, Washington Post, March 31, 2014.

USA Today (4/1, Healy) reports that according to a study published in the April issue of the American Sociological Review, “as students become more popular and climb the social hierarchy of middle and high school, they are at increased risk for gossip, harassment and even physical attacks from rivals competing for status.” The study of 4,200 eighth, ninth and tenth graders also revealed that “adverse consequences of that bullying – including increased depression, anxiety and anger, and decreased school attachment – are magnified the more popular the victim.”

Related Links:

— “As popularity rises, so does risk of being bullied,” Michelle Healy, USA Today, April 1, 2014.

HealthDay (3/19, Norton) reports that according to a study published March 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, “critically ill people who survive a stay in the intensive care unit face a heightened risk of mental health problems in the months after hospital discharge.” The study of some 24,000 ICU patients in Denmark revealed that “after discharge, people had an increased risk of developing depression, anxiety disorders or other psychiatric conditions.” The risk rate “was 22 times the rate seen in the general population over the same time period.”

Related Links:

— “ICU Patients May Face Mental Health Issues After Discharge,” Amy Norton, HealthDay, March 18, 2014.

HealthDay (3/19, Reinberg) reports that according to a study published online March 17 in the journal Pediatrics, “nearly 10 percent of children hospitalized in America are there because of a mental health problem.” After analyzing “data from the Kids’ Inpatient Database and Pediatric Health Information System to look at all hospital discharges in 2009 for patients aged three to 20,” researchers found that the majority of kids hospitalized for mental illness appeared to “suffer from depression, bipolar disorder or psychosis.”

Older children were more likely than younger children to be hospitalized. The study also noted that the shortage of pediatric mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, makes it more difficult to treat youngsters with serious mental health issues.

Related Links:

— “Mental Illness to Blame for 10 Percent of Kids’ Hospitalizations: Study,” Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, March 18, 2014.