The Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch (12/6) reports that the recent attack on “state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds [D-Bath] by his mentally ill and suicidal son has pushed mental health reform to the top of” Virginia’s legislative agenda. At a panel focusing on healthcare issues on Wednesday, state Sen. Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. (R-Augusta), who chairs the state Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission, pointed out that the state is “on [a] path now where we are going to see approximately 1,200 suicides…this year.” Meanwhile, panelist and physician Del. John O’Bannon (R-Henrico), who also sits on the Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission, expressed his belief that Virginia legislators need to look at a better way to monitor availability of psychiatric beds within the state.

Related Links:

— “Suicides, mental health needs in focus, lawmaker says, “Tammie Smith, The Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 5, 2013.

Fox News (12/4) reported that according to a review published in The Cochrane Library, “exercise may prove effective at helping older people with dementia retain their ability to complete simple, everyday tasks,” such as getting up from a chair or walking. Researchers arrived at this conclusion after examining data from “eight studies that assessed the ability of exercise to improve cognitive function in seniors with dementia.”

Related Links:

— “Exercise may be an effective treatment for some dementia patients,Fox News, December 4, 2013.

USA Today (12/5, Weintraub) reports that according to a policy brief released Dec. 4 “from Alzheimer’s Disease International [ADI], a federation of advocacy and research organizations…135 million people worldwide will be living with dementia by 2050.” Driven primarily “by increases in China and sub-Saharan Africa,” the updated “prediction is 17% above previous ones.”

Related Links:

— “Estimate: 135 million worldwide with dementia by 2050, “Karen Weintraub, USA Today, December 5, 2013.

Medwire (12/4, Oswald) reports that according to a study published in the journal Schizophrenia Research, “children with asthma and eczema are significantly more likely to have psychotic experiences during adolescence.” After studying data on some 6,784 youngsters who were interviewed at age 13, researchers discovered that “14.2%, 15.2%, and 16.0% of those with eczema, asthma, and both conditions, respectively, had had psychotic experiences in the previous six months compared with 11.7% among those with no atopy.” Then, after adjusting for confounding factors, investigators found that “equated to a respective 33%, 37%, and 44% increased odds for psychotic experiences compared with those with no childhood atopy.”

Related Links:

— “Childhood asthma, eczema linked to adolescent psychotic experiences, “Kirsty Oswald, Medwire, December 4, 2013.

Bloomberg News (12/4, Lopatto) reports that according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately six percent of US adolescents “report using a psychiatric medicine, such as an antidepressant or attention-deficit treatment,” while “drug therapy for the conditions remains steady.” The report found that boys were more likely to receive stimulants for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, while girls had an increased likelihood of using antidepressants. In fact, medications for AD/HD and depression “were the most-common medicines used by the 12- to 19-year-olds surveyed from 2005 to 2010.”

Related Links:

— “Psychiatric Drug Therapy Among U.S. Teens Steady at 6%, “Elizabeth Lopatto, Bloomberg News, December 3, 2013.

Medscape (12/3, Brooks) reports that according to a study published online Dec. 2 in the journal Pediatrics, “low birth weight, post-term pregnancy, low Apgar scores, and fetal distress were not factors for” attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), “irrespective of sex.” Researchers arrived at that conclusion after studying data on 12,291 kids and teens with AD/HD and 30,071 youngsters without AD/HD who served as controls. The study did reveal, however, “an elevated risk for AD/HD in both boys and girls when mothers had a urinary tract infection during pregnancy…or preeclampsia.”

Reuters (12/3, Pittman) reports that according to a study published online Nov. 21 in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect, young adults who experienced verbal aggression from parents during their childhood years had an increased likelihood for becoming depressed or anxious, even if the parents were otherwise affectionate. Researchers arrived at that conclusion after examining survey results from 2,500 young adults who ranged in age from 18 to 25.

Related Links:

— “
Positive parenting won’t make up for yelling, insulting, “Genevra Pittman, Reuters, December 2, 2013.

Reuters (11/28, Jegtvig) reported that, according to a study published online Nov. 11 in the Journal of Adolescent Health, about 25% of US teens go to bed later than 11:30 pm on school nights. What’s more, these teens appear to experience higher degrees of emotional distress and have a more difficult time in school than their counterparts who get to bed at an earlier hour. Researchers analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to arrive at these conclusions.

Related Links:

— “Later teen bedtimes tied to school problems and distress, “Shereen Jegtvig, Reuters, November 28, 2013.

Reuters (11/30, Raven) reported that according to a study published online Nov. 18 in the Journal of Adolescent Health, teens who have a family member undergoing a military deployment may have a greater risk for depression and a higher risk for suicidal thoughts. Researchers arrived at that conclusion after surveying 9,300 ninth and eleventh graders from both military and non-military families.

Related Links:

— “Military deployments tied to teens’ depression, “Kathleen Raven, Reuters, November 29, 2013.

HealthDay (11/28, Preidt) reported that, according to a study published online Nov. 27 in JAMA Psychiatry, children and adolescents “are increasingly more likely than adults to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder.” For the study, “researchers analyzed data from nearly 450,000 patient visits to US doctors’ offices between 1995 and 2010.” The study found that “between the periods from 1995 to 1998 and 2007 to 2010, visits that led to diagnoses of mental-health problems increased faster for patients” under the age of 21 than for adults. At the same time, visits to psychiatrists also increased more rapidly in young people than in adults.

Related Links:

— “Mental-Health Disorders Growing Faster Among Kids Than Adults: Study, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, November 27, 2013.