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.

HealthDay (11/26, Reinberg) reports that, according to a study published online Nov. 25 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, “low levels of the hormone estrogen are not to blame for mood swings and poor memory after menopause.” Researchers arrived at this conclusion after examining “data on more than 600 postmenopausal women, aged 41 to 84,” none of whom were taking hormone replacement therapy. TheDaily Mail (UK) (11/26) also covers the story.

Related Links:

— “Estrogen Won’t Make Women Sharper After Menopause, Study Finds, “Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, November 25, 2013.

The Wall Street Journal (11/26, Landro, Subscription Publication) reports hospitals are taking steps to help an increasing number of patients suffering from post-ICU syndrome, which includes short-term brain injury, post-traumatic stress, depression and feelings of lethargy. Some ICU patients who are sedated or are put on ventilator develop that syndrome. The Society of Critical Care Medicine says up to 80 percent of ICU survivors may be suffering from some form of cognitive or brain dysfunction. The Journal says patients mainly at risk of this syndrome are those who have been treated for sepsis, or blood poisoning. The paper says hospitals, recognizing the problem, are making changes to normal ICU procedures such as allowing breaks for patients on ventilation.

Related Links:

— “Hospitals Take On Post-ICU Syndrome, Helping Patients Recover, “Laura Landro, The Wall Street Journal, November 25, 2013.

The New York Times (12/11, Reynolds) reports a recent study published in October’s BMJ indicates exercise can combat some of the leading causes of death in the US as effectively as many frequently prescribed drugs. It remains one of the few studies to compare “outcomes in terms of mortality or whether the intervention significantly lessens the chance that someone with a disease will die from it, despite treatment.” Results consistently demonstrated that drugs and exercise produced nearly exactly the same results.

Related Links:

— “Exercise as Potent Medicine, “Gretchen Reynolds, The New York Times, December 11, 2013.

Reuters (12/11, Bond) reports on a study appearing in Child Abuse & Neglect finding that “threatening or screaming at teenagers may put them at higher risk for depression and disruptive behaviors such as rule-breaking.” The study found that “mothers had to be both verbally and physically abusive to increase the kids’ risk for depression and behavior issues,” though fathers had to adopt only one of those behaviors “to produce lasting ill effects.” The study covered 239 “troubled adolescents” who completed surveys, along with parents who also completed surveys on their behavior. The authors concluded that physicians should ask adolescent patients about verbal as well as physical abuse.

Related Links:

— “Yelling, threatening parents harm teens’ mental health, “Allison Bond, Reuters, December 10, 2013.