HealthDay (4/16, Preidt) reported that while “depression, stress and exhaustion are known to increase heart attack risk,” research suggests individuals “who’ve already had a heart attack may not be getting the treatment they need for these conditions.” Investigators came to this conclusion after studying “more than 800 people younger than 75,” all of whom had experienced a heart attack. The findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology meeting.

Related Links:

— “http://consumer.healthday.com/cardiovascular-health-information-20/heart-attack-news-357/heart-attack-patients-have-worse-mental-health-709968.html,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, April 16, 2016.

HealthDay (4/15, Preidt) reported, “Depression and suicidal thoughts or attempts are common among youth who join gangs, and these problems get worse after they join,” the findings of a study published online April 13 in Criminal Justice and Behavior suggest. After analyzing “data from more than 11,000 students in middle schools and high schools across” the US, researchers “found that gang membership was associated with greater levels of depression, a 67 percent increase in suicidal thoughts, and a 104 percent increase in suicide attempts.”

Related Links:

— “Depression More Common in Kids Who Join Gangs, Study Finds,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, April 15, 2016.

The Huntington (WV) Herald-Dispatch (4/17, Stuck) reports that eight years ago, Josh Parker, a physician at Prestera Center “decided to try something different and add a service to the center’s addiction treatment options – medication-assisted treatment.” At the time, there was little research to support “medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, other than for methadone, but Prestera began a pilot program with a group of women in the Renaissance program using Suboxone [buprenorphine/naloxone].” Today, there is growing evidence that “MAT can be an effective treatment for substance use disorders if done properly, which includes counseling and behavioral therapy.”

Related Links:

— “Medication-assisted treatment on the rise,” Taylor Stuck, Huntington (WV) Herald-Dispatch, April 20, 2016.

The Washington Post (4/14, Frankel) reports four former US surgeon generals on Thursday criticized the ban on “federal funding for gun violence research,” and called on Congress to end it. Regina Benjamin, Joycelyn Elders, and David Satcher, who were appointed by a Democrat, wrote to Congress, “It is only through research that we can begin to address this menace to our nation’s public health.” In his own letter, Richard Carmona, who was appointed by a Republican, argued that “without appropriate research ‘we really have no idea what policies and/or regulation may be needed in order to ensure the public’s safety.’”

Related Links:

— “Last four surgeons general call on CDC to resume gun violence studies,” Todd C. Frankel, Washington Post, April 14, 2016.

In an 1,100-word piece, the Washington Post (4/14, Itkowitz) reports, “An estimated 70 percent of kids that cycle through the juvenile justice systems have a mental health condition, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness [NAMI],” and approximately half of all youngsters “with a mental illness didn’t receive any treatment the year prior.”

Related Links:

— “His mom publicly compared him to killer Adam Lanza. Now the teen is opening up about his bipolar disorder.,” Colby Itkowitz, Washington Post, April 14, 2016.