Medscape (3/24, Brooks) reports, “National guidelines encourage emergency department (ED) physicians to ask suicidal patients whether they have access to guns or other lethal means of ending their lives, but only about half do ask,” the findings of a study published online March 17 in Depression and Anxiety suggest. Researchers arrived at this conclusion after interviewing “1,358 patients from eight EDs in seven states” who “had experienced suicidal ideation or had attempted suicide.” Funding for the study came from the National Institute of Mental Health.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (3/24, Mozes) reports, “The more time young adults spend using popular social media, the greater the link to depression,” the findings of a 1,800-participant study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in the April 1 issue of the journal Depression and Anxiety suggest. Researchers found that “when social media patterns were stacked up against depression status…those who used social media the most were about 2.7 times more likely to be depressed than those who used such forums the least.”

Related Links:

— “Could Lots of Time Spent on Social Media Be Tied to Depression?,” Alan Mozes, HealthDay, March 24, 2016.

The New York Times (3/23, B9, Belson, Subscription Publication) reported that “with the expectation that more N.F.L. players will suffer dementia from repeated head hits, businesses that cater to people with memory loss are gearing up for what could be droves of new clients in the near future.” The article notes that “an actuarial report commissioned by the N.F.L. found that 28 percent of all players would be found to have one of the compensable diseases included in a settlement with retired players who had accused the league of hiding from them the dangers of concussions.” Among the diseases were Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Related Links:

— “Dementia Care, Tailored to N.F.L. Retirees,” Ken Belson, New York Times, March 22, 2016.

HealthDay (3/23, Mozes) reports that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants appear not “to raise the risk for heart trouble among young and middle-age patients,” the findings of a 238,963-patient study published online March 22 in the BMJ suggest. After examining data on “different types of antidepressants, as well as dosage and duration,” researchers “concluded there was ‘no significant association’ between SSRIs and an increased risk for heart attack, stroke or an irregular heartbeat.”

Related Links:

— “Study Finds No Heart Risk From SSRI Antidepressants,” Alan Mozes, HealthDay, March 23, 2016.

Newsweek (3/23, Main) reports new research revealed that those “who smoke marijuana on a regular basis for years and those who are dependent on it are significantly more likely to have economic and social problems at midlife than those who use it only occasionally or not at all.” Researchers analyzed data from nearly 1,000 people in New Zealand who were interviewed regularly from birth to age 38. The findings were published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science.

Related Links:

— “REGULAR MARIJUANA USE LINKED TO ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS,” Douglas Main, Newsweek, March 23, 2016.