HealthDay (2/17, Mozes) reports, “Nearly four in 10 people who seriously consider suicide end up recovering long-term, achieving a mental state that’s free of suicidal symptoms or thoughts,” a study published online Jan. 26 in the journal Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior suggests. After examining “nearly 2,900 formerly suicidal men and women,” researchers also found that “chances of recovery are more than seven times greater when a patient has a close confidant to trust and count on.”

Related Links:

— “Many Suicidal People Make Long-Term Recovery, Study Shows,” Alan Mozes, HealthDay, February 17, 2016.

USA Today (2/17, Puente) reports that HRH Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, wrote a guest editor piece in “The Blog” for the Huffington Post (UK) promoting children’s mental health. The Duchess is “trying to give more of her spotlight to improving children’s mental-health policies, to dispel the taboo of talking about it in public and to help parents and kids find resources they need.” The Duchess is launching a “new global initiative” under the hashtag of #YoungMindsMatter.

The AP (2/18) reports, “US first lady Michelle Obama also wrote an article for the site, praising” the Duchess “for shining ‘a bright light on mental health, particularly children’s mental health, and on the tens of millions of people who suffer in silence.’”

Related Links:

— “Duchess Kate takes over Huffington Post UK as guest editor for a day,” Maria Puente, USA Today, February 17, 2016.

USA Today (2/18, Zoroya) reports that a study released Feb. 18 by the RAND Corp. suggests that the US military is “struggling to provide adequate therapy sessions for thousands of active-duty troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.” According to the study, only a third of troops suffering from PTSD and fewer than a quarter of those suffering from clinical depression receive the minimum number of therapy sessions once they have been diagnosed. RAND “described the study as the largest independent examination of mental health treatment in the military.”

Related Links:

— “Study: Military falls short in treating new cases of war-related stress,” Gregg Zoroya, USA Today, February 18, 2016.

The CBS News (2/16, Kraft) website reports on the growing misuse of the stimulant medication Adderall (amphetamine and dextroamphetamine), which is often prescribed for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). A study published online Feb. 16 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry indicates that “incidences of misuse and emergency room visits related to Adderall increased dramatically for young adults between 2006 and 2011.” Researchers arrived at this conclusion after examining data from the “National Disease and Therapeutic Index, a survey of office-based practices; National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a population survey of substance use; and Drug Abuse Warning Network, a survey of hospital emergency department visits.”

Related Links:

— “Adderall misuse rising among young adults,” Amy Kraft, CBS News, February 16, 2016.

The New York Post (2/17) reports that according to NYU professor of Global Public Health Michael Weitzman, some fathers experience a kind of postpartum depression, and “the father being depressed has an influence on the mom and her ability to mother.” A father’s depression can also have a negative impact on a child’s behavior in school.

Related Links:

— “Dads get postpartum depression, too,” Natalie O’Niell, New York Post, February 17, 2016.