Reuters (9/29, Doyle) reports that students in college appear to have a decreased likelihood of being warned by physicians about dangers posed by alcohol or substance abuse, compared to their peers who do not attend college, according to a research letter published online Sept. 28 in JAMA Pediatrics. The letter was authored by Ralph Hingson, ScD, MPH, of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and colleagues.

The AP (9/29, Tanner) reports that included in the survey were “about 2,100 college students and other young adults across the” US who “were asked in 2012 and 2013 if they’d seen a doctor in the previous year and had been asked and counseled about their drinking, smoking and drug use.” The survey revealed that “fewer than half the college students said they’d been counseled about risks of those habits,” whereas “non-students were slightly more likely to get that kind of counseling.” Hingson “said it’s possible participants didn’t tell doctors the truth about their drinking habits,” but “even so, physicians’ lack of advice may send a message that heavy drinking is OK, Hingson said.”

Related Links:

— “Many college students aren’t warned about substance use risks,” Kathryn Doyle, Reuters, September 28, 2015.

HealthDay (9/26, Preidt) reported “regular exercise may lower bullied teens’ risk of suicide,” according to research published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. After analyzing “data from more than 13,500 US high school students,” investigators “found that being physically active four or more days a week reduced bullied teens’ suicidal thoughts and attempts by 23 percent.”

Related Links:

— “Bullied Teens Who Exercise May Lower Suicide Risk, Study Finds,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, September 25, 2015.

Medscape (9/27, Davenport) reported that a new position statement “released by the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research” and published online Sept. 25 in the journal World Psychiatry, “emphasizes that there is epidemiologic, basic scientific, and clinical evidence to show that diet both influences risk for and outcomes of mental health disorders.” Because “a number of nutrients are linked to brain health,” the position statement also “calls for more robust research to determine the clinical impact of dietary changes and to identify biomarkers.”

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (9/26, Preidt) reported, “People with sleep apnea are at increased risk for depression, but continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for their apnea may ease their depression,” according to the results of a 293-participant study published in the September issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Sleep Apnea May Raise Risk of Depression,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, September 25, 2015.

Reuters (9/24) reports that the American Psychiatric Association recently told regulators that mergers of major health insurers could reduce access to mental healthcare.

Related Links:

— “U.S. insurance mega mergers could hurt care: psychiatric group,” Caroline Humer, Reuters, September 24, 2015.