HealthDay (4/26, Preidt) reports, “Young gay and bisexual men may be much more likely to attempt suicide or harm themselves than their older counterparts, and blacks are at greater risk than whites,” the findings of a study published online April 26 in the Journal of Public Health reveal. After examining “survey responses from nearly 5,800 gay and bisexual men from the United Kingdom 16 and older,” researchers found that “those younger than 26 were two times more likely to be depressed or anxious, and six times more likely to attempt suicide or harm themselves than those older than 45.”

Medical Daily (4/26, Scutti) reports, “Black gay and bisexual men were twice as likely to be depressed and five times more likely to have attempted suicide than the white majority,” researchers found. In addition, “lower income men were…more likely to be depressed and anxious, and attempt suicide or self-harm,” the study found. Interestingly, “researchers discovered cohabiting men were 50 percent less likely to suffer from depression compared to men living in solitude.”

Related Links:

— “Young Gay, Bisexual Men May Be at Higher Risk for Suicide, Study Finds,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, April 26, 2016.

STAT (4/26, Thielking) reports, “Some nutritional supplements might boost the effectiveness of antidepressants in people with clinical depression,” the findings of a 40-study review published online April 26 in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggest.

Medical Daily (4/26, Bushak) reports that in particular, “omega-3 fish oils, S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), methylfolate, and vitamin D were shown to be effective in boosting the positive effects of the antidepressants.”

Psychiatric News (4/26) reports, “Mixed results were found for zinc, folic acid, vitamin C, and tryptophan, with nonsignificant results for inositol.”

Related Links:

— “Nutritional supplements boost mood in patients taking antidepressants,” Megan Thielking, STAT, April 26, 2016.

On the front page of its Science Times section, the New York Times (4/25, Goode, Subscription Publication) reports in a 1,800-word article that a growing number of police departments across the US are now turning to crisis intervention team training (CIT). Research has suggested that such “training can alter the way officers view people with mental illness.” What’s more, the CIT “approach, which teaches officers ways to defuse potentially violent encounters before force becomes necessary, is useful for officers facing any volatile situation,” even situations in which no mental health crisis is “involved, law enforcement experts say.”

Related Links:

— “For Police, a Playbook for Conflicts Involving Mental Illness,” Erica Goode, New York Times, April 25, 2016.

Medscape (4/25, Melville) reports, “Exposure to one or more potentially traumatic events in a lifetime is associated with a host of potential negative behavioral and physical effects, ranging from mental illness and depression to substance abuse, asthma, and” hypertension, the findings of a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality indicate.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

Medscape (4/25, Melville) reports, “Alcohol use disorder [AUD] is associated with a nearly sixfold increase in all-cause mortality across age groups, but the risks are linked to individual and familial predispositions in early adulthood and to the course of alcohol abuse in later years,” the findings of a large study published online April 20 in JAMA Psychiatry indicate. An accompanying editorial called for “further studies on specific causes of mortality associated with AUDs in early to middle adulthood and their association with risk taking and violent experiences.” The study received funding support from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, among others.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)