Roll Call (12/16, Bowman) explored the politics behind stalled “mental health system overhaul legislation,” including HR 2646, introduced by Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA). That bill “has faced roadblocks: navigating the complex mental health system, educating lawmakers about needed improvements and lacking specific, vocal support from leadership.” One sticking point is “the discourse surrounding gun violence.”

While Republicans contend that “the government must better enforce existing gun laws, and that mental health system changes could help better treat those with mental illness, and prevent…mass shootings,” Democrats counter by saying that Republicans are “pushing for mental health system changes because the public is pressuring Congress to take some action after these shootings, and they do not want to battle the National Rifle Association about changing gun laws.”

Related Links:

— “Why Mental Health Bill Isn’t Moving,” Bridget Bowman, Roll Call, December 16, 2015.

HealthDay (12/16, Dotinga) reports that a study published online Dec. 15 in Radiology “finds brain ‘scarring’ in many members of the US military who suffered” blast-related “concussions during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.” For the study, “834 service people who suffered traumatic brain injuries (mostly concussions) from 2009 to 2014 underwent MRI brain scans, as did 42 adults without head injuries.” Investigators “said they saw signs of brain scarring in 52 percent of injured patients, small areas of bleeding in seven percent and signs of pituitary gland abnormalities in 29 percent.”

Related Links:

— “Scans Show Many Injured U.S. Vets May Have Brain ‘Scarring’,” Randy Dotinga, HealthDay, December 15, 2015.

The Wall Street Journal (12/16, A9, Mickle, Subscription Publication) reports that new results from the Monitoring the Future study from the University of Michigan and backed by the National Institutes of Health showed that daily cigarette smoking among high school students has dropped more than 50 percent over the last five years. Notably, the results showed that e-cigarette and marijuana use are now outpacing cigarette smoking for the first time.

USA Today (12/16, Maycan) reports that cigarette smoking “among teens hit an all-time low, but their fascination with e-cigarettes remains strong.” In the last month, 16 percent of 10th graders “said they used an e-cigarette and 7% said they used a tobacco cigarette,” while 17 percent of seniors reported e-cigarette use and 14 percent reported smoking a cigarette.

The New York Times (12/16, Schwarz, Subscription Publication) reports that “many students appear to be transitioning to e-cigarettes, which are unregulated and can contain nicotine and other harmful products,” according to Dr. Nora D. Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which issued the report. In addition, for the first time, “the percentage of high school seniors who said they smoked marijuana daily (which remained steady at 6 percent) exceeded those who smoked traditional cigarettes daily (5.5 percent, a large drop from last year’s 6.7).”

Related Links:

— “Cigarette Smoking Down Among High School Students, Study Finds,” Tripp Mickle, Wall Street Journal, December 16, 2015.

In an editorial, the New York Times (12/16, A34, Subscription Publication) takes issue with the argument from opponents of expanded gun-control legislation that “instead of limiting access to guns, the country should focus on mental health problems,” arguing that “mental illness is not a factor in most violent acts.” The Times asserts that “blaming mental health problems for gun violence in America gives the public the false impression that most people with mental illness are dangerous.” While “effectively diagnosing and treating mental illness is a worthy goal in itself,” the Times concludes that addressing mental health “on its own will not solve the country’s gun violence problem.”

Related Links:

— “Don’t Blame Mental Illness for Gun Violence,” New York Times, December 15, 2015.

Kaiser Health News (12/16, Andrews) reports that even though mental health courts “have been in existence since the 1990s,” evidence is “still scanty on the courts’ effectiveness at addressing offenders’ mental health problems or discouraging offenders from relapsing into criminal behavior.” In addition, some experts believe that “offenders who are charged with minor crimes would be better off staying out of the criminal justice system and instead just getting treatment.”

Related Links:

— “Mental Health Courts Are Popular But Effectiveness Is Still Unproven,” Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News, December 15, 2015.