HealthDay (7/23, Thompson) reports that according to a study published online July 21 and to appear in the August print issue of the journal Pediatrics, the “stressed-out parents” of children with autism may “benefit from treatments designed specifically for them.” The 243-participant study revealed that moms of kids with autism “who took part in a coping skills program found they connected better with their child and felt less stress, anxiety and depression.”

Related Links:

— “Parents of Children With Autism Need Help, Too,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, July 22, 2014.

Vox (7/23, Kliff) reports on a study published in the American Journal of Managed Care that detailed the “unintended consequences when medicaid tries to save money on anti-psychotic medications,” including the fact that “prior authorization policies in Medicaid programs have significantly higher rates of severe mental illness in their prison populations.”

Related Links:

— “States that deny anti-psychotics to the poor have lots of mentally ill people behind bars,” Sarah Kliff, Vox, July 22, 2014.

In a 3,270-word article on its front page, USA Today (7/22, A1, Johnson) reports from Newport, RI, where 40% “of all calls to police involve people who are mentally ill or have behavioral problems,” a number that “only begins to assess how an overwhelmed criminal justice system has become the de facto caretaker of Americans who are mentally ill and emotionally disturbed.” USA Today notes that from police departments and prisons to courthouses and jails nationwide, “the care of those who are mentally ill weighs heaviest on law enforcement authorities, many of whom readily acknowledge that they lack both resources and expertise to deal with the crushing responsibility.”

Related Links:

— “Mental illness cases swamp criminal justice system,” , USA Today, July 21, 2014.

HealthDay (7/22, Dotinga) reports that according to a study published online July 21 in the journal Pediatrics, children born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy are more likely to develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). “The new study also hints – but doesn’t prove – that nicotine-replacement products used during pregnancy, such as patches and gum, could pose the same risk to children.” After examining almost 85,000 children’s medical records, researchers found AD/HD signs in over 2,000 youngsters. While 1.8% of children with nonsmoking parents were diagnosed with AD/HD, the disorder was also found in 2% of children in households where the mother quit and the father did not smoke and in 4.2% of households where both parents smoked.

Related Links:

— “Smoking While Pregnant Linked to ADHD in Children,” Randy Dotinga, HealthDay, July 21, 2014.

The Deseret (UT) News (7/22, Hales) reports a recent survey released by the World Health Organization indicates that depression is the leading cause of adolescent illness and disability worldwide and is increasing in teenagers. While the article is primarily about teen depression, it also notes that “a study from the National Institutes of Health found that media portrayals of body image and the ‘ideal’ life create unrealistic expectations for teenagers, disrupting their ‘normal identity development’ and leading to depression.” Specifically, “the NIH study found that violent or graphic media augments depressive tendencies by creating an idea that the world is worse than it is.”

Related Links:

— “Understanding and responding to the increase in teen depression,” Emily Hales, Deseret News, July 21, 2014.