HealthDay (10/18, Preidt) reported that, according to a study published Oct. 13 in the American Sociological Review, use of stimulation medications by US children appears to be “30 percent higher during the school year than in the summer.” After analyzing “prescriptions written for stimulants in the United States during the 2007 to 2008 school year,” researchers theorized that “many children may use stimulants to help them meet academic demands.”

Related Links:

— “U.S. Kids Use ADHD Meds More During School Year,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, October 17, 2014.

Medscape (10/18) reported that, according to a study published in the October issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry, “the likelihood that a child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) will receive stimulant medication goes beyond their symptoms.” The study of 1,920 children revealed that “low maternal education increases the likelihood that a child with AD/HD will receive medication, whereas immigrant status decreases the odds.”

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

Reuters (10/17, Seaman) reports researchers from the University of Georgia have found that, while African American teens growing up in poverty are more likely to have chronic illnesses than other kids, emotional support from caretakers can offset the damage from living in a stressful environment. The study examined 420 19-year-old African American adolescents and is published in the journal Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Mentoring kids in poverty helps lower their health risks: study,” Andrew M. Seaman, Reuters, October 16, 2014.

HealthDay (10/17, Reinberg) reports that, according to a report released by the US National Center for Health Statistics, “depression and obesity tend to go hand in hand.” Researchers found that the “combination was so common that 43 percent of depressed adults were also obese,” with the association “even more prevalent among those taking antidepressants: 55 percent of those patients were also obese.”

Related Links:

— “Obesity and Depression Often Twin Ills, Study Finds,” Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, October 16, 2014.

HealthDay (10/16, Mozes) reports that, according to a study published online Oct. 15 in the journal Psychiatric Services, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association, “residents of major US metropolitan areas who need a psychiatrist are often likely to come up empty-handed, regardless of ability to pay.” After attempting “to get an appointment with 360 outpatient psychiatrists based in either Boston, Houston or Chicago,” researchers encountered “wrong numbers, unreturned phone calls, and full practices.”

Related Links:

— “Just Try Getting an Appointment With a Psychiatrist,” Alan Mozes, HealthDay, October 15, 2014.