HealthDay (4/11, Preidt) reports that according to a study published in the April 10 issue of the Journal of Head Trauma, “serious head injuries may be linked to children’s lack of ability to interact with others.” After examining youngsters “who had suffered a traumatic brain injury three years earlier, most often in car crashes,” researchers found that children “with lingering damage in the brain’s frontal lobes had lower-quality social lives.”

Related Links:

— “Social Skills a Casualty of Childhood Head Injury, Study Suggests,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, April 10, 2014.

The Today Show Online (4/11, Alexander) reports, “Fixating on the bikini selfies and duck faced-photos of Facebook friends can make a young woman feel worse about her own body than comparing herself to the most beautiful celebrities and models in fashion magazines,” according to a study that “supports other recent findings that social media can create damaging effects on young women.”

HealthDay (4/11, Goodman) reports that the results of the study of 881 college students were presented at the International Communication Association’s annual conference. BBC News (4/11, Briggs) also covers the story.

Related Links:

— “Does Facebook Make Women Feel Bad About Their Bodies?,”Brenda Goodman, HealthDay, April 10, 2014.

Medscape (4/11, Brauser) reported, “Experts are taking action to address the growing mental health crisis on US college campuses,” involving mental illness, substance abuse and high levels of stress. Philip R. Muskin, MD, who chairs “the scientific program committee for the 2014 and 2015 American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting, agreed that there is often a ‘perfect storm’ of things that can hit students soon after arriving on campus.” Dr. Muskin said, “So schools themselves, not just counseling services, need to set policies about drinking and about underage drinking. And they need to set up active programs for mental health care that are ongoing.”

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (4/11, Preidt) reports that according to a study recently published in the journal Social Psychology Quarterly, “mental health problems are common among civilians who work for the US military in war zones.” Researchers found that “workers who experienced a higher number of life-threatening events had more frequent symptoms of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and anger.” In addition, the study revealed that “civilian workers’ mental health became progressively worse as they faced an increasing number of threats.”

Related Links:

— “Civilians in War Zones Also Suffer Mental Health Problems: Study,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, April 10, 2014.

The Hill (4/11, Wong) “Defcon Hill” blog reports that on March 27, a group of Democratic and Republican legislators “introduced a bill calling for mental health screening for recruits before they can join the military,” which they hope may help prevent shooting sprees on military bases in the future. The measure, which is called “The Medical Evaluation Parity for Service Members Act,” will “institute a preliminary mental health assessment at the time recruits are first joining the military.” On April 9, a companion measure was introduced in the Senate.

Related Links:

— “Mental health screening for soldiers picks up steam,”Kristina Wong, The Hill, April 10, 2014.