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.”

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— 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.

Reuters (4/10, Jegtvig) reports that according to the results of a 2,257-patient study published online April 7 in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, women with a history of binge eating, anorexia nervosa or bulimia appeared to have an increased risk of complications related to their pregnancies. For example, expectant mothers with anorexia may become anemic and deliver babies with a low birth weight, while mothers with bulimia may deliver babies with a low Apgar score. Babies born to mothers who binge eat may be large, and the women themselves may have an increased likelihood of hypertension during pregnancy. The study authors recommended that such women be monitored more closely during pregnancy.

Related Links:

— “Women with eating disorders may have more pregnancy complications,”Shereen Jegtvit, Reuters, April 9, 2014.

HealthDay (4/10, Salamon) reports that research published online in Neurology suggests that individuals “with declining memory and thinking skills may be significantly less likely to die from cancer.” Researchers looked at data on “more than 2,600 Spaniards over the age of 65.” The investigators “found that people experiencing the fastest decline in mental skills were about one-third less likely to die of cancer over an average of 13 years.”

Related Links:

— “A Failing Mind May Mean Lower Cancer Death Risk, Study Suggests,” Maureen Salamon, HealthDay, April 9, 2014.