The AP (10/23) reports that Vice President Joe Biden is planning “to join Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and former US Rep. Patrick Kennedy [D-RI] for a forum on policies that affect people with mental illness, intellectual disabilities or addiction.” The two-day forum, which will take place in Boston, “marks the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s signing of the Community Mental Health Act,” which “helped transform the way people with mental illness are treated and cared for in the” US.

Related Links:

— “VP Biden: Country On Cusp Of Mental Health Changes, “Steve Leblanc, Associated Press, October 23, 2013.

CBS News (10/22, Castillo) reports on its website that, according to a study in the journal Psychological Science, performing a task that is completely unfamiliar and mentally challenging, as opposed to completing puzzles, may be a better way to improve seniors’ memory. The study examined 221 people between the ages of 60 and 90, in which one group would learn a new skill (quilting, digital photography, or both), while another other group performed mentally stimulating activities they were used to, like puzzles, and a third group was asked to perform social activities. Researchers noted that at the end of the study, the group that learned something new showed greatest memory skill improvements.

Related Links:

— “Learning new skill beats puzzles for boosting seniors’ memory, “Michelle Castillo, CBS News, October 21, 2013.

The Reno (NV) Gazette-Journal (10/22, DeLong) reports that in light of the Oct. 21 Sparks Middle School shooting in Nevada, “school counselors will be available to assist students and others” affected by the tragedy. According to mental health experts, “one of the most helpful things parents can do to help their children cope” is to listen attentively and in a supportive fashion. In a sidebar to the article, the American Psychiatric Association provides tips on how to help kids cope with traumatic experiences.

Related Links:

— “Experts say children will need parents to listen after Sparks shooting tragedy, “Jeff DeLong, The Reno Gazette-Journal, October 21, 2013.

The San Francisco Chronicle (10/21, Brown), which reported that men account for a greater portion of eating disorders than previously thought, pointed out recent studies, such as one in Canada, suggesting that “as many as one in three cases of anorexia are male, while past estimates have hovered around one in nine.” The Chronicle noted that ignoring the disorder’s prevalence among men creates a stigma that may prevent them from seeking assistance, as well as a bias that may prevent family members or clinicians from recognizing the disorder in men.

Related Links:

— “Men’s eating disorders get increased attention, “Kristen V. Brown, The San Francisco Chronicle, October 21, 2013.

The Wall Street Journal (10/22, D2, Wang, Subscription Publication) reports that anti-obesity messages may be pushing teens and children into developing eating disorders. The Journal notes that, according to a recent study, nearly 35% of Barcelona hospital patients were treated for eating disorders in 2010, compared to 13% in 2001. Though recent concerns regarding obesity have overshadowed the dangers of eating disorders, experts say extremes hovering near either end of the spectrum may damage one’s body and health. The article also mentions that the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (the DSM-5) has updated criteria for eating disorders.

Related Links:

— “Eating-Disorder Dilemma: When Overweight Turns to Dangerously Thin, “Shirley S. Wang, The Wall Street Journal, October 21, 2013.