Medwire (8/9, Lyford) reports that according to a study published online Aug. 5 in the journal Bipolar Disorders, adversity in childhood may be “associated with an increased risk for psychopathology in the offspring of people with bipolar disorder [BD] or major depressive disorder (MDD).” After studying “320 parents with mood disorders (bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, or MDD) and their 679 children, of whom…125 had MDD” and 35 had BD, researchers also found that “for every 10 years of earlier onset of mood disorder in the parent, there was a 29% increase in the risk for transmission of a mood disorder to the child.”

Related Links:

— “Childhood adversity raises psychopathology risk, “Joanna Lyford, Medwire News, August 9, 2013.

Medscape (8/9, Cassels) reports that a study published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has suggested that certain risk factors may identify adolescents “at greatest risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following potentially traumatic experiences (PTE).” The study, which “included data on 6,483 adolescent-parent pairs aged 13 to 17 years,” found that “the strongest vulnerability factors for PTSD included female sex, events involving interpersonal violence, and pre-existing anxiety and mood disorders before exposure to the worst traumatic stressor.”

HealthDay (8/9, Preidt) reports that a “simple test” may help predict hospital patients at risk for delirium, according to a study published online Aug. 7 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine. In a study involving 374 hospital patients over the age of 50, researchers tested a new tool “called AWOL, which stands for age (A), unable to spell ‘world’ backward (W), not fully oriented to place (O), and moderate to severe illness (L).” Those patients whose AWOL scores were higher had a higher likelihood of developing delirium. The study suggested that patients with higher AWOL scores could “receive specialized care” to prevent them from becoming delirious.

Related Links:

— “Quick Test May Help Prevent Hospital Delirium, Researchers Say, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay , August 8, 2013.

HealthDay (8/9, Doheny) reports that encouraging a partner to diet may “trigger unhealthy habits such as fasting and taking diet pills – measures that can then lead to severe eating disorders,” according to a study published in the July/August issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion. After surveying some 1,300 young adult Minnesotans in relationships during the years 2008 and 2009, researchers found that “binge eating nearly doubled among women whose partners encouraged dieting ‘very much’ compared to ‘not at all.’” What’s more, 14% of men “who experienced constant urging to diet engaged” in binge-eating behavior, the study found.

Related Links:

— “Urging Your Partner to Diet May Backfire, “Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay, August 8, 2013.

The New York Times (8/9, A10, Tavernise, Subscription Publication) reports that according to data (pdf) released yesterday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, there has been a four-fold increase “in the number of young adults” seeking care in the emergency department after abusing or misusing stimulant medications normally used for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The SAMHSA data reveal that the number of ED visits “related to stimulants among people ages 18 to 34 increased to 23,000 in 2011, from 5,600 in 2005,” with the rise “particularly pronounced among 18- to 25-year-olds.” The stimulant medications noted in the report include Ritalin (methylphenidate) and Adderall (amphetamine, dextroamphetamine mixed salts), among others.

Related Links:

— “New Sign of Stimulants’ Toll on Young, “Sabrina Tavernise, The New York Times, August 8, 2013.