USA Today (4/25, Zoroya) reports that new numbers reveal suicide rates in the military from 2006 onward were “slightly worse” than previously thought. The article states the “old, now-abandoned calculation…relied partly on an estimated figure” and that the new figures show the true suicide rate was close to one percent higher. The Pentagon now estimates that the suicide rate is close to 30 deaths per 100,000. Jacqueline Garrick, the director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, noted that “it took us time and effort to sit down and really just figure out a better way to do the math.”

Related Links:

— “War-years military suicide rate higher than believed,” Gregg Zoroya, USA Today, April 25, 2014.

The NBC News (4/24, Fox) website reports that a survey conducted by researchers at the National Center for Health Statistics has found that “7.5 percent of children aged 6–17 are taking some sort of prescription medicine for emotional or behavioral difficulties,” supporting evidence that an increasing number of “US kids are getting drugs for conditions like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD).” For the survey, researchers interviewed the parents of 17,000 youngsters during the years 2011 and 2012. Figures from the American Psychiatric Association indicate that “five percent of US children have AD/HD,” the article also notes.

Related Links:

— “More Than 7 Percent of Kids on Behavioral Meds,” Maggie Fox, NBC News, April 23, 2014.

Medscape (4/24) reports that according to a review published online April 14 in the journal Pediatrics, “exposure to childhood sexual abuse (CSA) may increase the odds of later suicidal behavior, including suicide attempts.” After reviewing data from nine studies involving nearly 9,000 participants, researchers found that “those who experienced CSA before the age of 16 to 18 years were more than twice as likely to attempt or complete suicides.”

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

ABC World News (4/22, story 7, 2:40, Sawyer) reported that over the past 10 years, the number of children hospitalized with eating disorders has increased 72%. Such conditions can begin affecting children at the age of five. Therapy has shown a 50-60% recovery rate among patients, however, and the report urged parents to listen to children’s complaints. A blog on the ABC News (4/23, Besser) website also covers the story.

Related Links:

— “Deciphering the Signs of Anorexia in the Very Young,” Margaret Aro, ABC News, April 22, 2014.

The Washington Times (4/23, A1, Ybarra) reports that the Department of Defense “has reported an uptick in the number of military officers who…are seeking help to cope” with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While the military “has been criticized for being slow to acknowledge and respond to the disorder,” Congressional Research Service data show that “diagnoses of the disorder among active-duty personnel across all branches of the US military have increased from about 5,700 10 years ago to more than 15,000 last year.” In addition, the number of individuals seeking treatment is up more than 20% since FY2010, according to Army Lt. Col. Cathy Wilkinson.

Related Links:

— “Less silent suffering: Veterans’ post-traumatic stress taken seriously,” Maggie Ybarra, Washington Times, April 22, 2014.