The New York Times (6/15, Dao, Subscription Publication) reported that in the “two decades since the 1991 Persian Gulf war, medical researchers have struggled to explain a mysterious amalgam of problems in thousands of gulf war veterans, including joint pain, physical malaise and gastrointestinal disorders. In some medical circles, the symptoms were thought to be psychological, the result of combat stress. But recent research is bolstering the view” that the symptoms of Gulf War illness “are fundamentally biological in nature.”

The Los Angeles Times (6/14, Zarembo) reported, “Their bodies reacted differently to physical exertion, and their brains had atrophied in different regions. None of the patterns were seen in a control group of healthy subjects.” Two separate groups of veterans emerged from the researchers data. One had increased pain levels after exercise, and the other suffered from a condition that caused the heart the race after exercise.

Related Links:

— “Researchers Find Biological Evidence of Gulf War Illnesses, “James Dao, The New York Times, June 14, 2013.

The Los Angeles Times (6/16, Zarembo) reports that “the most recent Pentagon data show that a slight majority – 52% – of troops who have committed suicide while on active duty were never assigned to Afghanistan or Iraq,” numbers that “upend the popular belief that a large increase in suicides over the last decade stems from the psychological toll of combat and repeated deployments to war.” It adds that “the statistics suggest that the mental health and life circumstances of new recruits are at least as important – and possibly more so – than the pressures of being in the military,” and “it is clear that some enter with a predisposition to suicide.”

Related Links:

— “Deployment to war doesn’t figure in majority of military suicides, “Alan Zarembo, Los Angeles Times, June 15, 2013.

USA Today (6/17, Healy) reports, “Bullying and aggressive behavior by a sibling can be as damaging as bullying by a classmate, neighbor or other peer,” according to a study published online in the journal Pediatrics. What’s more, “that association holds true for the various types of aggressive behavior studied, both mild and severe, from physical and psychological aggression to property victimization, researchers say.”

The New York Times (6/17, O’Connor) “Well” blog reports, “The new study, which involved thousands of children and adolescents around the country, found that those who were attacked, threatened or intimidated by a sibling had increased levels of depression, anger and anxiety.” The study examined “physical assaults with and without weapons and the destruction or stealing of property, as well as threats, name-calling and other forms of psychological intimidation.”

Related Links:

— “Bullying by siblings just as damaging, research finds, “Michelle Healy, USA Today, June 17, 2013.

The Los Angeles Times (6/14, Alpert) reports, “High school boys in Los Angeles are twice as likely to induce vomiting or use laxatives to control their weight as the national average, with 5.2% of those surveyed saying they had recently done so,” according to a new CDC survey. Chicago and Houston also saw rates that exceeded the average. “Some experts say they are unsure whether more boys and men are in fact suffering such disorders or whether more are now willing to seek help.”

Related Links:

— “Eating disorders plague teenage boys, too, “Emily Alpert, Los Angeles Times, June 13, 2013.

The Wall Street Journal (6/13, Palazzolo, Subscription Publication) reports that the Obama Administration’s proposal to accelerate the use of mental health records in the national gun background-check database has encountered resistance from medical groups and states. The plan, under which the Department of Health and Human Services would amend a Federal privacy rule, has been opposed by medical groups who contend the plan is unnecessary and could adversely affect doctor-patient relationships. Groups such as the American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association have expressed concerns. HHS spokeswoman Rachel Seeger indicated that the agency will consider the medical groups’ positions as it considers what to do next on the issue.

Related Links:

— “Medical Groups Push Back at Gun-Law Change, The Wall Street Journal, June 12, 2013.