Medscape (9/18, Brooks) reports that, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in the American Journal of Public Health, “social isolation is a risk factor for premature death that rivals more traditional mortality risk factors of smoking and” hypertension. Researchers arrived at that conclusion after analyzing “data on 16,849 adults participating in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) and the National Death Index,” then using “the Social Network Index (SNI) to measure social isolation.”

In a piece mentioning that alleged Washington Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis was reporting auditory hallucinations, NBC News (9/18, Aleccia) reports on its website that “such hallucinations are the hallmark of psychiatric disorders; about 75 percent of those diagnosed with schizophrenia experience voices.” However, “many people with no disorder also report hearing voices – and they’re often neutral, even innocuous, said” Jeffrey Lieberman, MD, president of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Lieberman also went on to say that as further details come out about Alexis, “he was concerned that the shooting renews worries for people with mental illness and once again raises questions about how society treats disorders.”

Related Links:

— “Not a diagnosis: Voices in head more common than thought, “JoNel Aleccia, NBC News, September 17, 2013.

AFP (9/18) reports that research published in the BMJ suggests that the 2008 financial crisis led to an increase in suicides among men. Investigators looked at suicide data from 54 countries prior to and after the 2008 crisis. The researchers found that “among European men, there was an 11.7 percent rise in suicides” among those aged 15 to 24. The data indicated that “in the Americas, the biggest increase was among men aged 45-64, which saw a” 5.2 percent increase.

BBC News (9/18) reports that while it’s “possible other factors may” have led to the increase, “mental health charities say their own experience would back up the researchers’ theory.”

Related Links:

— “Male suicides rose after 2008 financial crash: study,AFP, September 18, 2013.

HealthDay (9/14, Preidt) reported that research published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology suggests that “teens who text about bad behaviors such as drug use or fighting are more likely to actually engage in those behaviors.” Researchers examined the text messages of more than 170 ninth-graders. Their behaviors were rated by their teachers, parents, and fellow students. The investigators “found a strong link between antisocial text messages and higher ratings of antisocial and aggressive behavior at the end of the school year.”

Related Links:

— “Teens’ Antisocial Texts May Foretell Bad Behavior, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, September 13, 2013.

Reuters (9/13, Seaman) reports that, according to a review published online Sept. 11 in The Cochrane Library, exercise may help modestly alleviate depressive symptoms. Researchers arrived at that conclusion after examining data from 35 studies.

MedPage Today (9/13, Bankhead) reports that “when compared with no treatment or control interventions, exercise was associated with a treatment effect of -0.62.” While the effect is modest, the study authors “recommended research aimed at identifying specific types of exercise that offer the greatest clinical benefit, as well as the number and duration of exercise sessions associated with the greatest benefit.”

Related Links:

— “Exercise may help alleviate depression: review, “Andrew M. Seaman, Reuters, September 12, 2013.