The Time (2/25) “Healthland” blog reports that, according to a study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, a greater number of sex partners may be associated with an increased risk for drug addiction. Investigators “followed virtually all of the 1037 children born between 1972 and 1973 in Dunedin, New Zealand, and asked about their sexual partners as well as alcohol and other drug use.” Female participants “who had more than two to three sex partners when they were 18 years to 20 years old were nearly 10 times more likely than those who had none or one sexual partner to develop a drug problem, primarily involving alcohol or marijuana, at age 21.” The researchers found that, “at age 32, the risk was nearly 18 times greater for women who had more than two to three partners when they were aged 26 to 31 compared to those with one or no partners during that time.” While the risk was elevated among men with higher numbers of sex partners, it was not increased to the same extent.

Related Links:

— “More Sex Partners Linked to Higher Risk of Drug Addiction, Alcoholism, “Maia Szalavitz, TIME, February 25, 2013.

On its website, ABC News (2/26, James) reports, “More than 10 million Americans have eating disorders, which have a 10 percent mortality rate, the highest of any psychiatric illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.” While anorexia nervosa “is rare among young children…the number of hospitalizations is on the rise. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the rate jumped 72 percent between 1999 and 2009, the last year for which there are statistics.”

Related Links:

— “Anorexia Can Strike and Kill as Early as Kindergarten, “Susan Donaldson, abc News, February 26, 2013.

The Los Angeles Times (3/9, Murphy) reported that a nationwide review of military mental healthcare released Friday shows that soldiers returning home with problems such as PTSD “face a confusing array of programs, inconsistencies in training for mental health workers and gaps in mental health records because of uncoordinated record-keeping systems.” The Army said it is “already moving to correct some of the problems.” It is “moving behavioral health specialists into combat zones to give immediate aid to soldiers” and “reducing delays in processing for those seeking help for behavioral health problems.” The Washington Post (3/9, Vogel) “Federal Eye” blog also reported.

Related Links:

— “Army must do more to address soldiers’ mental health, review says, “Kim Murphy, Los Angeles Times, March 8, 2013.

The National Journal (3/7, Resnick, Subscription Publication) reported that in 2012, the US Army recorded 325 suicides. The Pentagon has stepped forward with suicide-prevention plans, and the Army has trained officers and other personnel how to prevent suicide. Now, a clearer picture is emerging of who is committing suicide. Deployment status and post-traumatic stress disorder do not seem to be related, according to research. Instead, “what seems to be happening is that young white men are entering the military with preexisting distress, and that distress manifests over the course of their service. And the Army isn’t addressing trouble signs at critical moments.” The Journal adds, “According to a 2012 review of Army suicide ‘knowns,’ a quarter of the people who had committed suicide had reported at least one symptom on Army health assessments,” but the report found that just five percent received a referral for counseling.

Related Links:

— “325 Members of the Army Killed Themselves Last Year. Sorting Out Why Is No Easy Task., “Brian Resnick, National Journal, March 7, 2013.

Medscape (3/8, Anderson) reports, “Atrial fibrillation (AF) is significantly associated with cognitive impairment and dementia, independent of history of clinical stroke,” according to a review published in the March 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. “In a combined analysis of the 14 studies that investigated the association between AF and dementia or cognitive impairment, nine of which were prospective, AF was significantly associated with the risk for cognitive impairment (relative risk [RR], 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19 – 1.64).”

Related Links:

— “Cognitive Impairment Associated With Atrial Fibrillation: A Meta-analysis, “Shadi Kalantarian, Annals of Internal Medicine, March 5, 2013.