The New York Times (6/6, A17, Tavernise, Subscription Publication) reports that a panel of experts assembled by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council at President Obama’s request after the school shooting in Newton, Connecticut delivered an “ambitious set of priorities” for the government to obtain “better data on guns.” There is currently no national figure regarding the number of guns that are in the country, and researchers often do not have access to data from law enforcement agencies regarding “data on specific games,” although they only track guns used in crimes. The experts said because “Basic information about gun possession, distribution, ownership, acquisition and storage is lacking,” it makes it “virtually impossible to answer fundamental questions” about how to establish programs to reduce gun violence.

Related Links:

— “Panel Says Better Data Is Needed on Gun Issues, “Sabrina Tavernise, The New York Times, June 05, 2013.

HealthDay (6/6, Reinberg) reports that research published in Neurology suggests that “older people who suffer from…atrial fibrillation may also be more likely to experience mental declines sooner.” Researchers looked at “data on more than 5,000 people aged 65 and older who took part in the Cardiovascular Health Study.”

MedPage Today (6/6, Neale) reports that the researchers found that, “at age 75 and older, scores on the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MSE) declined by about 3 points more for every 5 years of aging for individuals who developed atrial fibrillation compared with those who did not develop the arrhythmia.”

Related Links:

— “Irregular Heartbeat May Speed Memory Loss in Seniors, “Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, June 05, 2013.

Psychiatric News (6/4) reports that the American Psychiatric Association “was well represented at [yesterday’s] National Conference on Mental Health hosted by President Obama and Vice-President Biden at the White House.” Conference invitees included APA President Jeffrey Lieberman, MD, Psychiatric News Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Borenstein, MD, and APA President-elect Paul Summergrad, MD. After the conference, Dr. Lieberman said, “We commend the Administration’s efforts through this national dialogue to focus attention and resources on important mental health issues and the need to eliminate stigma and improve access to quality care for all individuals who need mental health services.” Dr. Lieberman added, “An important part of that access is insurance coverage for mental health treatment, and we look forward to working with the Administration to fully implement parity for mental health care nationwide.”

In a news release (pdf) covering the event, the American Psychiatric Association wrote, “In an effort to help better address mental health issues in the primary care setting, APA is partnering with the American Medical Association to disseminate educational materials developed by the APA to help physicians in all specialties better integrate mental health screenings into their practices, reduce misperceptions of mental illness, and direct patients to additional mental health services when needed.”

Related Links:

— “APA Representatives Attend White House Mental Health Conference, Psychiatric News, June 03, 2013.

Politico (6/4, Smith) reports, “States looking to address gun violence are overhauling mental health laws – and sometimes exposing rifts over how to best address the small but serious threat of violence.” However, “changing policies on involuntary commitment, or requiring therapists to report potentially dangerous patients, are stirring fears that well-intentioned policies could increase stigma and deter the very people who most need treatment from getting it.” While the majority of people with mental illnesses are not violent, “some of the horrific mass shootings in recent years have been carried out by people with serious mental diseases, reinforcing stereotypes.” Now, some mental health advocates are concerned about a “backlash.”

Related Links:

— “With mental health legislation stalled in Congress, states act, “Kathryn Smith, Politico, June 02, 2013.

The Washington Post (6/4, Montgomery) reports, “Numbers released in May by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show a dramatic spike in suicides among middle-aged people, with the highest increases among men in their 50s, whose rate went up by nearly 50 percent to 30 per 100,000; and women in their early 60s, whose rate rose by nearly 60 percent (though it is still relatively low compared with men, at 7 in 100,000). The highest rates were among white and Native American and Alaskan men. In recent years, deaths by suicide has surpassed deaths by motor vehicle crashes.” The findings “suggest that more suicide research and prevention should ‘address the needs of middle-aged persons,’ a CDC statement said.”

Related Links:

— “Baby boomers are killing themselves at an alarming rate, raising question: Why?, ” Tara Bahrampour, The Washington Post, June 03, 2013.