In its “The New Old Age” section, Paula Span writes for the New York Times (6/4, Span) that “purpose,” while hard to define, is vital for aging, and according to one researcher, is “a very robust predictor of health and wellness in old age.” Dr. Patricia Boyle of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center found that a study of 1,000 people over the age of 80 “found that the ones with high purpose scores were 2.4 times more likely to remain free of Alzheimer’s than those with low scores; they were also less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment, often a precursor.”

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— “Living on Purpose,” Paula Span, New York Times, June 3 , 2014.

The New York Times (5/29, A18, Medina, Subscription Publication) reports that in the aftermath of the Santa Barbara rampage, California lawmakers are “championing legislation that would permit law enforcement officials and private individuals to seek a restraining order from a judge that would keep people with a potential propensity for violence from buying or owning a gun,” a process similar to one currently covering cases of domestic violence.

However, “even in California, with an overwhelmingly Democratic majority in both houses of the Legislature, it could prove difficult to get the bill passed” due to both gun-rights opposition and concerns about “limiting civil liberties of those dealing with mental illness.”

Related Links:

— “After Attack Near Campus, California Weighs Gun Bill,” Jennifer Medina, New York Times, May 28, 2014.

In continuing coverage, the Wall Street Journal (5/29, A6, Hughes, Subscription Publication) reports that legislation proposed by Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), trained as a psychologist, is getting new attention in the wake of the recent California shootings. The legislation would make it easier for authorities or family members to force an individual with severe mental illness into treatment. However, it has drawn concern from those worried it violates the rights of those with mental illnesses.

Related Links:

— “Isla Vista Rampage Reanimates Debate Over Mental-Health Bill,” Siobhan Hughes, Wall Street Journal, May 28, 2014.

HealthDay (5/28, Preidt) reports that according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, “the students of teachers battling depression acted out more than preschoolers taught by other teachers.” Researchers arrived at that conclusion after analyzing data on some 761 families with and teachers of three-year-old preschoolers. Teachers’ depression was tied to “children’s behavioral problems such as aggression, anger, lack of control, depression, anxiety, sadness and withdrawal.”

Related Links:

— “When Teachers Are Depressed, Preschoolers May ‘Act Out’ More,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, May 27, 2014.

USA Today (5/28, Szabo) reports that last Friday’s shooting and stabbing incident in Santa Barbara, CA, by Elliot Rodger “has renewed the debate over how and whether to require people with serious mental illness to get psychiatric care.” According to USA Today, “Many families and advocates for people with serious mental illness say the country needs to change its standard for civil commitment, which allows people to be hospitalized against their will.”

In Congress, “Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa., a child psychologist, has introduced legislation that would push states to change these criteria, permitting involuntary hospitalization based on a patient’s ‘need for treatment,’ a standard now used by only 18 states.” Others argue that changes in involuntary commitment laws may violate people’s rights and may not be adequate to get patients the care they need.

The Roll Call (5/28, Dennis, Dumain, Subscription Publication) “218” blog quotes Rep. Murphy, who said in a statement this past weekend following the Santa Barbara incident, “Our mental health system has failed and more families have been destroyed because Washington hasn’t had the courage to fix it.”

The congressman “plans a Thursday briefing on his committee’s report on mental health, written over the course of a year following the tragedy in Newtown.” He also “says his bill would also expand access to psychiatric treatment and it would encourage states to set a new standard for committing people — the need for treatment, not that they present an imminent danger.”

Related Links:

— “Shooting spree inspires call for mental health overhaul,” Liz Szabo, USA Today, May 27, 2014.