The New York Times (8/28) “Well” blog reports, “People in a study who began smoking marijuana as teenagers and continued to use it heavily for decades lost a few IQ points along the way, while those who started in adulthood did not,” according to research published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. “The findings, from a study tracking people’s habits from childhood through middle age, suggest that the developing teenage brain is especially vulnerable to drug use, the authors concluded.”

The USA Today (8/28, Winter) “On Deadline” blog reports, “The study, which tracked more than 1,000 New Zealanders from birth to 38, found an average eight-point decline in IQ among “persistent, dependent” users of marijuana younger than 18. About 5% of the study group were considered “marijuana-dependent” — using more than once a week before they were 18 years old, according to the news release (8/28).” What’s more, “quitting did not appear to reverse the effects, and the IQ decline could not be explained by alcohol, other drug use or by having less education, said lead researcher Madeline Meier at Duke University.”

Interestingly, “the researchers didn’t find the same IQ dip for people who became frequent users of pot after 18,” the AP (8/28, Ritter, Perry) reports. “Although experts said the new findings are not definitive, they do fit in with earlier signs that the drug is especially harmful to the developing brain.”

Bloomberg News (8/28, Lopatto) reports, “Because marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug in the US, looking into how it changes the brain is important, said” Meier. “Daily use among high school seniors is at a 30-year peak, according to a 2011 survey by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.”

HealthDay (8/28, Goodwin) reports, “Though pot has a reputation among many teens for being benign, Meier urged adolescents and their parents to take the findings seriously.”

MedPage Today (8/28, Gever) points out, “The current analysis was supported by the UK Medical Research Council, the US National Institutes of Health, and the Jacobs Foundation.” Also covering the story are WebMD (8/28, Boyles), Medscape (8/28, Harrison), Reuters (8/28, Kelland), and BBC News (8/28, Hughes).

Related Links:

— “Early Marijuana Use Linked to I.Q. Loss, “Benedict Carey, The New York Times, August 27, 2012.

HealthDay (8/24) reports, “Spirituality can be uplifting for…mental health,” according to a study recently published in the Journal of Religion and Health. After examining “the results of three surveys that asked Buddhists, Catholics, Jews, Muslims and Protestants about their personalities, levels of spirituality and physical and mental health,” researchers found that “among people in all five faiths, a greater degree of spirituality was associated with better mental health — specifically lower levels of neuroticism and greater extroversion.” However, “after considering personality variables, the researchers concluded that forgiveness was the only spiritual trait predictive of mental health.”

Related Links:

— “Spirituality May Boost Mental Health: Study, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, August 23, 2012.

MedWire (8/24, Cowen) reports, “Contrary to expectations, engagement in vigorous exercise is positively associated with the incidence and prevalence of psychiatric disorders, particularly bipolar II disorder and alcohol dependence,” according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. After examining “data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC)” on some 23,505 adults, researchers “found that individuals who engaged in vigorous physical exercise were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, less likely to achieve remission, and more likely to relapse than nonexercisers.” (Editors note: This does not mean that vigorous exercise causes mental illness.)

Related Links:

— “Vigorous exercise associated with mental illness vulnerability, “Mark Cowen, MedWire News, August 24, 2012.

MedWire (8/23, Cowen) reports, “Adults with mood and anxiety disorders are significantly more likely to be smokers than the general population,” according to astudy of data derived from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) published online Aug. 10 in the American Journal on Addictions. After assessing “associations between mood and anxiety disorders and smoking in a nationally representative sample of 43,093 individuals, aged at least 18 years, from the NESARC,” then adjusting for confounding factors, researchers found that compared with the general population, “the risk for nicotine dependence was increased among respondents with panic disorder (OR=1.82), bipolar disorder (OR=1.71), specific phobia (OR=1.69), and major depression.”

Related Links:

— “Nicotine dependence risk increased in bipolar disorder, “Mark Cowen, MedWire News, August 23, 2012.

HealthDay (8/21, Dallas) reports, “Mothers who work full time report better mental and physical health than stay-at-home moms or women who work part time,” according to a new study scheduled to be presented Sunday at the American Sociological Association annual meeting in Denver but yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. “Researchers from University of Akron and Penn State University found that women who go back to work soon after having children have more energy and mobility, and less depression at age 40.” HealthDay notes, “The study included data on 2,540 women who became mothers between 1978 and 1995,” and the authors “added that additional childcare and transportation resources for single mothers could improve their employment options.”

Related Links:

— “Working Moms Report Better Health Than Those Who Stay Home, “Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay, August 20, 2012.