CQ (7/17, Norman, Subscription Publication) reports, “People with serious mental illnesses have a lifespan of 53 years on average, often dying early from suicide and injury — but also frequently from chronic medical conditions, according to a briefing Monday by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare.” Because of this, “advocates for people with mental illnesses say that makes it imperative that the nation better bring together behavioral and primary healthcare in the same place.” The piece adds, “While since 2009, the Department of Health and Human Services has had a grant program that unites community mental health clinics with primary care sites and independent initiatives around the country, advocates say much more work is needed to improve health outcomes for people with mental illnesses whose physical problems often go untreated.”

The Boston Globe (7/16, A1, Wen) reports in a front-page story on “a program called Strategic Sharing, which helps young people who have struggled with mental health issues talk about their past in selective ways.” Those involved “want to lead efforts to curb long-held prejudices against people with mental illness, but must carefully consider what they say publicly to protect their image as they enter the adult world.” The “program, created by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, counsels young people with mental illness how to promote awareness of psychiatric issues but not share too much that might hurt them on the job or in new relationships.”

Related Links:

— “Youths cautiously sharing mental health histories
, “Patricia Wen, The Boston Globe, July 16, 2012.

According to an AP (7/14) story carried by at least 547 media sources, an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report released on Friday recommended that “soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan be screened for post-traumatic stress disorder at least once a year and that Federal agencies conduct more research to determine how well the various treatments for PTSD are working.”

The New York Times (7/14, Dao) “At War” blog noted that the “first comprehensive review of the government’s programs” for treating PTSD recommended that the Defense Department and Veterans Affairs “expand access to services, particularly for people in rural areas, in the National Guard or Reserves, or in combat zones.” The nearly 400-page report also urged the two departments to “improve their assessment of how well their many treatment programs work, as well as find better ways of coordinating care that can begin overseas and then continue on bases or in small towns across the country.” Friday’s report “represents the first half of a multiyear review of the broad range” of PTSD assessment and services provided by the two departments; and the “14 panel members will assess emerging treatments” for a second report, which is slated to be released in 2014.

Related Links:

— “Study Calls for Better Assessment of Government P.T.S.D. Programs, “James Dao, The New York Times, July 13, 2012.

According to a Time (7/23, Gibbs, Thompson) cover story, no “program, outreach or initiative has worked against” a “surge in Army suicides, and no one knows why nothing works.” Time does point out, however, that there is a national shortage of mental-health “personnel, which means the Army is competing” with Veterans Affairs “and other services — not to mention the civilian world — to hire the people it needs.” Time also points out that VA “and all the services have launched resiliency-training programs and emergency hotlines.”

Related Links:

— “The War On Suicide?, “Nancy Gibbs, Time Magazibe, July 23, 2012.

MedPage Today (7/13) reports that a study supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health found that “chronic panic, phobia, and similar anxiety disorders may contribute to premature aging by shortening telomeres.” Olivia Okereke, MD, MS, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said, “The magnitude of this difference was comparable to that for women 6 years apart in age.” She added that telomeres shortening, a gradual process of loss of the repetitive DNA sequences capping off chromosomes that occurs when cells divide, “isn’t reversible.”

The Daily Mail (UK) (7/13, Bates) reports, “Researchers found that a common form of the stress, known as phobic anxiety, could trigger cellular damage leading to premature ageing.” Dr. Okereke says, “This study is notable for showing a connection between a common form of psychological stress – phobic anxiety – and a plausible mechanism for premature aging,” but it cannot “prove cause and effect” of which came first.

Reuters (7/13, Begley) reports that the rate of anxiety disorder diagnoses has grown drastically over the past 30 years. Many doctors say that advances in medicine, screen procedures, and proper training have led to the rise in the number of people being diagnosed with some forms of mental disorders. However, this also means that more people are being treated and helped by medical professionals.

Related Links:

— “Chronic Anxiety Speeds Aging, ” Crystal Phend, Medpage Today, July 12, 2012.