Medscape (10/2, Johnson) reports, “Parents who lose a child to suicide have more mental and physical health problems in the two years preceding their child’s death, compared with those whose children do not die by suicide,” according to a study presented at the Canadian Psychiatric Association 62nd Annual Conference. After comparing “outcomes in suicide-bereaved parents (n = 1415), parents whose children had died in motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) (n = 1132), and nonbereaved parents (n = 1415),” investigators found that “suicide-bereaved parents were more likely than MVA-bereaved parents to have had adverse health and social markers prior to their child’s death — including depression (ARR, 1.30), cardiovascular disease (ARR, 1.54), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (ARR, 1.68), other physical disorders (ARR, 1.32), and low income (ARR, 1.33).”

In continuing coverage, a story for the “Uncounted Casualties” series by the Austin (TX) American-Statesman (10/2) reports, “Although US military forces have left Iraq and are winding down in Afghanistan, the buildup in mental health services for soldiers who served there continues to surge.” For example, Veterans Affairs has been adding mental health workers. But a recent review by VA’s “Office of Inspector General found that 12 percent, or 1.2 million appointments, had wait times of up to 60 days.” The Statesman adds, “Still, the VA…fully intends to become the national leader in providing specialized psychotherapy on a massive scale to treat PTSD, said Bradley Karlin, the VA’s national mental health director for psychotherapy and psychogeriatrics.” Karlin’s agency recently announced that $100 million will be spent to study treatments for both PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.

Related Links:

— “Treating injuries that cannot be seen, “American-Statesman Investigative Team, Statesman.com, October 1, 2012.

HealthDay (10/2, Preidt) reports, “Five years after being released from juvenile detention, more than 45 percent of males and nearly 30 percent of females still had psychiatric disorders,” according to a study published online Oct. 1 in the Archives of General Psychiatry. For the study, researchers “initially interviewed nearly 1,200 males and more than 650 females, aged 10 to 18, while they were at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago. The participants were interviewed again as many as four times and up to five years later.”

MedPage Today (10/2, Petrochko) reports, “Former female prisoners had higher rates of major depression (adjusted odds ratio 1.59, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.08), while former male prisoners had higher rates of substance use disorders (aOR 2.61, 95% CI 1.96 to 3.47),” researchers found. “The study was supported from grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute of Mental Health…the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, [and] the NIH,” among others.

Related Links:

— “Psychiatric Disorders Often Persist in Juvenile Offenders, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, October 1, 2012.

The New York Times (10/2, A22, Tavernise, Subscription Publication) reports, “Americans of working age are going to the doctor less frequently than they were 10 years ago, according to a new report by the Census Bureau.” The report indicates that “in 2010, people age 18 to 64 made an average of 3.9 visits to doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, down from 4.8 visits in 2001.”

The Washington Times (10/2, Cunningham) reports that Americans “may be hesitating more before they rush to the doctor’s office with mild symptoms. Employers have trimmed back on health insurance plans as they grow more expensive, sending more employees into high-deductible plans that require them to pay more out of pocket at the doctor’s office.”

The Houston Chronicle (10/2, Ackerman) reports, “Women were more likely than men to have seen a medical [practitioner] in 2010 — 78 percent vs. 67 percent.”

The Baltimore Sun (10/2, Walker) “Picture of Health” blog reports, “Hispanics were the least likely racial or ethnic group to see a medical [professional], as 42 percent never visited one during the year.”

Related Links:

— “Doctor Visits Dropping, New Census Figures Show, “Sabrina Tavernise, The New York Times, October 1, 2012.

HealthDay (9/29, Salamon) reported, “A sophisticated genetic test sometimes used during pregnancy can’t always predict if chromosomal abnormalities will cause problems in children, leading some mothers to label the information ‘toxic knowledge’ they wish they hadn’t received,” according to the results of a 54-participant study recently published online in the journal Genetics in Medicine. Investigators “found that expectant mothers receiving bad news about a genetic test called a DNA microarray — more often used after birth to identify chromosomal problems in children with unexplained delays or defects — reported mostly negative responses, ranging from feeling blindsided to needing support to digest the information and make critical decisions about their pregnancies.” The study’s author pointed out that “the women’s reactions challenge the notion that knowledge is power, especially when that knowledge pertains to ambiguous information about an unborn baby’s health.”

Related Links:

— “Prenatal Test Presents Dilemmas to Expectant Mothers, “Maureen Salamon, HealthDay, September 28, 2012.