Forbes (10/24, Martin) reports, “Depression tops the list of health-related productivity costs in the workplace. That was the finding in a medicalstudy shortly after the economy tanked in the 2008 recession, and it’s no different now.” In fact, “the annual cost of depression is estimated at $44 billion in lost productivity to American companies according to the National Institute of Mental Health.”

Related Links:

— “Tackling Depression at Work as a Productivity Strategy,”Judy Martin, Forbes, October 23, 2012.

On its website and its “Talk of the Nation” program, NPR (10/23) reports, “The American Psychiatric Association defines a psychiatrist as a medical doctor who conducts psychotherapy and prescribes medications and other medical treatments. With recent developments in the pharmaceutical and insurance industries, the definition of the practice appears to be shifting.” Host Neal Conan discussed the changing role of psychiatry with Richard Friedman, MD, director, Psychopharmacology Clinic, Weill Cornell Medical College, and psychiatrist Steve Balt, editor-in-chief, The Carlat Psychiatry Report. One of the topics discussed was how, with the increased use of antidepressants in recent years, the “use of talk therapy” has declined, a trend driven by “market forces” and managed care.

Related Links:

— “Psychiatrists Shift Focus To Drugs, Not Talk Therapy,NPR, October 22, 2012.

The Washington Post (10/23, Rowan) reports that “fathers’ attitudes toward teen sex and the emotional closeness of their relationship with their teens have a sizable influence on their teens’ sexual behavior, separate from the influence of moms, a new review of studies suggests.” According to the article, “the review showed that dads’ attitudes toward teen sexual behavior were linked to the age at which teens first had sex.” Citing the studies in the review, the Post points out that “teens whose dads approved of adolescent sexual activity tended to start having sex earlier than teens whose dads did not approve.” The findings were published last week in the journal Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Fathers play key role in teens’ sexual behavior, says study, “Karen Rowan, The Washington Post, October 22, 2012.

. HealthDay (10/23, Preidt) reports, “Children with mental health disorders are more likely than other kids to be bullies,” according to a study presented yesterday at the American Academy of Pediatrics meeting. “Researchers analyzed data from children ages 6 to 17 included in the 2007 US National Survey of Children’s Health and found that more than 15 percent were identified as bullies by a parent or guardian, and that children with mental health disorders were three times more likely than their peers to bully other children.”

Related Links:

— “Bullying May Be Linked to Mental Disorders, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, October 22, 2012.

The Los Angeles Times (10/23, Healy) “Booster Shots” blog reports that according to a study published online Oct. 22 in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, “a youth aged 10 to 17 who reports that he or she has been victimized by peers in the past year is nearly 2 1/2 times likelier to have suicidal thoughts than an adolescent who reports no recent victimization.”

HealthDay (10/23, Mann) reports, “Youth who were sexually assaulted had 3.4 times the risk of thinking about suicide and those who were maltreated had 4.4 times the risk of suicidal ideation during the past year,” the study of “study of nearly 1,200 children and adolescents (aged 10 to 17)” revealed.

MedPage Today (10/23, Petrochko) reports, “Teens who had been polyvictimized — those exposed to seven or more types of harassment — in the past year were nearly six times as likely to think about suicide (OR 5.81, 95% CI 3.09 to 10.15),” the study found. Notably, “youth suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents in the US, behind auto accidents and homicide, the authors wrote.”

Related Links:

— “Bullying spurs suicidal thoughts – still more if home support lacks, “Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times, October 22, 2012.