The Huffington Post (7/6) reports that according to a new study conducted by researchers at Arizona State University, “when older honeybees take on tasks usually handled by younger bees, aging of their brains is effectively reversed.” The finding “suggests that in humans, social intervention ought to be considered in addition to drugs as a way to treat age-related dementia.” The discovery, announced this week, is detailed in the journal Experimental Gerontology. Meanwhile, “other studies have shown several non-drug tactics can help boost brainpower in older people, including going for walks, taking music lessons, and gaining a sense of control over one’s self and surroundings.”

Related Links:

— “Bee Brain Study Links Reversal Of Aging-Related Decline To Social Involvement,”LiveScience Staff , The Huffington Post, July 5, 2012.

The Huffington Post (7/6, Gates) reports that according to data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, “an estimated 4.8 million adults aged 50 and older used an illicit drug — whether it was an illegal substance or non-medical use of a prescription — last year.” The increase in the number of older substance abusers in the past decade prompted the National Institutes of Health to release its first consumer alert for seniors last month. Beyond the dangers of illegal substances, “with the average 50-year-old man taking four prescription drugs per day, the likelihood of addiction to necessary medicines is high.” The Post includes a slideshow gallery highlighting the top five most commonly abused prescription medicines among the 50+ demographic, according to health reports.

Prescription Medication Abuse Credited With Increasing Heroin Addiction. The Morristown (NJ) Daily Record (7/6, Townsend) reports, “The use of prescription pills among adolescents and teenagers has reached epidemic proportions in New Jersey and has led to increased heroin addiction, one expert said. And on Tuesday, a special state task force will address the issue at a hearing at Daytop New Jersey, a drug treatment center for adolescents, in Mendham.” Frank Greenagel, a recovery counselor and Rutgers University professor, “said the rise in heroin addiction is directly tied to the number of painkillers readily available by legal means and on the black market.” Greenagel said that “the overprescription of painkillers by doctors and dentists’ needs to be curbed.”

Related Links:

— “Drug Use & Baby Boomers: 5 Prescription Drugs With High Potential For Abuse, “Sara Gates, The Huffington Post, July 5, 2012.

In the New York Times (7/6) “Well” blog, Pauline W. Chen, MD, writes that despite the physical demands of nursing, “there are few work-based resources for nurses who are ill or depressed. Few hospitals have preventive programs that mandate, for example, safe patient lifting practices or policies that support nurses who may be temporarily disabled.” Meanwhile, “nurse managers often have little training in how to handle nurses with health problems, and many staff nurses themselves are unaware of how they might recognize and help a colleague whose work is impaired by illness.”

Related Links:

— “When It’s the Nurse Who Needs Looking After, “Pauline W. Chen, M.D., The New York Times, July 5, 2012.

In continuing coverage, the NPR (7/6) website posted audio of a “Morning Edition” story noting that a “Veterans Affairs hospital in Milwaukee has begun recruiting for additional mental health” professionals. The recruitment is “part of a nationwide” VA “effort to bring on about 1,600 new psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers to reduce wait times for treatment.” NPR notes that VA “says it will be aggressive in recruiting candidates for the new mental health positions and hopes to have most on board within six months.”

Official To Senators: VA Is Hiring More Mental Health Professionals. American Medical News (7/6, Fiegl) reports, “Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chair Patty Murray (D, Wash.) has introduced legislation that would require more oversight of federal suicide prevention programs” and that “would expand mental health coverage to family members of servicemen and women to help them cope with deployments.” Murray’s “committee held a June 27 hearing to discuss the Mental Health Access to Continued Care and Enhancement of Support Services and several other pieces of legislation. The VA has taken steps to improve access, said Madhulika Agarwal, MD, MPH, the VA deputy undersecretary for health policy and services,” who noted that VA has launched an initiative to hire more mental health professionals.

Related Links:

— “VA Hospital Recruits Mental Health Providers, “Erin Toner, NPR, July 5, 2012.

MedWire (7/6, Cowen) reports, “Suicidal behavior is common among young people with bipolar disorder (BD), with around one in five attempting to take their own lives,” according to a study published online in the Archives of General Psychiatry. The 413-patient study also revealed that “increased depression severity and a family history of depression are the most significant predictors for suicide attempts in young people with the mood disorder.”

Related Links:

— “Suicide attempts common in young bipolar patients, “Mark Cowen, MedWire News, July 5, 2012.