Medscape (5/9, Brooks) reports, “Eating disorders increase the risk of dying prematurely,” according to a study presented at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting. “The study involved 2,329 women and 113 men treated in a specialized eating disorder clinic at Helsinki University Central Hospital between 1995 and 2010.” After calculating “relative risks for mortality due to all causes, all external causes of injuries and accidents, and suicide,” researchers found that “patients with an eating disorder were at increased risk of dying prematurely relative to” people without eating disorders.

Related Links:

— “Eating Disorders Linked to Increased Risk for Early Death,”Megan Brooks, Medscape Today, May 8, 2012.

HealthDay (5/9, Dallas) reports that according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, “even a friend’s parents can influence whether or not a teen drinks alcohol or uses drugs. If the parents of your teen’s friends are unaware of their child’s drug or alcohol use, or worse, condone it, that may make your child more likely to partake as well.” The study was based on a survey of “about 9,000 ninth-graders from rural school districts about their closest friends, their parents’ discipline and if their parents knew who their friends were.”

Related Links:

— “Friends’ Parents Can Sway Teens’ Odds for Drinking, Smoking,”Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay, May 8, 2012.

MedWire (5/9, Cowen) reports, “The presence of at least one psychotic symptom has a significant negative effect on health status, even among individuals who do not meet diagnostic criteria for psychosis,” according to a study recently published in the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin. After analyzing “data on 256,445 individuals (55.9% women) from 52 countries who participated in the WHO’s World Health Survey,” researchers found that “the presence of at least one psychotic symptom was associated with a significant reduction in health status scores, with an increasing number of symptoms associated with increasingly poorer scores.”

Related Links:

— “Psychotic symptoms linked to poorer health in general population,” Mark Cowen, MedWire News, May 9, 2012.

Reuters (5/9, Grens) reports that according to a study published online May 7 in the Archives of General Psychiatry, the number of adolescents who experience mania appears to be similar to that of adults with bipolar disorder. After analyzing data on some 10,000 adolescents who were extensively interviewed regarding their behavior and their moods, researchers found that 2.5% of the teens had met diagnostic criteria for both depression and mania within the past 12 months. This compares to National Institute of Mental Health statistics on adults, which found that 2.6% also had symptoms of bipolar disorder within the previous year. The study authors concluded that for many young people, bipolar disorder may begin during their teen years.

Related Links:

— “Bipolar symptoms may begin in teen years,”Kerry Grens, Reuters, May 8, 2012.

Medscape (5/9, Cassels) reports, “As the American Psychiatric Association (APA) kicks off its 2012 Annual Meeting…president-elect Dilip Jeste, MD, is getting set to lead the world’s largest psychiatric association into a new era of ‘positive psychiatry.'” He stated, “We should not be satisfied merely with treating symptoms in patients with mental illness but also with improving their overall well-being.” Dr. Jeste, a geriatric psychiatrist “who is Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences and Director of Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research and Aging at the University of California-San Diego,” acknowledged “that he has a particular interest in the brewing crisis in geriatric mental health care that is being driven by aging baby boomers.”

Related Links:

— “‘Positive Psychiatry’ Focus of New APA President’s Term,”Caroline Cassels, Medscape Today, May 8, 2012.