On its front page, the Boston Globe (4/27, A1, Landergan) reports that the first episode of bipolar disorder (BD) in young adults may be triggered by “the late nights, flexible schedule, and socialization of college, with more than 50 percent of all cases starting between the ages of 15 and 25, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.” Even though some institutions of higher education do offer “a variety of services for afflicted students,” many “believe the help is not enough. They say that these young people can feel a deep stigma if others find out about their disorder and that few of the students’ peers have a real understanding of their affliction.” The Globe points out that medications taken for BD may cause weight gain and other side effects that are distressing for young adults. The Globe also explains how BD makes it difficult, albeit not impossible, for students to finish their course of study.

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— “College students vulnerable to bipolar disorder,”Katherine Landergan , The Boston Globe, April 27, 2012.

HealthDay (4/14, Preidt) reports, “Receiving emotional support and acceptance from parents benefits the long-term health of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults,” according to a study published in the Journal of Homosexuality. Investigators found that “about three-quarters of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults aged 18 to 64 surveyed in Massachusetts said they had revealed their sexual orientation to their parents, typically when they were about 25 years old.” The story adds, “Rates of mental health and substance-abuse problems were significantly lower among those who received support from their parents than among those who felt rejected, the study found.”

Related Links:

— “Gay Adults Rejected by Parents Have Worse Health, Study Finds,” Robert Preidt , HealthDay, April 13, 2012.

The Huffington Post (4/14, Chan) reported, “Exercise could be the secret weapon to help breast cancer patients combat common side effects of cancer and cancer treatments,” according to research presented at a Society of Behavioral Medicine meeting.

HealthDay (4/14, Preidt) reported, “University of Miami researchers examined the physical activity levels and mental/physical health of 240 women with non-metastatic breast cancer…who were recruited for the study four to 10 weeks after surgery.”

WebMD (4/14, Boyles) reported, “Half the women took part in a 10-week, group-based behavioral therapy program aimed at reducing stress, while the other half participated in a much less intensive, single-day educational session.” The investigators “found that women who increased the time they spent engaged in physical activity between the time of surgery and other treatments had less fatigue-related disruptions in everyday activities.” The researchers reported that “women in both groups who exercised more also experienced less depression and scored higher on tests measuring quality of life.”

Related Links:

— “Exercise Could Lower Fatigue And Depression In Breast Cancer Patients: Study,” Amanda L. Chan , The Huffington Post, April 13, 2012.

HealthDay (4/14, Preidt) reported, “Adults with mental illness are more likely to have certain types of chronic physical health problems than those without mental illness,” according to a report (pdf) issued April 5 by the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). “The report said adults aged 18 and older who had any type of mental illness in the past year had higher rates of high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.” In addition, “people with mental illness had higher rates of emergency-department use and hospitalization,” the report found.

“Those with any mental illness, serious mental illness, or a major depressive episode also had greater use of healthcare resources,” MedPage Today (4/14, Neale) pointed out. “Among those with any mental illness, for example, the rate of emergency department use was 38.8% (versus 27.1% for those who reported no mental illness) and the rate of hospitalization was 15.1% (versus 10.1%).”

Related Links:

— “Mental Illness Tied to Higher Rates of Physical Problems: Report,”Robert Preidt , HealthDay, April 13, 2012.

MedPage Today (4/26, Fiore) reports, “Modern youth may roll their eyes at the statement, but researchers recently confirmed its truth: being an adolescent today is a whole lot different than it was years ago.” According to a paperpublished online April 25 in The Lancet, “the adolescent phase in human development now lasts much longer than it once did,” lasting from about ten to 24, “expanded at both ends by an earlier onset of puberty and a delay of mature social roles, respectively.” The length of the period and “‘heightened sensitivity’ to peer pressure…can lead to a greater likelihood of substance misuse and abuse,” the paper concluded.

Related Links:

— “Kids Today Really Are Different,”Kristina Fiore , MedPage Today, April 25, 2012.