HealthDay (3/11, Neff) reports a study found that among US college students, “depression is not only becoming more common but is also hitting certain groups much harder than others. The study, led by the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, tracked health survey data collected from more than 560,000 U.S. college students from 2007 to 2022.” The researchers observed that “the average score on a standard questionnaire that doctors use to measure the severity of depression has climbed every single year. The steepest increases were reported from 2016 onward, with recent averages a clinical concern, researchers said.” They found that “over the 15-year period, reported thoughts of suicide surged by nearly 154%. Other major issues reported included restlessness, which jumped by nearly 80%, and trouble concentrating, which rose more than 77%.” The studywas published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Related Links:

— “15-Year Study Shows Sharp Rise in Depression Among U.S. College Students,”Deanna Neff, HealthDay , March 11, 2026

The AP (3/10, Perrone) reports that on Tuesday, the FDA “approved a generic medication for a rare brain disorder, while walking back statements by” the President “and other administration officials that the drug showed great promise for people with autism.” The FDA “said it approved leucovorin for children and adults with a genetic condition that limits delivery of folate, a form of vitamin B, to the brain.” It is “a major step back from comments made at a White House news conference in September, when” the President “and FDA commissioner Marty Makary announced the drug was under review to benefit patients with autism, some of whom have a form of the vitamin brain deficiency.” Senior agency “officials told reporters Monday that their review was narrowed to focus on the strongest evidence, which only supported the drug’s use by patients with the rare mutation that impacts folate levels in the brain.”

CNN (3/10, Goodman) reports that Tuesday’s “update on leucovorin may hit some families of children with autism especially hard.” In the months since the September briefing, “leucovorin prescriptions surged, making the drug hard to find.”

Related Links:

— “FDA finds little evidence that a drug touted by Trump can help people with autism,”Matthew Perrone , AP, March 10, 2026

HealthDay (3/9, Thompson) reports that researchers have found that using marijuana, cocaine, or amphetamines can increase an individual’s “risk of stroke – even if they’re a younger adult.” The investigators found that cocaine “and amphetamines can double or triple the risk of stroke for any adult,” while marijuana “also increases stroke risk, but to a lesser extent.” The findings were published in the International Journal of Stroke.

Related Links:

— “Illicit Drugs Raise Stroke Risk, Even for Younger Adults,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, March 9, 2026

Healio (3/9, Gawel) reports, “Asking caregivers if they are concerned about clutter or possible hoarding may help identify neurocognitive disorders, according to a study.” Investigators came to this conclusion after conducting an “observational construct validity study” that “used retrospectively gathered data from 135 patients (mean age, 70.9 years; 39% women; 73% white) at an academic memory disorders clinic between October 2018 and August 2021.” The findings were published in The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.

Related Links:

— “Single question about hoarding identifies possible neurocognitive disorders,”Richard Gawel, Healio , March 9, 2026

HealthDay (3/9, Thompson) reports, “Nearly half of seniors 65 and older showed measurable improvement in their brain health, physical function or both over time, researchers” found. The investigators “tracked more than 11,000 people participating in a long-term federally funded study of older Americans.” The researchers found that “during a follow-up period of up to 12 years, 45% of participants improved in either physical or mental fitness.” Approximately “32% had improvements in their brain health, and 28% improved physically.” The findings were published in Geriatrics.

Related Links:

— “Many Seniors Gain Physical, Mental Fitness As They Age, Study Finds,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay , March 9, 2026