HCPlive (10/2, Derman) reports, “A child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at 12-26 months of age may not meet the diagnostic criteria for autism years later,” investigators concluded in the findings of a 213-child “cohort study” published online in JAMA Pediatrics. The study suggested that “children with higher baseline adaptative functioning scores, as well as girls, were more likely to have nonpersistent autism spectrum disorder in later years.”

Related Links:

— “Autism Diagnosis at Toddler Age May Not Persist to Elementary School Years,”Chelsie Derman, HCPlive, October 2, 2023

CNN (10/2, Ronald) reports that research has found that “parents, teachers, coaches and other adults shouting at, denigrating or verbally threatening children can be as damaging to their development as sexual or physical abuse.” The research, “which studied the impact of shouting by adults such as parents, teachers and coaches, cited several papers that suggested the lasting effects of childhood verbal abuse can manifest as mental distress, such as depression and anger; externalizing symptoms, such as committing crimes, substance use or perpetrating abuse; and physical health outcomes, such as developing obesity or lung disease.” The findings were published in Child Abuse & Neglect.

Related Links:

— “Adults shouting at children can be as harmful to a child’s development as sexual or physical abuse, study finds,”Issy Ronald, CNN, October 2, 2023

CNN (10/2, Choi) reports, “Children and teens in the US are dying of gun-related homicides and suicides in record numbers, according to the most recent data from the” CDC. In 2021, “there were 2,279 firearm homicides in children and teens (ages one to 18),” which is “double the number of deaths recorded a decade prior, according to the CDC’s WONDER database.” Additionally, “suicides by gun were…up 11% from the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.”

Related Links:

— “Gun homicides and suicides in US children and teens are at a record high,”Annette Choi, CNN, October 2, 2023

Healio (9/29, Bascom) reported, “Increased intake of ultraprocessed foods, especially artificially sweetened beverages and artificial sweeteners, was linked to a high risk for depression,” researchers concluded in “a prospective cohort study of 31,712 women aged 42 to 62 years who were enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study II between 2003 and 2017.” The study also revealed that “reducing consumption of ultraprocessed foods by at least three servings daily lowered that risk.” The findings were published online Sept. 20 in a research letter in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “High intake of artificially sweetened drinks associated with higher depression risk,”Emma Bascom, Healio, September 29, 2023

Psychiatric News (9/29) reported, “Emergency department” (ED) “visits for substance use may be associated with an increased risk of developing a schizophrenia spectrum disorder,” researchers concluded in a study revealed that “people who were seen in the emergency department for cannabis-induced psychosis had the highest risk of transitioning to a schizophrenia spectrum disorder within three years.” The study, which “examined data from more than 9.8 million Ontario residents aged 14 to 65 years between January 2008 and March 2022,” was published online Sept. 27 in a brief report in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Emergency Department Visits for Substance Use Linked to Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, Psychiatric News, September 29, 2023