Healio (11/14, Gramigna) reports, “Patients who present to a hospital for self-harm are at a high risk for suicide in the first year after presentation, and particularly in the first month,” researchers concluded after examining “data for 90,614 presentations to the study hospitals between January 2000 and December 2013 by 49,783 individuals aged 15 years or older.” Mortality was followed up until “Dec. 31, 2015, which allowed for up to 16 years of follow-up.” The findings were published online Nov. 6 in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Suicide risk significantly heightened first month, year after self-harm discharge, “Joe Gramigna, Healio , November 14, 2019

Psychiatric News (11/13) reports, “Having a concussion within the past year may raise the risk of suicidal ideation and behavior in high school students,” researchers concluded after examining “data from more than 13,000 respondents in grades 9 through 12 who participated in the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey.” The findings were published online Nov. 11 in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Related Links:

— “Concussions May Raise Risk of Suicide in High School Students, Psychiatric News, November 13, 2019

Newsweek (11/13, Gander) reports, “Rates of cannabis use disorder have risen in U.S. states where the drug has been legalized, including among children and teenagers,” researchers concluded after examining “surveys completed by 505,796 people between 2008 to 2016.” The findings were published online Nov. 13 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Cannabis Use Disorder Is Rising In U.S. States Where Weed Is Legal, “Kashmira Gander , Newsweek, November 13, 2019

MedPage Today (11/13, George) reports researchers found in “a longitudinal community study” that “illiteracy was linked to a higher risk of prevalent and incident dementia, but not to more rapid cognitive decline.” The findings were published in Neurology.

HealthDay (11/13, Mozes) reports the researchers found that illiterate seniors “were two to three times more likely to develop dementia” than their literate peers.

Related Links:

— “Illiteracy Tied to Dementia Risk, “Judy George, MedPage Today, November 13, 2019

Reuters (11/13, Rapaport) reports, “Many people experience worsening depression symptoms over their final year of life,” researchers concluded after examining “data on 3,274 adults who participated in the nationwide Health and Retirement Study and died within one year of the assessment.” The findings were published online Nov. 5 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Related Links:

— “Depression symptoms increase over last year of life, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, November 13, 2019