Psychiatric News (9/17) reports that “obesity treatment in youth is not associated with an increased risk of depression or anxiety; rather, the analysis points to the mental health benefits of such programs for this population.” The findings of the 44-study meta-analysis were published online Sept. 16 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Meta-Analysis Highlights Potential Mental Health Benefits of Obesity Treatment for Youth, Psychiatric News, September 17, 2019

HealthDay (9/17, Preidt) reports a study of over 2,000 women who underwent hysterectomies but did not undergo removal of the ovaries “found they had about a 7% increased risk of depression and a 5% increased risk of anxiety over 30 years.” Women who were between 18 and 35 at the time of the procedure “had the highest (12%) risk of depression, according to the study,” published in Menopause.

Related Links:

— “Hysterectomy Tied to Depression, Anxiety, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, September 17, 2019

The AP (9/16, Tanner) reports a survey study of over 13,000 women age 18 to 44 indicates “the first sexual experience for 1 in 16 U.S. women was forced or coerced intercourse in their early teens.” The findings were published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Reuters (9/16, Rapaport) reports, “The average age at which women became sexually active when they were forced was 15.6 years, compared with 17.4 years for women who reported a voluntary first sexual experience.” Furthermore, “women’s first sexual encounters were with much older men when they were forced: 27 years old on average compared with 21 years with voluntary sexual initiation.”

HealthDay (9/16, Gordon) reports, “Women who were forced into their first sexual experience were twice as likely to report being in fair or poor health as women whose first sexual experience was voluntary.” Additionally, “women forced into sex their first time also were nearly twice as likely to have had an unwanted first pregnancy.” Meanwhile, “they were also far more likely to have pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, and problems with ovulation or menstruation, the study found.”

Related Links:

— “Many US women say 1st sexual experience was forced in teens, “Lindsey Tanner, AP, September 16, 2019

Healio (9/16, Demko) reports, “Lifetime and childhood exposure to gender identity conversion efforts were linked to adverse mental health outcomes among transgender adults, including severe psychological distress, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts,” research indicated. The findings of the 27,715-participant study were published online Sept. 11 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Gender identity conversion linked to psychological distress, suicide attempts, “Savannah Demko, Healio, September 16, 2019

Psychiatric News (9/16) reports research indicated that “adolescents who were involved in a motor vehicle accident had slower development of their working memory than adolescents who were not involved in a crash.” Investigators arrived at this conclusion after analyzing “data from a longitudinal study of 118 youth in Philadelphia, who received regular assessments of working memory, sensation seeking, substance dependence, and more between the ages of 11 and 20,” then looking at data from “a follow-up survey on driving experience.” The findings were published Sept. 13 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Slower Development of Working Memory in Adolescents Associated With Motor Vehicle Crashes, Psychiatric News, September 16, 2019