ABC News (4/17, McLaughlin) reports that American Veterans (AMVETS) “is calling for a multi-agency investigation into what they’re calling a ‘suicide epidemic among veterans and service members,’ after three veterans killed themselves at Veterans Affairs facilities in the span of five days this month.” The veterans group “asked the inspectors general of the VA, Department of Defense and Department of Health and Human Services to immediately launch ‘a joint, coordinated investigation into the veteran and service member suicide epidemic, to include a macro evaluation of mental health treatment programs and personnel assigned to operate them.’”

Related Links:

— “Veterans group calls for multi-agency investigation after 3 vets killed themselves at VA facilities in 5-day span, “Elizabeth Mclaughlin, ABC News, April 17, 2019

Newsweek (4/15, Gander) reports that research indicates “90 percent of under-18s who are killed by a current or ex-partner are girls, while almost 90 percent of perpetrators are men.” The findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics.

The NPR (4/15, Chatterjee) “Shots” blog reports that the researchers “found that of the more than 2,000 adolescents killed between 2003 and 2016, nearly seven percent – 150 teens – were killed by their current or former intimate partners.” In nearly “80 percent of the cases, the perpetrator was 18 years or older.”

Related Links:

— “90 percent of teens killed by their partners are girls—and most of the killers are men, “Kashmira Gander, Newsweek, April 15, 2019

The AP (4/15, Neergaard) reports that “research suggests seniors who aren’t on guard against scams also might be at risk for eventually developing Alzheimer’s disease.” The findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Reuters (4/15, Rapaport) reports that investigators “gave scam awareness questionnaires to 935 older people who didn’t have dementia.” Reuters adds, “After an average follow up of six years, 151 participants developed Alzheimer’s disease and 255 developed mild cognitive impairment.” The researchers found that “low scam awareness was associated with a 56 percent higher risk of Alzheimer’s and a 47 percent higher risk of mild cognitive impairment.”

Also covering the story are CNN (4/15, Scutti), Newsweek (4/15, Gander), HealthDay (4/15, Norton), and MedPage Today (4/15, George).

Related Links:

— “Senior’s weakness for scams may be warning sign of dementia, “Lauran Neergaard, AP, April 15, 2019

Forbes (4/12) contributor Laurel Farrer wrote, “Remote workers often experience symptoms of anxiety and depression at a higher rate than people commuting into traditional office spaces,” research indicated. Even though “in the 2019 State of Remote Work report produced by Buffer…thousands of remote workers surveyed rave about the work-life balance, schedule flexibility, and work performance,” they also list the “downsides of location flexibility.” For example, “49% of remote workers note that their biggest struggle is wellness-related.” For example, the report found that “insomnia and sleep disturbance are common, along with increased fatigue, irritation, sadness and feelings of disconnection.”

Related Links:

— “Are Home Offices Fueling A Mental Health Crisis?, “Laurel Farrer, Forbes, April 12, 2019

MD Magazine (4/12, Campbell) reported a 347-study review “has identified several risk factors and limitations of past articles that examine physician suicides and its causes.” According to MD Magazine, “unique risks included specialized knowledge, access to lethal methods, and specialties.” Other “less-studied risks included personality traits, adverse childhood events, relationship status with a partner, relationship with parents, economic burdens, religiosity, and cultural upbringing.” The findings were presented at the ACP 2019 Internal Medicine Annual Meeting.

Related Links:

— “Physician Suicide Remains a Misunderstood Problem, “Patrick Campbell, MD Magazine, April 12, 2019