Healio (7/24, Demko) reports, “Compensatory strategies – techniques to disguise autism – increased social integration, but were associated with poor mental health and delayed diagnosis among people with autism,” research indicated in a study that included “58 adults with a clinical diagnosis of autism, 19 with self-identified (but not formally diagnosed) autism and 59 without a diagnosis or self-identified autism (but with social difficulties).” The findings were published online July 23 in The Lancet Psychiatry. The author of a related commentary observed that “an important question for future research is whether subjective distress should be listed in the diagnostic criteria for” autism spectrum disorder. She wrote, “For example, DSM-5 could be revised to read: ‘Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning [including subjective distress].’” She added, “This change would codify the experience of individuals with autism who function in the typical range, but do so through intense compensation that causes subjective distress.”

Related Links:

— “Compensatory strategies that mask autism may impede diagnosis, “Savannah Demko, Healio, July 24, 2019

HealthDay (7/23, Preidt) reports that extreme eating habits “in young children…could be a sign of autism, researchers say.” The study, which included more than 2,000 youngsters, revealed “atypical eating behaviors – such as hypersensitivity to food textures or pocketing food without swallowing – in 70% of kids with autism,” representing a rate 15 times of that usually “found in children.” The findings were published in the August issue of Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Related Links:

— “Extreme Eating Habits Could Be an Early Clue to Autism, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, July 23, 2019

CNN (7/23, Azad) reports, “People are more likely to try…party drugs and marijuana during the summer, researchers found, with over a third of LSD use and around 30% of ecstasy and marijuana use starting in the season.” In addition, “around 28% of cocaine use also began in the summer,” the study revealed. The findings were published online July 23 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

HealthDay (7/23, Preidt) reports researchers arrived at the study’s conclusions after examining “data from nearly 395,000 people, aged 12 and older, who took part in the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2011 and 2017.”

Related Links:

— “More people try drugs for the first time in the summer, study says, “Arman Azad, CNN, July 23, 2019

Psychiatric News (7/23) reports, “Twelve-year-old children who exhibit symptoms associated with borderline personality disorder – such as experiencing extremes of rage, despair, or excitement – are at higher risk of having poor mental health by age 18,” researchers concluded after assessing a “total of 2,232 British children in the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study (representing 1,116 families with same sex twins)…during home visits at age five, seven, 10, and 12; during these visits their mothers were also interviewed.” Later, “at age 18, the participants were interviewed alone.” The findings were published online July 17 in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Borderline Symptoms at Age 12 Predict a Variety of Negative Outcomes at Age 18, Psychiatric News, July 23, 2019

HealthDay (7/22, Preidt) reports, “Teens who are belittled and demeaned by their parents are more likely to be bullied and to bully others,” research indicated. After following “more than 1,400 teens from ages 13 to 15,” investigators “found that derisive parenting can cause significant harm.” The study revealed that “teens who are subjected to derisive parenting can develop dysregulated anger, often a sign of difficulty controlling emotions,” and this “dysregulated anger puts teens at greater risk for bullying and for becoming bully-victims (bullies who also are victimized by other bullies), the study said.” The findings were published in the August issue of the Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

Related Links:

— “Parents Who Belittle Their Children May Be Raising Bullies, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, July 22, 2019