HealthDay (8/29) reports, “Many U.S. Army soldiers who attempt suicide have no prior diagnosis of a mental health issue…and such histories may not be a good predictor of a soldier’s suicide risk,” research indicates. For the study, researchers “tracked the medical histories of thousands of enlisted soldiers (not including Guard or Reserve members) who served from 2004 through 2009.” The study revealed that “attempted suicide risk factors were similar for soldiers with and without a prior diagnosis of a mental health disorder.” The findings (8/29) were published online Aug. 29 in JAMA Psychiatry.

According to Healio (8/29, Demko), the authors of an accompanying editorial (8/29) wrote, “It is essential that suicide prevention efforts move outside of the silo of mental health.” They added that the study’s findings “support the recent changes by the Army to integrate mental health resources into a variety of nontraditional settings to increase access to care and decrease stigma.”

Related Links:

— “Soldiers’ Suicide Attempts Often Come Without Prior Mental Health Diagnosis, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, August 29, 2018.

Reuters (8/28, Rapaport) reports that research suggests “adults with mood disorders like anxiety and depression may be more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than people without mental illness.” The findings were published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

HealthDay (8/28, Mozes) reports that the finding comes “from a four-year study that tracked psychological distress among nearly 222,000 seemingly healthy men and women, aged 45 years and older, with no prior history of heart disease.” MedPage Today (8/28, Monaco) also covers the story.

Related Links:

— “Anxiety, depression tied to higher risk of heart attack, stroke, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, August 28, 2018.

NPR (8/28, Chatterjee) reports the US Preventive Services Task Force released recommendations urging physicians to “screen pregnant women and new moms” for depression so that “they can be treated before they show symptoms and a diagnosis of depression can be averted.” The task force said that physicians “should look for these risk factors: a history of depression, current depressive symptoms (like sadness, hopelessness about the future, lack of sleep, etc.), and socioeconomic risk factors like being low income, very young or a single parent.”

MedPage Today (8/28, Monaco) reports the group found “convincing evidence” that “referring these women to counseling services, including cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy, will have a ‘moderate net benefit’ in helping prevent perinatal depression among women who are at increased risk.”

Related Links:

— “Panel: Doctors Should Focus On Preventing Depression In Pregnant Women, New Moms, “Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, August 28, 2018.

USA Today (8/28, O’Donnell) reports “preteen suicides…remain rare. But as their numbers rise, they’re getting new attention from researchers.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “the death rate among 10- to 14-year-olds more than doubled from 0.9 per 100,000 in 2007 to 2.1 per 100,000 in 2014.”

TIME (8/28, Ducharme) reports the recent “suicide of a 9-year-old Colorado fourth grader underscores the challenges surrounding youth mental health – particularly the risks LGBTQ kids face.”

Related Links:

— “Preteen suicides are rare, but numbers are on the rise, “Jayne O’Donnell, USA Today, August 28, 2018.

HealthDay (8/27, Norton) reports on a study published in Injury Prevention finding that “more Americans are now dying from suicide and drug overdoses combined than from diabetes” with “29 deaths from suicide or drug overdose per 100,000 Americans” in 2016, “compared to just under 25 deaths per 100,000 from diabetes.” The researchers said that “people who die from suicide or drug overdose often have similar histories – including trauma, untreated depression and a lack of social support.”

Related Links:

— “U.S. Deaths From Suicide, Drugs Surpass Diabetes, “Amy Norton, HealthDay, August 27, 2018.