Reuters (11/21, Rapaport) reports children “who play ‘choking games’ to achieve a euphoric high are more likely to be suicidal and face a greater risk of injury and death when they play alone,” researchers found after examining “survey data collected from almost 21,000 Oregon teens” in eighth grade “in 2011 and 2013.”

HealthDay (11/21, Mozes) reports investigators found that “teens who had tried the practice alone were almost five times more likely to have thoughts of suicide than those who had done it in groups, and more than twice as likely to say they were in poor mental health overall.” The findings were published online Nov. 19 in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Choking game riskiest when kids play alone,”Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, November 21, 2016.

HealthDay (11/21, Pallarito) reports, “Most preschoolers with mood, behavior and social disorders would benefit from non-drug therapies, but few receive this type of help,” experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics found in a new report. Because “parents, policymakers and” other caregivers “fail to recognize that young children are affected by the things that happen around them,” the AAP has proposed suggestions “for closing the treatment gap…in a policy statement published online Nov. 21 in the journal Pediatrics.”

Related Links:

— “Troubled Preschoolers Not Getting Effective Treatment: Report,”Karen Pallarito, HealthDay, November 21, 2016.

On its front page, the New York Times (11/20, A1, Hoffman, Subscription Publication) reported in a greater than 2,400-word story on the adjustments students with autism diagnoses face as they transition from high school to college. Currently, there are about 40 colleges around the US that have special “comprehensive support” programs designed to help students with autism. The “nuanced and complex” needs of these students, however, mean challenges remain for many, the Times reports.

Related Links:

— “Along the Autism Spectrum, a Path Through Campus Life,”Jan Hoffman, The New York Times, November 20, 2016.

HCP Live (11/18, Lutz) reported that girls who are diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) may “have a higher risk for multiple mental disorders that often lead to problems down the road,” researchers found after examining “data on nearly 2,000 girls primarily aged 8 to 13 years old, with and without” AD/HD, “in a meta-analysis of 18 studies.” The findings were published in the September issue of Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Girls with ADHD Often have Comorbid Behavioral Disorders,”Rachel Lutz, MD Magazine, November 18, 2016.

HealthDay (11/18, Salamon) reported, “Teenagers living in cohesive neighborhoods – where trusted neighbors get involved in monitoring each other’s children – experience fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety,” researchers found examining “information on more than 2,200 children born in large US cities.” The findings were published in the November issue of Health Affairs.

Related Links:

— “Neighborhoods May Be Key to Teens’ Mental Well-Being,” Maureen Salamon, HealthDay, November 18, 2016.