In “Science Now,” the Los Angeles Times (8/24, Netburn) reports that “overall mental health, including your mood, your sense of well-being and your ability to handle stress, just keeps improving right up until the very end of life,” research suggests. After surveying some “1,500 San Diego residents aged 21 to 99, researchers report that people in their 20s were the most stressed out and depressed, while those in their 90s were the most content.”

Related Links:

— “The aging paradox: The older we get, the happier we are,” Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, August 24, 2016.

USA Today (8/23, Perez) reports that, according to a study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery, “eliminating particular high-impact drills in youth football practices significantly reduces the risk of head injuries.”

Related Links:

— “Study: High-impact drills cause more concussions at youth football level,” A.J. Perez, USA Today, August 23, 2016.

HealthDay (8/23, Norton) reports, “Children exposed to relatively high levels of” polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in utero “may have an increased risk of developing autism,” researchers found. Specifically, when expectant mothers “had relatively high levels of certain PCBs in their blood, their children were about 80 percent more likely to be diagnosed with autism versus other kids,” the study found. The findings of the 1,100-child study were published online Aug. 23 in Environmental Health Perspectives.

Related Links:

— “Banned PCB Chemicals Still Tied to Autism in U.S. Kids,” Amy Norton, HealthDay, August 23, 2016.

HealthDay (8/23, Bernstein) reports, “While a higher percentage of black children show the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder” (AD/HD) “than white kids, they are less likely to be diagnosed or treated for the disorder,” researchers found after following some “4,000 children in grades 5, 7 and 10” from various areas around the US.

During the study, investigators found that “rates of diagnosis for” AD/HD “were consistently higher among white children, with 19 percent diagnosed by the 10th grade compared to 10 percent of blacks by 10th grade.” The findings were published online Aug. 23 in Pediatrics.

In a video segment for MedPage Today (8/23), F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE, assistant professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, discusses the study and somewhat disagrees with its findings.

Related Links:

— “ADHD More Often Missed in Minority Kids,” James Bernstein, HealthDay, August 23, 2016.

Healio (8/22) reports the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development recently launched Moms’ Mental Health Matters, a new initiative that aims “to increase awareness about depression and anxiety during and after pregnancy.” The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development developed free materials on the signs and symptoms of the conditions that can occur “during pregnancy and after childbirth.”

Related Links:

— “NIH launches initiative to raise awareness of maternal mental health,” Healio, August 22, 2016.