The Washington Post (6/7, Johnson) “Wonkblog” reports that even though “people with mental illness were more likely to be arrested for violent crime than the general population over the study period, from 2002 to 2011,” a study published in the June issue of Health Affairs “found they actually had a slightly lower arrest rate for gun-related crimes.” Researchers arrived at this conclusion after following some “81,704 adults with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or depression who were receiving treatment through the public behavioral health systems in two Florida counties.”

The Atlantic (6/7, Beck) points out that the study also “emphasizes that suicide, not homicide, is the major public health problem for” people with mental health disorders who possess firearms.

Related Links:

— “The problem with trying to solve gun violence by going after the mentally ill,” Carolyn Y. Johnson, Washington Post, June 7, 2016.

In a greater than 2,300-word story, the Washington Post (6/7, Morse) reports that “in 25 states surveyed this year by the nonprofit Treatment Advocacy Center based in Arlington, Va., 1,956 inmates were in local jails waiting for psychiatric hospital slots, leaving them in facilities that were not designed to meet their needs at what can be triple the cost of tending to other inmates.”

One factor behind long waits for psychiatric beds, “say corrections officials and the Treatment Advocacy Center, is that more people with profound mental illness are being arrested and booked into jails, while the number of beds at state hospitals is not growing.” Meanwhile, “patients in the hospitals…are more acutely sick and more dangerous than in years past, which extends their stays.”

Related Links:

— “Mental-health crisis ensnares inmates, judges, jailers and hospitals,” Dan Morse, Washington Post, June 7, 2016.

Kaiser Health News (6/6, Luthra) reports that in a study published online June 6 in Health Affairs, investigators “analyzed National Survey on Drug Use and Health data from 2005 to 2014 and predicted how many people were likely to face ‘serious psychological distress.’” Next, “they measured how many people received mental health care treatment – at least one inpatient, outpatient or pharmacy visit – during those years, comparing whites, Hispanics, blacks and Asians.” The study authors then found that since implementation of the Affordable Care Act, “whites were still the only racial group in which a majority of people with severe psychological distress get treatment.”

Related Links:

— “Factors Beyond Coverage Limit Mental Health Care Access,” Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News, June 6, 2016.

HealthDay (6/6, Mozes) reports that even though “suicide rates have been increasing among all active US Navy, Air Force and Army personnel…those in the Army appear to be most at risk,” research published online June 6 in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests. In fact, the “analysis of all US military suicides between 2005 and 2011 revealed that the suicide rate among Army members was roughly double that seen among the second highest risk group, the Marines.”

Related Links:

— “Among U.S. Military, Army Members Face Highest Suicide Risk,” Alan Mozes, HealthDay, June 6, 2016.

BBC News (UK) (6/6) reports that a global review of 48 studies on anxiety conducted by researchers from the University of Cambridge estimated that “four out of every 100 people are affected by anxiety.” The report said “women, young people under 35 and those with health problems were particularly affected.” The findings were published in the journal Brain and Behavior.

The Guardian (UK) (6/5, Davis) reports that the research revealed “women are nearly twice as likely to experience anxiety as men.” Additionally, those “suffering from diseases including cancer, stroke and multiple sclerosis have a higher chance of experiencing symptoms of anxiety than healthy individuals.”

Related Links:

— “Women ‘nearly twice as likely to have anxiety’ as men,” BBC News, June 6, 2016.