Mental Health

Youth aged 5 to 24 years beginning antipsychotic therapy who received doses higher than 50 mg chlorpromazine equivalents had a 3.5-fold increased risk for unexpected death, study findings indicated.

Mental health disparities between heterosexuals and sexual minorities were present as early as age 10 years, increased throughout school years and persisted to young adulthood, according to data from an observational study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

Lithium demonstrated tolerability and safety as a maintenance treatment in pediatric patients with bipolar disorder for 28 weeks, study findings showed.

Study results published in the Journal of Adolescent Health showed that total weight loss and recent weight loss were stronger predictors than admission weight for several important clinical complications in teenagers with restrictive eating disorders.

Newborns with vitamin D deficiency had a 44% increased risk for schizophrenia in later life compared with those with normal vitamin D levels, according to study data reported in Scientific Reports.

Approximately 3% of American children have received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in their lifetime, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers noted that although effective behavioral and medication-based treatments are available for children with the condition, almost 30% of children with current diagnoses are not being treated.

Gay, lesbian and bisexual students in the U.K. were at greater risk for self-harm even after accounting for depression, anxiety, belongingness and self-esteem as mediating factors, according to study findings published in Archives of Suicide Research.

Teenagers with conduct problems or whose friends used cannabis were more likely to use cannabis, which may predict cannabis use disorder in emerging adulthood, according to data published in Addiction.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently concluded that the evidence was insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of primary care interventions to prevent child maltreatment such as abuse or neglect in asymptomatic children.

In the first published study examining viewing patterns and reactions to the show “13 Reasons Why,” researchers found that about half of youth viewers presenting to a psychiatric ED with suicide-related concerns reported the series increased their suicide risk.