Mental Health

Early exposure to urbanicity, migration, abuse and cannabis or alcohol during youth strongly predicted violent aggression in adulthood, data published in Molecular Psychiatry suggest.

Teenagers with severe obesity who undergo laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy frequently have mental health diagnoses, including high rates of anxiety, depression and eating disorders; however, these mental health diagnoses did not affect BMI lost 12 months after surgery.

Although children born to young mothers are at the highest risk of developmental vulnerabilities, including physical health and well-being as well as language and cognitive skills, a small increase in risk was observed in children born to mothers aged older than 36 years.

Nonpharmacologic treatment methods used to reduce ADHD symptoms in children 17 years of age and younger, including behavioral modifications, complementary medicines and herbal supplements such as ginkgo biloba, are not supported by data from clinical studies, according to a review published in Pediatrics.

The FDA recently granted fast track designation status to the tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor known as L1-79, a potential treatment for autism, according to a press release from Yamo Pharmaceuticals, the drug’s manufacturer.

Children who screen negative for autism spectrum disorder at standard 18-month screening but later receive a diagnosis of the condition later in life have atypical phenotypes concerning social interaction and motor skills at the time of screening, such as girls with autism spectrum disorder being less shy than their peers, according to findings published in Pediatrics.

The total lifetime economic burden of child sexual abuse in the United States was estimated at about $9.3 billion in 2015, according to findings published in Child Abuse and Neglect.

Suicidal ideation and attempts are relatively common in teenagers located in Utah, with almost 20% of those in eighth, 10th and 12th grade reporting ideation and 8.2% reporting an attempt within the past year in a 2015 survey, according to research published in MMWR.

Teenagers with gender dysphoria have brain structures and responses that are similar to that of their experienced gender rather than their birth sex, according to research presented at the European Society of Endocrinology annual meeting.

The U.S. Preventive Service Task Force issued a draft recommendation today calling for more research into primary care interventions that can prevent abuse and neglect in healthy children younger than 18 years, stating that current evidence is insufficient to base recommendations, according to a press release.