Mental Health

Teenagers and young adults who participated in the Medicaid program were at 26.7 times higher risk of suicide following nonfatal self-harm, with an increased risk observed specifically in American Indians, Alaskan natives and those who used violent methods for self-harm, according to findings published in Pediatrics.

Treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors was associated with more rapid and greater improvement than treatment with selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors in pediatric patients with generalized, separation and/or social anxiety disorders, according to study findings.

The Trump administration’s selection of longtime AIDS researcher Robert R. Redfield, MD, to be the next CDC director drew mixed reactions from experts and officials, including some who question his conduct on a research project several decades ago.

A family-focused, substance abuse prevention intervention conducted in middle school reduced the likelihood of alcohol use disorders among Mexican American teenagers 5 years later, research published in JAMA Psychiatry showed.

Providing hormonal treatment for transgender adolescents is effective for successful attainment of desired physical outcomes and generally improves psychological functioning; however, available evidence is of low quality.

Researchers discovered that children and teenagers experiencing family homelessness are at higher risk for emotional distress, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide than nonhomeless youth.

Findings published in The British Journal of Psychiatry showed that children whose grades declined throughout elementary and high school were more likely to develop depression in adolescence, and self-harm was only linked to declining grades during high school.

Study findings demonstrated a link between parental asthma and bipolar disorder in their children, according to data published in Schizophrenia Bulletin.

Zika virus has largely disappeared from the Americas. No additional countries have reported active local transmission of Zika since late 2016, according to the Pan American Health Organization. Provisional data from the CDC show that in 2017, 424 cases of symptomatic Zika virus disease cases were reported in the United States, and 644 cases — excluding congenital disease — were reported in its territories. This year, health officials have recorded only one case of Zika virus disease so far in the U.S., reported in a traveler returning from an affected area.

Infectious Diseases in Children asked Editorial Board member H. Cody Meissner, MD, professor of pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine and director of pediatric infectious disease at Tufts University, to discuss obstacles in preventing the spread of Zika virus, and if he believes there will be an effective Zika vaccination implemented in the near future.H. Cody Meissner