Startling Rise Of Suicides In Black Teens Since 1991 Sparks Concerns About Access To Care, Failing Outreach Efforts

Chicago Tribune: Reported Suicide Attempts Among Black Teens Have Spiked Since 1991, Study Shows 
Suicide attempts that were self-reported by black teens have spiked since 1991, even as their peers in other groups have experienced a downward trend or remained unchanged, according to a new study that raises concerns about mental health outreach for black youths. The study, which was published online Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics, underscores the importance of equitable access to mental health care and prevention initiatives in schools, social workers and mental health advocates said. It also highlights the lack of data and the understudied nature of suicide in the black community, experts said. (Buckley, 10/14)

ProPublica/BuzzFeed News: Amazon Cuts Contracts With Delivery Companies Linked To Deaths
Amazon has abruptly canceled its contracts with three major delivery firms, a move that will put more than 2,000 people out of work and may signal a shift in how the online retail giant plans to deliver millions of packages to homes across the country every day. Inpax Shipping Solutions, based in Atlanta, has told employment regulators in six states that it would lay off at least 925 employees beginning Oct. 2 and would cease all delivery services for Amazon by early December, according to government records. (Callahan, O'Donovan and Bensinger, 10/11)

The New York Times: Your Paycheck May Impact Your Heart Health
Fluctuations in earnings may affect your heart health. Previous research has found that higher income is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease. Now a new study reports that changes in income also have a significant effect. (Bakalar, 10/13)

The Wall Street Journal: AI Could Prevent Marital Arguments Before They Even Begin
Couples often find themselves in familiar arguments that escalate and repeat. Artificial intelligence may be able to help. A group of four engineers and psychologists are trying to develop AI systems that use speech patterns and physiological, acoustic and linguistic data from wearable devices and smartphones to detect conflict between couples. The researchers believe that algorithms trained to work with such data could eventually predict conflict and offer an intervention before a situation escalates. (McConnon, 10/11)

NPR: Type 1 Diabetes Risk: A Genetic Test Could Reduce Emergency Hospitalizations
Nearly half of all children who develop Type 1 diabetes don't know they have the disease until they end up in a coma in the hospital. Researchers in Virginia have set out to see if a genetic test for Type 1 diabetes can eliminate many of those emergencies. "The risk of Type 1 diabetes is about half genetic and half unknown," says Stephen Rich, director of the Center for Public Health Genomics at the University of Virginia. His team developed a test that can identify people who carry that genetic susceptibility. (Harris, 10/14)

The New York Times: Does Your Toothbrush Have An App Yet?
When Theresa Gucciardo-Perry discovered a cracked crown in her mouth in April, she dreaded the idea of going to a dentist to get it replaced. The Cortlandt Manor, N.Y., resident has undergone more than 18 root canal procedures; she also has five implants, with crowns on all but her front teeth. She hated the procedure in which trays of a gag-producing, putty-like substance were stuffed into her mouth to make impressions. (Morrissey, 10/11)

Stat: An Updated Guide To The Changing Science Of Flu Shots
Flu shot season is upon us. Three years ago, STAT laid out some of the questions surrounding flu vaccination in an article you can find here. Lots of flu vaccine studies have been published in the interval — clearing up some of the questions we raised, adding to the confusion with others. (Branswell, 10/14)

The Washington Post: She Began To Talk — Then Mysteriously Fell Silent. Months Later Her Parents Learned Why.
The July day wasn’t too steamy — a rarity in Madison, Ala. — and her toddler’s physical therapy session wasn’t scheduled for another hour, so Jeannette Vega thought she’d take 26-month-old Tiana outside to play in their yard. Immediately, she was struck by her younger daughter’s difficulty climbing up the sturdy low-slung plastic slide, something Tiana had been able to do with ease only a week earlier. To distract her, Jeannette opened the door of the family’s truck. “Come on, let’s get in and buckle up,” she remembers saying. Tiana took particular delight in clambering into her car seat and fastening her seat belt. Not this time. (Boodman, 10/12)

The Washington Post: Fear Of Flying Anxiety Disorder Can Be Overcome
Tami Augen Rhodes needed to fly to Washington. An invitation to a black-tie event at the Supreme Court was an opportunity the 49-year-old lawyer in Tampa did not want to miss. But Rhodes had not flown since she was 35, when an escalating dislike of flying grew into a firm phobia. Desperate to get to Washington without resorting to a long train ride, Rhodes called into a weekly group-telephone chat run by Tom Bunn, a former Air Force and commercial airline pilot and licensed clinical social worker who runs a program for fearful fliers. (Vander Schaaff, 10/12)

PBS NewsHour: Can Ultrasound Be Used To Fight Alzheimer’s?
At age 61, Judi Polak is five years into a bleak diagnosis: Alzheimer’s disease. But last year she made medical history in a clinical trial, when a team of scientists, engineers and practitioners deployed a novel device to take aim at a big barrier in the fight against her illness. (O'Brien, 10/11)

CBS News: Psychedelic Drugs: Researchers Experimenting With Active Agent In Magic Mushrooms To Treat Addiction, Depression And Anxiety
For most of us, psychedelic drugs conjure up images of the 1960's. Hippies tripping out on LSD or magic mushrooms. But these powerful, mind-altering substances are now being studied seriously by scientists inside some of the country's foremost medical research centers. They're being used to treat depression, anxiety and addiction. The early results are impressive, as are the experiences of the studies' volunteers who go on a six-hour, sometimes terrifying, but often life-changing psychedelic journey deep into their own minds. (Cooper, 10/13)

Cincinnati Enquirer: ADHD Care Guidelines Are Updated; What Parents Need To Know
In late September, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its guidelines for doctors caring for children with ADHD. The rewrite isn’t a sweeping overhaul but a strong recommendation for more screening of mental illness and closer monitoring.Here are five things to know about the updated guidelines. (Saker, 10/13)

The Washington Post: New Research Makes It Harder To Define Death
If you’re reading this, you know what living looks like — movement, neurological activity, thought, action. But what exactly is death? The answer is complicated, suggests neuroscientist Christof Koch. In “Is Death Reversible?” a feature article in the most recent issue of Scientific American, Koch grapples with a death definition that is much more nuanced than you might think. (Blakemore, 10/12)

MPR: How To Combat Ageism In The Workplace
Age discrimination is a growing concern as more Minnesotans work past the age of 65.Why are older workers are forced out and why do younger workers feel they aren’t taken seriously? Three experts talk about what it takes to create equitable work environments for people of all ages and experiences. (Davis and Zamora, 10/11)

CBS News: Police Urge Parents To Check Halloween Candy After THC-Laced 'Nerds Rope' Edibles Found
Parents have been encouraged to check their children's Halloween candy for years to ensure the tasty treats are safe for kids to eat. This spooky season, Pennsylvania police are urging caregivers to be on the lookout once again — for drug-laced edibles. The Johnstown Police Department issued a warning on their Facebook page Thursday morning after authorities said they discovered "Nerds Rope edibles containing 400mg of THC" while fulfilling a search warrant in Stoneycreek Township. The department also recently seized 60 pounds of marijuana from the area, reports CBS Pittsburgh. (Garrand, 10/13)

The Washington Post: Frequent Urination At Night Is More Common As We Age
We know that aging can affect us physically in a variety of ways — arthritis, neuropathy, joint pain, hair loss among them — but one condition is less discussed, perhaps because it involves the potentially embarrassing subject of urination. Not only may you have to urinate frequently, sometimes you don’t have a lot of time to make it to the bathroom before an accident. (Rosario-Santiago, 10/13)