The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently found that in 2014, the most recent year for which data is available, the suicide rate for children ages 10 to 14 had caught up to their death rate for traffic accidents.  "It's clear to me that the question of suicidal thoughts and behavior in this age group has certainly come up far more frequently in the last decade than it had in the previous decade," said Dr. Marsha Levy-Warren, a clinical psychologist in New York who works with adolescents. "Cultural norms have changed tremendously from 20 years ago." In all, 425 children ages 10 to 14 killed themselves in 2014. In contrast, 384 children of that age died in car accidents. Far more boys than girls killed themselves in 2014 - 275 boys to 150 girls - in line with adults in the general population. American men kill themselves at far higher rates than women.

New York Times, November 4, 2016

The Cognitive Benefits of Being a Man-Child

For men and women, extending adolescence has the potential to make the brain more capable in adulthood.  In a time when college graduates return to live under their parents' roofs and top careers require years of internships and graduate degrees, the age of adulthood is receding, practically into the 30s. Adolescence, loosely defined as the period between puberty and financial independence, now lasts about 15 years, twice as long as it did in the 1950s. According to developmental researchers, there is one lasting gift that extended adolescence can bestow, and it resides in the brain. "Neurobiological capital" is built through a protracted period of learning capacity in the brain, and it is a privilege that comes to those lucky enough to enjoy intellectually stimulating environments in late adolescence. Far from a contributor to emotional immaturity, the trend toward an adolescence that extends into the mid-20s is an opportunity to create a lifelong brain-based advantage.

The Atlantic, November 3, 2016

Young adults who are problem drinkers tend to suffer from more health problems later in life than non-drinkers, even if they conquered their alcoholism years earlier, a new study indicates. Men with alcohol dependence in young adulthood had, on average, three medical conditions in their 60s, while non-drinkers only reported two, researchers found in an analysis of Vietnam-era veterans. In addition, drinkers' scores on a depression scale were about twice as high as those of non-drinkers. These effects were seen even among former drinkers who had been free from alcoholism for decades, said study author Randy Haber. He is a clinical psychologist with the   Palo Alto   Veterans Affairs Health Care System, in Menlo Park, Calif.

UPI, November 2, 2016

HPV vaccine, safe sex practices would help reverse trend, cancer specialists say

Anal cancer rates are on the rise in many countries. But vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) -- a virus linked to the development of anal cancer -- may help curb rates of the disease, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The data included 18 countries. The investigators found that anal cancer rates have been increasing in women and men in 13 of those countries, particularly Australia and other countries in the Americas, and northern and western Europe.

HealthDay, November 2, 2016

Opioid Poisoning In Kids Is On The Rise, Too

The number of children and teenagers likely to be poisoned by opioids prescribed for other family members are rising, a new study shows. The rate of hospitalization for kids getting poisoned by prescription painkillers has increased 165% from 1997 to 2012 - that makes 3.71 children per 100,000.

Around one in 10 high school kids reportedly take opioids for no medical reason. Close to 40% of them say they got their drugs from prescriptions.

Immortal News, November 1, 2016

It's not just teenage girls who are bombarded with images of 'perfect' figures. Teenage boys today are influenced daily by bodybuilders, athletes and models. Unfortunately, they're lifting the bar bell for our adolescent boys to look more muscular and 'perfect'. This was discovered in a recent   study   involving 13,683 teens and young adults. Many boys are taking muscle-building products. By age 19, 12 percent of all males reported past-year use of a   muscle-building product . Males 16-25 years old were more than three times more likely to use a product than those 13-15 years old. This study looked at the muscle-building products creatine, anabolic steroids, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), hydroxymethylbutyrate (HMB), amino acids and growth hormone...so we should, too.

Philly.com, October 31, 2016

Think autism, and an image of an awkward boy typically emerges. The developmental disorder is at least four times more common in boys, but scientists taking a closer look are finding some gender-based surprises: Many girls with autism have social skills that can mask the condition. And some girls are born without autism despite the same genetic mutations seen in boys with the condition. The gender effect is a hot topic in autism research and one that could lead to new ways of diagnosing and treating a condition that affects at least 1 in 68 U.S. children.

The Daily Progress, October 30, 2016

The Weekly News Roundup is produced by The Partnership for Male Youth and is released every Monday. 

For more information contact Dennis J. Barbour, JD. News Roundup editor and President/CEO of the Partnership, at [email protected].