Medicating the Mind

(Newser) - Depressed and constantly reprimanded by his superiors, Pfc. Jason Scheuerman shot himself in his Iraq barracks in 2005—raising serious questions about how the military handles mental illness, the AP reports. Scheuerman's was one of a record 152 Army suicides in Afghanistan and Iraq, but his parents had to fight a reluctant military to piece together what led to their son’s death. More »

(Newser) - The parents of a 14-year-old who killed herself after being sexually assaulted by a man she met online have sued MySpace, charging the social networker “fostered” their daughter’s “despicable relationship" and pushing for more controls. "With MySpace's right to make a profit comes a responsibility to protect its customers," the parents' lawyer told the Dallas Morning News . More »

(Newser) - Parents whose kids have psychiatric disorders will often seek, and find, signs of the same illness in themselves, the New York Times reports. Some ailments do run in the family—depression and bipolar disorder, for example—but parents at times dig up symptoms to show solidarity with kids and lessen their sense of guilt. Some families even build a deeper bond over a shared mental disorder. More »

(Newser) - A new study links the size of a baby at birth with its happiness later in life, Reuters reports. Researchers found that adults suffering depression or anxiety were more likely to have weighed less at birth, according to a study in the journal Biological Psychiatry. "As birth weight progressively decreases, it's more likely that an individual will suffer from mood disorders," said the lead researcher. More »

(Newser) - No charges will be filed in the cyberbullying case that led a young girl to commit suicide, Wired reports. A Missouri prosecutor found there was not enough evidence to prove criminal intent on the part of mother Lori Drew and others who launched an online bullying campaign against 13-year-old Megan Meier through a hoax MySpace persona called "Josh." More »

(Newser) - First Lt. Elizabeth Whiteside faces possible life in prison. Her crime? Attempting suicide in Iraq. At a military hearing this week, her diagnosed mental illness was spurned by superiors as an "excuse” and labeled “psychobabble." Suicide tries remain illegal in a military culture that scorns mental disorder, the Washington Post reports, but Whiteside says she "can fight them, because I'm alive." More »

(Newser) - The two parents who used MySpace to harass a teenage girl so relentlessly that she committed suicide are now the target of internet vigilantes, the Los Angeles Times reports. When prosecutors could not mount a case, angry neighbors posted the family's address, photos, and phone numbers on blogs. Their workplaces have been flooded with calls, protesters gather outside their house, and people shout "Murderer" as they drive by. More »

(Newser) - The "invisible" brain injuries that are plaguing as many as 20% of US troops coming home from Iraq are now getting attention in Britain, where the Defence Ministry is launching a major study of returning British troops. The injuries, called "mild traumatic brain injury" (mTBI), are the result of shock waves caused by explosions, and they can lead to memory loss, depression, and anxiety. More »

(Newser) - People all over America are more stressed out than ever, according to a new poll by the American Psychological Association. The biggest culprits are money and work, but housing is also starting to get to people. One-third of respondents reported regularly feeling extreme stress. The survey "reflects a real change in the pressures that people feel in their lives," says a stress expert. More »

(Newser) - If you think the glass is half empty, you’re a pessimist—but if you think it’s half full, you have strong activity in your rostral anterior cingulate cortex. That’s the section of the brain, located right behind the eyes, that controls optimism, according to a new study that pulls together new research and confirms old theories such as the “optimism bias.” More »

(Newser) - Nearly 6% of the population suffers from compulsive buying, which is often linked to other problems with control and mood disorders, according to research in the American Journal of Psychiatry . About the same percentage of women and men are shopaholics, and addicts are likely to be young, near the limit on their credit cards, and making less than $50,000 a year. More »

(Newser) - Teenagers who smoke cigarettes are five times more likely to drink and 13 times more likely to smoke pot, according to a new study by a Columbia University addiction center. The report also linked adolescent smoking to higher rates of binge drinking and hard drug use, along with a greater risk of depression and anxiety disorders. More »

(Newser) - Turns out keeping your cool really is all in your head—scientists now pinpoint those most susceptible to stress as having too much of a chemical in a region of the brain that regulates reward signals, Reuters reports. The discovery could shed light on treatments for PTSD and depression, which are bound up with the same neurochemical produced in stressful situations. More »