Hello and welcome to another edition of Best 5 Reads. Lets begin!
Abortion is an issue that inflames passions. Women’s rights advocates point out that an endless number of overwhelmingly male legislators continue to attempt to dictate the choices that women make about their own bodies. Those who fervently oppose abortion consider it murder and continue to attempt to restrict access, sometimes through violence. As of 2016, 11 people, including some physicians, have been murdered in antiabortion violence (1).
Psychiatry has been misused by those who have opposed abortion and those who consider abortion a woman’s right. In the absence of psychiatric research data, both obtaining an abortion and not obtaining an abortion have been argued to cause psychiatric harm, up to and including suicide. A report in this issue from Biggs et al. on suicidal ideation trajectories over 5 years among women receiving or being denied an abortion (2) is a much needed and long overdue addition to the psychiatric implications of abortion for those invested in basing psychiatric opinions on scientific evidence rather than politics.
2) Young Adults With Autism at Significant Risk for Depression
Young adults with autism, especially those who are higher functioning, are at a significantly increased risk for depression, a large new study from Sweden suggests.
3) Data Mining May Help Identify Suicide Risk
By analyzing hundreds of pieces of medical, behavioral, and demographic information using advanced software programs, researchers try to identify people at greatest risk of suicide.
4) When There Is a Mental Health Crisis in Your Dorm
As colleges face criticism for asking mentally ill students to take leaves of absence, former students discuss their struggles, and their roommates and dorm mates recount what it’s like living with them.
5) ADHD Prevalence Rises, but Reasons Remain Unclear
It remains unclear whether the rise in diagnoses of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) represents an actual increase in the disorder itself or changes in other factors affecting ADHD prevalence.
Thank you and see you tomorrow for more articles.
Best Regards,
Vikram
