Postpartum Depression Common; Binge Eating Hurts Kids’ Brains; Ads Pushing ADHD Meds

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, a third of new moms screened positive for postpartum depression, while 20% had major depressive symptoms. On top of that, those who formula-fed their infants had 92% higher odds of postpartum depression. (BMC Research Notes)

Likewise during the pandemic, mental health-related emergency department visits increased during certain variant surges, particularly for young adults and racial/ethnic minorities. (JAMA Psychiatry)

A cross-sectional study of 234,652 suicide decedents found that those who died by firearm were less likely to seek treatment and also more likely to die on their first suicide attempt. (JAMA Network Open)

According to brain scans of children ages 9 to 10, kids with binge eating disorder had elevations in gray matter density that are otherwise typically pruned during brain development. (ScienceDaily)

A new proposed bill in California — the Social Media Platform Duty to Children Act — would hold technology companies liable for children developing social media addictions. (The Wall Street Journal)

In other social media news, some startup companies are using TikTok ads to push prescription attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medications, like Adderall and Vyvanse. (New York Post)

Exposure to ozone from air pollution was linked with a significantly higher risk of depression in adolescents ages 9 to 13. (Developmental Psychology)

A Montana psychiatric hospital was given more time from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to correct issues that allegedly led to patient deaths. (AP)