Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Bush vs. the Laureates: How Science Became a Partisan Issue
New York Times article - "Why is science seemingly at war with President Bush? For nearly four years, and with rising intensity, scientists in and out of government have criticized the Bush administration, saying it has selected or suppressed research findings to suit preset policies, skewed advisory panels or ignored unwelcome advice, and quashed discussion within federal research agencies. Administration officials see some of the criticism as partisan, and some perhaps a function of unrealistic expectations on the part of scientists about their role in policy debates..." [Viewing New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

New research needed to reduce suicide in our young people
Story in Medical News Today (UK) - "Youth suicide is a major global public health issue and consistently ranks as one of the leading cause of death for adolescents aged 15 -19. Suicide accounts for 30% of deaths in the 15-24 year age group. Studies have shown that many young people that die by suicide or who make a serious attempt have a recognisable psychiatric disorder such as depression, anxiety, conduct disorder and substance abuse at the time of their attempt. Youth suicide prevention, is a joint initiative between the Health Development Agency, the Institute of Public Health in Ireland and Programme for Action in Ireland. It aims to identify all systematic reviews in this field and to analyse and combine the evidence to highlight what measures work to prevent youth suicide. "