Prozac Nation: U.S. Antidepressant Use Quadruples in Past 20 Years

Mental Health: The number of Americans taking antidepressants has quadrupled in the past 20 years, and 11 percent of Americans aged 12 and older now take antidepressant drugs, according to the latest report from the massive U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, HealthDay reports.

Health Care: The American health care system doesn't fare so well in a new overall "report card" from the Commonwealth Foundation, ranking last among 16 nations in deaths that could have been prevented by effective medical care, David W. Freeman reports for CBSNews.com.

Cervical Cancer: The traditional Pap smear is still the best way to screen for cervical cancer, a federal task force says, adding that not enough evidence is in to recommend newer HPV screening tests for women over 30, Alina Selyukh reports for Reuters.

Asthma: Emergency room admissions for kids with asthma spike as pollution levels rise even to moderate levels in California's agricultural Central Valley, a new study shows, former CEHJF Fellow Kellie Schmitt reports for the Bakersfield Californian.

Charity Care: Dozens of Iowa hospitals don't have to pay taxes because of their nonprofit status, but some spend less than 1 percent of their money on charity care for the poor, Tony Leys reports for the Des Moines Register.

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Photo credit: brains the head via Flickr