It’s that time of year when mosquitoes are at their peak, buzzing around barbecues and stinging at will. But you don’t have to become their next victim, says one expert who offers tips on how to avoid being bitten. Dr. John Wolf, a professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, says it comes down…  read on >  read on >

As syphilis cases surge throughout the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first diagnostic at-home test to spot the bacterial disease. “This is the first at-home, over-the-counter test to detect Treponema pallidum [syphilis] antibodies in human blood,” the FDA said in a news release. “Results from this type of…  read on >  read on >

Kids considering suicide after receiving mental health care at a hospital can be helped by automated text messages that help them feel hopeful and supported, a new study finds. Children receiving the texts as part of a program called Caring Contacts said they felt more positive after receiving the messages. “Prior research has shown that…  read on >  read on >

Painting, woodworking, writing: Whatever you turn to creatively, it could equal or exceed work in terms of maintaining mental health, new research shows. “Crafting and other artistic activities showed a meaningful effect in predicting people’s sense that their life is worthwhile,” said study lead author Dr. Helen Keyes, of Anglia Ruskin University in the U.K.…  read on >  read on >