Category: mental health

Mental Health Courts Can Struggle to Fulfill Decades-Old Promise

Mental health courts have been touted as a means to help reduce the flow of people with mental illness into jails and prisons. But the specialized diversion programs can struggle to live up to that promise, and some say they’re a bad investment.

As Foundation for ‘Excited Delirium’ Diagnosis Cracks, Fallout Spreads

Major policy changes and disavowals have made this a watershed year for curbing the use of the discredited “excited delirium” diagnosis to explain deaths in police custody. Now the ripple effects are spreading across the country into court cases, state legislation, and police training classes.

LA County Invests Big in Free Virtual Mental Health Therapy for K-12 Students

California is spending almost $5 billion to address a growing youth mental health crisis. In Los Angeles County, a contract with teletherapy provider Hazel Health is funding free therapy sessions for all interested students. School districts are grateful for the additional support, but express concerns about the remote arrangement.

LA County Invests Big in Free Virtual Mental Health Therapy for K-12 Students

California is spending almost $5 billion to address a growing youth mental health crisis. In Los Angeles County, a contract with teletherapy provider Hazel Health is funding free therapy sessions for all interested students. School districts are grateful for the additional support, but express concerns about the remote arrangement.

She Once Advised the President on Aging Issues. Now, She’s Battling Serious Disability and Depression.

Coping with disability — and the cost of coping with disability — is an enormously important issue for older adults. Nora Super, an expert on aging, shares her personal story.

Health Care Is Front and Center as DeSantis and Newsom Go Mano a Mano

Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom will square off in a first-of-its-kind debate on Nov. 30. KFF Health News compared the political rivals’ health care positions, showing how their policies have helped — or hindered — the health of their states’ residents.

A Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance

Deciding when, or whether, to buy long-term care insurance can be complex. Here’s what to know.

It’s Getting Harder to Find Long-Term Residential Behavioral Health Treatment for Kids

Intermountain Residential in Montana is one of the only facilities in the United States that offer long-term residential behavioral treatment for kids as young as four. Now, administrators say they’re not sure how long it can keep its doors open.

Underdiagnosed and Undertreated, Young Black Males With ADHD Get Left Behind

A recent study found that young Black males are substantially more likely to be underdiagnosed and undertreated for the neurological condition than white peers.

Children Who Survive Shootings Endure Huge Health Obstacles and Costs

A new study finds that young people who have been injured by firearms are more prone to psychiatric diagnoses and developing a substance use disorder than kids who have not been shot — and their families also suffer long-term ill effects.