Category: mental health

Police Blame Some Deaths on ‘Excited Delirium.’ ER Docs Consider Pulling the Plug on the Term.

The American College of Emergency Physicians will vote in early October on whether to disavow its 2009 research paper on excited delirium, which has been cited as a cause of death and used as a legal defense by police officers in several high-profile cases.

GOP Presidential Primary Debate No. 2: An Angry Rematch and the Same Notable No-Show

Though never framed as a marquee issue, the topic of health care crept into the chaotic seven-way faceoff throughout the evening, highlighting Republican culture-war themes.

Private Insurer Payments for Telehealth and In-Person Claims During the Pandemic

This analysis of 2021 claims data finds that while telehealth use remained high in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift toward virtual physician and mental health care did not materially affect how much insurers paid for each patient enc…

California Officials Seek ‘CARE’ Without Coercion as New Mental Health Courts Launch This Fall

In Orange County, California, officials are threading a delicate needle. They want to persuade people with psychosis to accept treatment without coercion as the state’s new CARE Courts roll out in October.

As Younger Children Increasingly Die by Suicide, Better Tracking and Prevention Is Sought

Decades-long systemic shortcomings have left suicide among children ages 5 to 11 poorly tracked and addressed. Now, as rates appear to be rising, advocates are strengthening efforts to screen for problems and prevent deaths in younger children.

California Legislature Passes Gov. Newsom’s Proposal to Retool Mental Health Services Act

The California Legislature greenlighted Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest plan to build more housing and increase addiction treatment as part of his response to the state’s homelessness and drug crises.

Despite Successes, Addiction Treatment Programs for Families Struggle to Stay Open

Residential addiction treatment programs that allow parents to bring their children along have been recognized for their success. But a mix of logistical challenges and low reimbursement rates mean they struggle to stay afloat.

Montana State Officials Seek More Control Over Judicial Involuntary Commitments

Health department officials are asking legislators to change criminal commitment laws amid a bottleneck at the Montana State Hospital.

Most States Have Yet to Permanently Fund 988. Call Centers Want Certainty.

For rural Americans, who live in areas often short of mental health services and die by suicide at a far higher rate than urbanites, the federally mandated crisis phone line is one of the few options to connect with a crisis counselor.

Even in the Most Depressed County in America, Stigma Around Mental Illness Persists

An estimated 32% of adults in Logan County, West Virginia, have been diagnosed with depression, the highest rate in the United States, according to a recent CDC report.