Stigma against the mentally ill is so powerful that it's been codified for 50 years into federal law, and few outside the mental health system even realize it. This systemic discrimination, embedded in Medicaid and Medicare laws, has...
Sibling relationship quality during the teen years may affect later depressive symptoms and involvement in risky behaviors, according to a new University of Missouri (MU) study involving teens of Mexican origin. Latinos are the fastest-growing...
Demi Lovato is taking U.S. legislators to task on mental health reform as she heads to Washington, D.C. following Thursday's mass shooting in Oregon, the 142nd school shooting since Sandy Hook. The singer and actress,...
The mass murder and suicide in a college in Oregon last week brought out the following claim by a professional troll : So is there an epidemic of male suicides? I’ll assume we’re talking about the USA although what...
It is time to rebuild America's mental health care system, and to build it stronger than ever. As I have said before on this site, the current system is shattered, on its knees and a profound national embarrassment. The recent mass shooting in...
Alaska is facing an historic budget deficit which is requiring the Legislative and Executive branches to focus on cost reduction and revenue enhancement. These two goals can be uniquely addressed by a focus on the real and opportunity costs...
Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have become an everyday part of life for many young people — and increasingly, the way some, including rival gang members, threaten each other. The practice is called "cyber banging," and it's often led to fights...
For the past few years, crime has been mostly a good news story — the crime rate remains near record lows. But several major U.S. cities have been experiencing a rise in homicides and other violence this year. Now, the Justice Department...
Most hospitals around the country aren't doing a good job of helping new moms who want to breast-feed, researchers report Tuesday in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Several common practices at the...
When Mark Wood was found dead in his home in August 2013 it could have been just another tragic, but private, event for one family. But it wasn’t. His death came a few months after his disability benefits had been cut because he had...
Young children who are exposed to continuous abuse and neglect can suffer damage to the brain that affects everything from their ability to learn and make a living to their physical and mental health. It ultimately costs society millions...
If you offered me Brussels sprouts and I said “no thanks” and you said, “are you sure I can’t get you some Brussels sprouts?” and I said, “No thank you, I don’t eat Brussels sprouts,” would you ask,...
As a first-year medical student, there is nothing quite as exciting as your first-ever clinical placement, where you can finally feel like a doctor in training. That is, unless you’re placed in psychiatry. Having learnt how to perform...
The head of the U.S. military's most elite forces doesn't just talk the talk of ending the stigma of seeking mental health help. He has walked the walk -- into the counselor's office himself. Army Gen. Joe Votel, commander of U.S. Special...