Recovery Update

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Mental Health Crisis Centers And Empath Units: Offering Care That Busy ERs Can't

On a spring afternoon in Tucson, Arizona, about a half dozen children and teens hung out in the sunny common room of Pima County's Crisis Response Center. Beyond the pastel-painted room stretched a long, wide hall where partitions separated individual beds, many left unmade with rumpled sheets.

Nearly All of Oregon State Hospital's Beds Go To Criminal Patients, All But Ending Civil Commitment in Oregon

In Oregon, there are two ways that a person with severe mental illness can be compelled to get treatment and care. The first path is through a process called "civil commitment" — where doctors and a judge can order involuntary treatment if they find a person to be a danger to themselves or others, at imminent risk.

New York State Budget Adds More Than $400M To Bolster Mental Health Services

The new state budget increased funding for mental health services by more than $400 million to better serve kids in schools, veterans and the mentally ill charged with crimes — as well as addressing a shortage of care workers — amid a growing state and national mental health crisis.

1 in 3 Safety Violations At Philly-Area Pennsylvania Hospitals Involved Shortcomings in Mental Health Services. How Can Hospitals Do Better?

A patient died on the floor of a behavioral health unit at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania's Cedar Avenue facility because staff didn't know how to respond. Children experiencing mental health crises were required to wear lime green scrubs at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in violation of their privacy rights.

Examining New Medicaid Resources to Expand School-Based Behavioral Health Services

In light of worsening mental health among youth, strategies have been implemented to improve access to behavioral health services in recent years, including expanding school-based care for students. School-based behavioral health services can improve access to care and allow for early identification and treatment of mental health issues.

Why I Say, 'I Am Neurodivergent' and 'I Have Mental Health Conditions'

Jennifer Gerlach LCSW writes: In a recent conversation, I mentioned that I am neurodivergent. I was surprised to be corrected. My conversation partner attempted to challenge my thinking: "Why do you have to say 'I am'? You swim; are you also a swimmer?" I gave him grace for his unfamiliarity with the identity-first language and caught him up.

Researchers Unveil Vital Role of Astrocytes in Mental Health

Astrocytes, as vital cells in the central nervous system, are crucial for brain health and function. Recent research shows that they influence higher cognitive functions and behaviors by regulating local neuronal activity. During stress, animals and humans assess risks to generate adaptive behaviors like avoidance.

Research: More People Use Mental Health Benefits When They Hear That Colleagues Use Them Too

Novartis has trained more than 1,000 employees as Mental Health First Aiders to offer peer-to-peer support for their colleagues. While employees were eager for the training, uptake of the program remains low.

Black Adolescent Suicide Rate Reveals Urgent Need to Address Mental Health Care Barriers

New federal data shows that the suicide rate among Black youth ages 10 to 19 surpassed that of their White peers for the first time in 2022, increasing 54% since 2018, compared to a 17% decrease for White youth. In fact, the suicide rate among Black adolescents is increasing faster than other racial and ethnic groups.

Novel Study Quantifies Immense Economic Costs of Mental Illness in the US

Mental illness costs the U.S. economy $282 billion annually, which is equivalent to the average economic recession, according to a new study co-authored by Yale economist Aleh Tsyvinski. The first-of-its-kind study integrates psychiatric scholarship with economic modeling to better understand the macroeconomic effects of mental illness in the United States.

Social Media Affects People's Views On Mental Illness, Study Finds

Even subtle differences in the wording of social media messages may be enough to sway young people's beliefs about depression and anxiety and their treatment. In a new study, researchers found that college students were more optimistic about the possibility of successfully treating mental health problems after they read social media messages conveying what is called a "growth mindset."

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