mental illness

Brain scans may reveal a lot about mental illness, but not until studies get bigger

5:01am April 26, 2022

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists are using MRI scans to understand how mental illness shows up in the bran. But new research raises concerns that existing studies are not reliable because the sample sizes are too small.

Three screen grabs from a video that recently went viral in China show a woman chained to a wall in a doorless shed in a rural Chinese village. The video got nearly 2 billion views and has prompted a heated discussion about the trafficking of women.

Health & Safety

The mystery of the chained woman in China

8:15pm February 17, 2022

A video shows her chained inside a shed. It got nearly 2 billion clicks and has sparked a national debate over her identity, whether she is mentally ill — and whether she was trafficked as a bride.

Eleanor Cole, Ph.D., demonstrates the treatment on trial participant Deirdre Lehman in May 2019 at the Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab.

Health & Safety

An experimental depression treatment uses electric currents to bring relief

6:01am February 06, 2022

by Lesley McClurg

The remedy is a new type of transcranial magnetic stimulation that's showing good results in just five days of treatment. For some patients, it's life-changing.

Lisa Montgomery was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Tuesday at the federal correctional complex in Terre Haute, Ind. The stay lets the court conduct a competency hearing to assess her mental state.

National

Government Appeals Stay Of Execution For Only Female On Federal Death Row

3:16pm January 12, 2021

by Cheryl Corley

Lisa Montgomery was scheduled to die by lethal injection on Tuesday, and would be the U.S. government's first execution of a female inmate in more than 67 years.

Rulennis Munoz (center right) outside Lancaster Courthouse Oct. 14, after learning that the police officer who fatally shot her brother had been cleared of criminal wrongdoing by the Lancaster County District Attorney. Her mother, Miguelina Peña, and her

Health & Safety

During A Mental Health Crisis, A Family's Call To 911 Turns Tragic

5:00am October 29, 2020

by Brett Sholtis

A mother in Lancaster, Pa., tried for years to help her grown son get consistent treatment for schizophrenia. Then, hoping to get him involuntarily committed for care, the family called the police.

Waiting for an Echo, by Christine Montross

Psychiatrist: America's 'Extremely Punitive' Prisons Make Mental Illness Worse

3:42pm July 16, 2020

by Dave Davies

Dr. Christine Montross says people with serious mental illnesses in the U.S. are far more likely to be incarcerated than to be treated in a psychiatric hospital. Her new book is Waiting for an Echo.

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Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family, by Robert Kolker

In 'Hidden Valley Road,' A Family's Journey Helps Shift The Science Of Mental Illness

8:00am April 05, 2020

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

Over the years, six of the Galvins' 12 children were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Robert Kolker, who has a new book on the family, says "there is a lot of hope and inspiration in this story."

Health & Safety

Nonprofits Battle COVID-19 On The Front Lines

3:03pm March 27, 2020

by David Ford

As the pandemic continues to disrupt our lives here in the Triad, local nonprofits entrusted to help society's most vulnerable are themselves struggling to provide services in compliance with COVID

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New inmates with a mental illness arrive daily in the Los Angeles County jail system. It now holds more than 5,000 inmates with a mental illness who've had run-ins with the law.

America's Mental Health Crisis Hidden Behind Bars

8:10am February 25, 2020

Overcrowding, understaffing and poor treatment for inmates with mental health issues held in Los Angeles jails underscore growing failures in America's mental health and justice systems.

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Matching patients with social workers, housing and medical support doesn't actually reduce costly hospital readmissions, a study finds. Still, some say it can transform lives.

Health & Safety

Reduce Health Costs By Nurturing The Sickest? A Much-Touted Idea Disappoints

5:00pm January 08, 2020

Matching the sickest patients with social workers and medical support doesn't reduce costly hospital readmissions, a study finds. Still, some believe greater social investment could make a difference.

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