Spotlight Falls On Poor Treatment Of Mentally-Ill Inmates In Georgia
125 Georgia inmates have died by suicide over the past five years, and the deaths, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution remarks, are symbolic of a prison system where mentally ill inmates "were neglected, isolated and, in some instances, treated with downright cruelty." Other mental health matters are also in the news.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Suicides Of 125 Georgia Inmates Point To Another Crisis For State Prisons
On an April evening two years ago, an ex-Marine who served in Afghanistan attached a bed sheet to the latticework on the window in his cell at Rutledge State Prison and wrapped it around his neck. By the time guards became aware of what Andrew Campbell had done, he was dead.Campbell, 28, had come back from his deployment with the demons plaguing many veterans — Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, an addiction to painkillers and other drugs — all of which should have been known to the Georgia Department of Corrections. So, what, if anything, was being done to help him? Wasn’t someone supposed to be checking on him? And why was he alone in a cell in the first place? (Robbins and Peebles, 5/13)
ABC News:
Crisis Lines And Helplines Are Not The Same, But Experts Say We Need Both
The past few years have seen a growing mental health crisis, prompting an increasing number of Americans to seek help through confidential telephone support lines. But no two support lines are exactly the same. Crisis lines are intended for those undergoing an urgent mental health crisis and in imminent danger, like someone considering suicide. Helplines are designed for non-urgent needs, such as those seeking support and resources for depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders. (Smalls-Mantey, 5/13)
Axios:
Mayors Tackle Mental Health
New programs in cities like New York, Chicago and London aim to combat the rising loneliness, anxiety and unhappiness that COVID-19 has caused. Pandemic-related emotional problems have been linked to everything from higher crime to a rising teen suicide rate. While it's not clear how much a municipal mental health program can move the needle, a growing number of mayors — flush with pandemic relief funds — are willing to try. (Kingson, 5/13)
Singer Naomi Judd's death was a suicide, daughter says —
The New York Times:
Naomi Judd Died Of A Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound, Her Daughter Says
When Naomi Judd, the Grammy-winning country music singer, died last month, her daughter Ashley Judd said that she had lost her mother to the “disease of mental illness.” On Thursday, Ms. Judd was more candid, saying in a television interview that her mother had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her home in Tennessee, and encouraging people who are distressed to seek help. Ms. Judd, an actress, told Diane Sawyer on “Good Morning America” that she was speaking out about her mother’s death because her family wanted to share the information before it became “public without our control.” (Holpuch, 5/12)
The Mercury News:
Ashley Judd Reveals 'Lie' Naomi Judd Believed Before Suicide
In confirming that Naomi Judd died by suicide Thursday, her daughter Ashley Judd explained that her mother’s profound mental illness locked her into a “lie” commonly believed by people in deep despair — that everything is hopeless, the pain won’t end or that they are worthless, unloved and shouldn’t go on living. The Judd family matriarch died on April 30 at age 76, the day before she and her older daughter Wynonna, who made up the beloved country music duo The Judds, were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. (Ross, 5/12)
In other public health news —
The Wall Street Journal:
AI Hiring Tools Can Violate Disability Protections, Government Warns
Employers that use artificial intelligence to assess workers and job seekers need to be careful to comply with laws protecting disabled people, two U.S. federal agencies said, expressing skepticism about a technology that many businesses have tapped amid widespread labor shortages. Companies whose AI or machine-learning technology leads to discrimination could face legal repercussions, the U.S. Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Thursday. (Vanderford, 5/12)
CIDRAP:
Public Health Funding Linked To Better Foodborne Illness Detection
A study today in Emerging Infectious Diseases shows that states with bigger investments in public health tracked more foodborne disease outbreaks between 2009 and 2018, suggesting that those with lower investments may miss critical outbreaks. A related study in the same journal, meanwhile, illustrates how responding quickly to food illness outbreaks not only saves lives but significant money. (Soucheray, 5/12)
Houston Chronicle:
Gun Violence Is Killing Kids At Alarming Rates. These Houston Pediatricians Hope To Change That
As a gun violence researcher in Texas, Dr. Sandra McKay is careful how she approaches her subjects, who are often firearm retailers. She is not out to infringe upon gun owners’ rights, she explains, adding that she owns a gun and regularly shoots with family members at a Houston-area range. “I make it very clear,” she says. “This is not about the Second Amendment. This is about safety.” (Gill, 5/12)
NPR:
Good Samaritans Save A Driver Having A Medical Issue At A Busy Intersection
A driver experienced a medical episode while crossing a busy intersection in Boynton Beach, Fla. To her relief, a group of good Samaritans leaped into action, aiding the driver and saving everyone on the road from a potentially life-threatening crash. Video of the incident on May 5 went viral on Twitter after the Boynton Beach Police Department released traffic footage in an effort to thank those involved. "It was the kindness of complete strangers," Stephanie Slater, the public information officer for the Boynton Beach Police Department, told NPR. "It was restoring your faith in humanity. It was ... it's beautiful." (Kilpatrick, 5/12)
