Mental Health

Latest KFF Health News Stories

What Explains The Rising Overdose Rate Among Latinos?

KFF Health News Original

Opioid addiction is often portrayed as a white problem, but overdose rates are now rising faster among Latinos and blacks. Cultural and linguistic barriers may put Latinos at greater risk.

Reversing An Overdose Isn’t Complicated, But Getting The Antidote Can Be

KFF Health News Original

Last month, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams urged more Americans to carry and learn to use naloxone, which can save someone from an opioid overdose. But the drug, brand-name Narcan, can be difficult to get and expensive.

Will We Still Be Relevant ‘When We’re 64’?

KFF Health News Original

Older adults often feel invisible as their interactions with younger people dwindle and hardly anyone seems to seek their advice. To make matters worse, studies link loneliness to weaker immune systems and poorer physical health.

For The Babies Of The Opioid Crisis, The Best Care May Be Mom’s Recovery

KFF Health News Original

Research is just beginning on infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, and doctors are optimistic that normal development is possible. Monitoring the families and making sure parents are treated for addiction is key.

Listless And Lonely In Puerto Rico, Some Older Storm Survivors Consider Suicide

KFF Health News Original

More than six months ago, Hurricane Maria upended routines and shuttered services on the island leading to a sense of despair and isolation, especially among older people.

Use Of Psychiatric Drugs Soars In California Jails

KFF Health News Original

A combination of factors has led to an “astronomical” increase in mentally ill inmates, followed by increased efforts to identify those who need prescriptions. Some say the meds are underprescribed; others, that they are given inappropriately, without the benefit of comprehensive treatment.

Alarming Suicide Rate Jolts Texas Community Into Action

KFF Health News Original

Tyler, Texas, and the surrounding county has the highest suicide rate among the state’s 25 most populous counties, and community leaders are determined to change that.

Tax-Funded Mental Health Programs Not Always Easy To Find

KFF Health News Original

Revenue from California’s Mental Health Services Act has funded billions of dollars in mental health programs across the state, but finding out what’s available — and to whom — could be a challenge for consumers.

California: legisladores buscan indemnizar a personas esterilizadas por el estado

KFF Health News Original

Sistemáticamente, en California y en otros estados, se practicó la eugenesia, esterilizando principalmente a personas de minorías que eran consideradas “débiles mentales”.

California Lawmakers Seek Reparations For People Sterilized By The State

KFF Health News Original

More than 20,000 Californians were sterilized at state homes and hospitals from 1909 to 1979, most of them women, people with disabilities and immigrants. Now, a state lawmaker wants to provide reparations to the roughly 800 living survivors, many of whom never consented to the procedures or did so under pressure.

In A Puerto Rican Mountain Town, Hope Ebbs And Health Suffers

KFF Health News Original

More than six months after Hurricane Maria, daily life in Castañer, Puerto Rico, is nowhere close to normal as residents try to deal with the effects of trauma, chronic stress and the continued lack of electricity.