Mental Health

Latest KFF Health News Stories

California’s Tax On Millionaires Yields Big Benefits For People With Mental Illness, Study Finds

KFF Health News Original

The research, focused on Los Angeles County, casts a positive light on a 2004 initiative that expanded mental health services statewide. A recent state audit, however, suggested hundreds of millions of dollars from the initiative were piling up, left unspent by counties.

Oregon Medical Students Face Tough Test: Talking About Dying

KFF Health News Original

Starting this spring, aspiring doctors at the Oregon Health & Science University must prove they can communicate about difficult subjects ranging from admitting medical mistakes to notifying families about a patient’s death.

A Battered Doctor, A Slain Patient And A Family’s Quest For Answers

KFF Health News Original

An addiction-treatment physician fatally shot a troubled ex-Marine after the man pummeled him inside his California office, police records show. The tragedy illustrates how the limited number of clinics available to prescribe buprenorphine, a drug that all but erases opioid withdrawal, can become crowded, chaotic and dangerous.

Health Care Revamped At L.A. County Jails

KFF Health News Original

The effort, overseen by the county’s health services department, aims to improve care for a population with high rates of chronic disease, mental illness and drug addiction.

Mental Health Funding Tied To Florida’s Controversial Gun Legislation

KFF Health News Original

The same Florida bill that would put more guns in schools would provide the state with $90 million more for mental health resources, including $69 million for schools. Advocates say those funds for mental health care are desperately needed.

Trump’s Perfect Score On Brain Test Spawns DIY Cognitive Exam

KFF Health News Original

The makers of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, or MoCA, say the test wasn’t meant for the masses. Now they’re working on a “mini-MoCA” that people who are worried about possible dementia can take online.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ The Long Wait Ends For Short-Term Plan Rules

KFF Health News Original

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Julie Appleby of Kaiser Health News discuss the Trump administration’s proposed regulation that would allow the expansion of short-term health insurance policies that do not comply with all the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. The panelists also talk about federal funding (or not) of public health research around guns.

After Shooting, ‘Honor How Kids Want To Deal With Their Feelings’

KFF Health News Original

Christine Sylvest, a child psychologist who now works in Maryland, for three years attended the Parkland, Fla., high school where a shooting attack left 17 people dead last week. She says the tragedy affects the entire community.

Mamás deprimidas… ¿hay que ayudarlas o llamar a la policía?

KFF Health News Original

Cuatro meses después de tener a su segundo bebé, Jessica Porten comenzó a sentirse realmente irritable. Pero cuando buscó ayuda, en vez de conseguirla se sintió tratada “como una criminal”.

California To Drug Users: We’ll Pay For You To Test Your Dope

KFF Health News Original

Fentanyl, a significant cause of overdoses and deaths across the country, has begun showing up in California street drugs. State health officials have responded with a bold but controversial policy: paying for test strips so users can check their stash.

La muerte de un tío por sobredosis impulsa a oficial de Medicaid a actuar

KFF Health News Original

Un oficial de los Servicios de Medicare y Medicaid se enteró casi dos años después que uno de sus tíos más queridos había muerto víctima de las drogas. Esa verdad lo impulsó a un cambio de rumbo.

Treating Domestic Violence As A Medical Problem

KFF Health News Original

Health care professionals increasingly collaborate with anti-abuse advocates to identify victims and ensure they get the help they need. One women’s center is opening a shelter on the campus of a large public hospital in Los Angeles.