Study: Texas Is Worst Among All States For Mental Health Care
A Forbes Advisor study finds more than 1 in 5 adults with mental illness are uninsured in Texas. It's also where the highest percentage of adults with a cognitive disability couldn't see a doctor because of cost. Also: the youth mental health crisis, remote work, and more are in the news.
More than one in five adults with mental illness are uninsured in Texas, making it the worst state in the nation for mental health care, according to a new Forbes Advisor study. Researchers also found Texas is home to the highest percentage of adults with a cognitive disability who could not see a doctor due to cost, and the highest percentage of youth who had a major depressive episode in the past year and did not receive treatment. (Rice, 5/4)
On young people's mental health
Emergency room visits for young people in mental distress rose sharply over the last decade, per a report published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Between 2011 to 2020, emergency department visits among children, adolescents and young adults for mental health reasons approximately doubled, a group of researchers and physicians found. (Habeshian, 5/4)
Nationwide, young people are screening themselves for mental health issues, according to recently reported data from Mental Health America. Especially concerning is that half of the people who screened for depression said they frequently think about suicide. (Eldridge, 5/4)
Anyone who uses Snapchat now has free access to My AI, the apps built-in artificial intelligence chatbot, first released as a paid feature in February.In addition to serving as a chat companion, the bot can also have some practical purposes, such as offering gift-buying advice, planning trips, suggesting recipes and answering trivia questions, according to Snap. (Rudy, 5/5)
Also
The mental health crisis among Latinos is not letting up, and experts tell Axios it's time for political leaders and others to step up and promote seeking help in a more culturally relevant way. The pandemic exacerbated mental health needs in the U.S., especially among Latinos, whose rates of depression, anxiety and suicide grew. (Galvan, 5/4)
The attorney representing a 24-year-old Coast Guard veteran accused of opening fire inside a Midtown Atlanta doctors office said his client suffers from apparent mental health issues. (Abusaid, 5/4)
Jordan Neely's death on Monday, which has been ruled a homicide, renewed conflicts about access to mental health and what some experts warn is an alarming increase in vigilante justice nationally. (Hughes, 5/4)
The mental health implications of telework is a relatively new field of study. And that makes sense, given that only 5 percent of American work took place remotely before the pandemic.There arent really experts in it. This is all new, said Eric Elbogen, a professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University. There are just so many questions we still dont know the answers to.(De Vis矇, 5/4)
Minnesota officials hit Bloomington-based insurance and health care company HealthPartners with a consent order for allegedly violating laws related to mental health parity. State and federal laws prohibit health insurance companies from evaluating mental health diagnoses or treatments more stringently than they do for other forms of care. (Wiley, 5/4)
