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Few states are poised to spend their own money to reverse as much as a decade of budget cutbacks in mental health care.
President Obama's actions and proposals on reducing gun violence include efforts to address the nation's fragmented and porous mental health system. Mental health advocates are buoyed by the attention given to an issue they say has been ignored for far too long.
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about minors' mental health records and whether they need to be disclosed to insurers paying for care.
Colleges and universities across the country have seen an influx of students with mental health needs.
Gaps in insurance coverage for mental health treatment persist despite new laws -- including the health law and the Mental Health Parity Act of 2008 -- expanding such coverage. Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about mental health care in America.
The Obama administration has yet to complete federal regulations implementing rules that would enable states to enforce a mental health parity bill President George W. Bush signed into law, and in the meantime, behavioral health may have fallen behind.
Oklahoma prisoners with mental illnesses face a myriad of obstacles in rejoining society, but a state program seeks to reintroduce them to society, keep them on medication and save them from returning to prison.
Even though the DSM will soon recognize binge eating disorder, many patients have trouble getting coverage for treatment.
Treatment can involve medical care, mental health treatments and nutritional therapy, but insurers say there is little research to show what is the best course of action.
Competition to reduce ER wait times has spurred one Denver hospital chain to add a 40-bed psychiatric ward.
Supporters say the new guidelines will make it easier to address drug or alcohol problems before they become serious. But others worry that one of the tools to evaluate such problems falsely suggests there is a natural escalation from non-use to occasional use to risky use to addiction.
The expensive medications, designed for people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorders, are being prescribed regularly for common problems such as anxiety and attention-deficit disorder and are being used on children and the elderly.
More Americans receive mental health treatment in prisons and jails than in hospitals or treatment centers, yet the criminal justice system was never built to handle people with mental illnesses. A judge in Miami-Dade County is trying to prevent those with mental illnesses who have committed minor crimes from ending up in jail.
The SSI program for low-income disabled children is rapidly expanding, with the biggest increase among kids with mental, behavioral and learning disorders, including ADHD, speech delays, autism, and bipolar disorder, sparking criticism in Congress.
Michelle Andrews answers a question from a reader who wonders if there are states where they can get both curative care and hospice care at the same time. The health law may provide some solutions, Andrews says.
About 14 percent of elderly nursing homes residents receives a so-called atypical antipsychotic medicine despite an increased risk of death when the medicines are used to manage dementia in older people.
Michelle Andrews answers a question from a mother whose daughter is uninsured and needs some inexpensive care. Andrews says going to a community health center may be a good option for her.
Michelle Andrews answers a question from a mother whose daughter lost her insurance and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. What are her options to get coverage?
With states reducing the number of psychiatric beds, mentally ill patients often languish in hospital emergency rooms for several days, sometimes longer. At most, they get drugs but little counseling, and the environment is often harsh.
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