Mental Health

As competition for low-wage workers heats up, residential treatment centers across the U.S. are suffering from staff shortages. When the facilities that care for the nation’s most vulnerable youth are short-staffed, the consequences can be dire.

The U.S. was dealing with a shortage of nurses even before the pandemic. Now, with COVID-19 hospitalizations rising once again, there’s concern that nurses on the frontlines are at even greater risk of burnout.

Months long waitlists, out-of-pocket costs and a burgeoning mental health crisis is pushing care out of reach for some families.

Meg Hartz spent four years trying to secure comprehensive mental health care for her son, and she believes he could have avoided in-patient treatment if she would not have faced so many delays and roadblocks.

Hospital ERs are being upended by a surge of children and adolescents in mental distress during COVID. Staff bring in snacks or queue up Netflix to keep them occupied as they seek beds in psychiatric centers. Private insurance can make the task harder.

Across the Midwest, there are not nearly enough psychiatrists, therapists or direct-care staff to treat a rising tide of young people spiraling into crisis. For these families, the strain can seem unbearable. It’s a story echoed across much of the country. This was true even before COVID-19.

At Riley Hospital for Children there's been a jump in emergency room visits related to mental health and suicide. From March to December, these visits…

On a quiet day this month, barber Trey Cato had someone new in his chair -- someone who’d come for the conversation, not the haircut.“When a kid's friend…

Where there is a mirror and barber chair, Trey Cato sees a ministry.“We’ve prayed in my barbershop,” he says. “The kids are not going to church, but…

The continued stress from COVID-19 has heightened mental health problems nationwide. And some experts say that has led to an increase in drug…