Mental Health

A collection of mental health news and resources.

Americans who live alone report depression at higher rates, but social support helps
The number of people living alone in the U.S. jumped to nearly 38 million. A new study shows people who live alone are more likely to report depression if they didn't have other social supports.
Social isolation takes a toll on a rising number of South Korea's young adults
A growing number of South Korea's young adults are isolating themselves from society, raising questions about the state of youths in a country known for cutthroat competition and pressure to conform.
Many cities have anti-crime laws. The DOJ says one in Minnesota harmed people with mental illness
Hundreds of U.S. communities have enacted “crime-free” laws encouraging and allowing landlords to evict tenants after repeated calls to police or for emergency services. Proponents say the laws help reduce crime, but the U.S. Department of Justice last year found Anoka, Minn., used its ordinance to illegally discriminate against people with mental illnesses. 
The ketamine economy: New mental health clinics are a 'Wild West' with few rules
Ketamine, approved as an anesthetic in 1970, is emerging as a major alternative mental health treatment. But more than 500 clinics have popped up with little regulation, and treatment varies widely.
Brooklyn Park initiative offers alternative to police response to mental health crisis calls
The Brooklyn Park Police Department partnered with Hennepin County and North Memorial Health to launch a mental health Alternative Response Team which consists of a social worker and a paramedic who can handle calls police officers may not need to respond to.
Soul doctors: How Minnesota chaplains’ roles are changing
They’re the people who show up at some of the worst moments of our lives. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with three chaplains about helping Minnesotans through pain and suffering as society becomes both less religious and more religiously diverse. 
Climate change and seasonal affective disorder
While SAD is most associated with winter, the heat and humidity of the summer months can also bring on a gloomy mood called summer-pattern SAD or summer depression.
‘Like a chain reaction’: UW-River Falls grappling with fourth student death in 2 months
The university is treating the four deaths as a suicide cluster and working to support its community and prevent further deaths ahead of its roughly 5,000 students returning for classes on Jan. 22.
As mental health worries rise for Black Minnesotans, focus shifts to strengthening kids, caregivers
The well-being of young children and their caregivers is closely connected, and children struggle when adults struggle. For Black Minnesota kids and their families, poverty and racism compound those problems. Charting a path forward includes preparing kids for a “harsh world,” one expert says.