Mental Health

A collection of mental health news and resources.

Plaintiffs demand UnitedHealth beef up mental health coverage
Attorneys for the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group have filed their rebuttal to the big insurer's arguments against the remedies they're seeking. A federal judge has sided with the plaintiffs, finding that UnitedHealth's coverage for behavioral health care is substandard.
Ag department wants to help farm kids with stress
State officials say the financial and emotional challenges affecting Minnesota farmers has hit farm kids even harder. Later this month, the state Department of Agriculture will offer two free workshops that give an overview of stressors unique to growing up on a farm.
UnitedHealth rejects some demands in mental health coverage lawsuit
UnitedHealth Group is rejecting some plaintiffs demands in a class action lawsuit after a judge agreed the company has been too stingy in its coverage of mental health care.
Mental illness affects most women behind bars
Rates of mental illness among people in jail or prison are much higher than in the outside world, especially among women prisoners. Women incarcerated in Minnesota say they're not getting the help they need.
Call to Mind: Spotlight on childhood trauma
Three experts explore the impact of childhood trauma on mental health and suggest ways to build resilience in children.
In Kenyon, the police chief knows demons, desperation and hope
Lee Sjolander speaks candidly of lessons learned from a traumatic childhood in southern Minnesota and his struggles with mental health. In doing so, he's flipping the stereotype of the hardened, stoic chief and reshaping the police's role in Kenyon.
'Mental health is health': Docs who treat kids get trained to spot mental health problems
There's a 1 in 5 chance that kids will develop depression sometime between middle and high school. Yet, doctors who take care of kids most of the time — like pediatricians and family doctors — don't get much training in how to treat mental health problems.
When mental health disorders and substance use appear together, they are called "co-occuring disorders," and they're more common than not, according to Dr. Joseph Lee, the medical director of youth services at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.