Language Guide for Reporting on Mental Health
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Rosalynn Carter Journalism Fellowship Program offers free online course on responsible mental health reporting and journalists’ self-care
By Susan Whisnant Since its inception in 1996, the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism program has been training a select group of reporters each year in Atlanta (or virtually during the pandemic) on how to report accurately and sensitively on mental health topics. Now, journalists taking care of…
A new national mental health crisis line launches soon. Some states aren’t ready.
Side Effects Public Media, June 13, 2022, by Carter Barrett: Staff at Memorial Behavioral Health in Springfield, Illinois, are on call around the clock to talk with people struggling with suicidal thoughts, drug addiction or other mental health crises. They provide a listening ear and help connect people to resources…
PA eased telehealth regulations during the pandemic. What happens if the waiver expires?
PublicSource, June 9, 2022, by Jourdan Hicks: At first, the pandemic actually kept us in our homes. Y’all remember that? Being on lockdown? For many, COVID and the response to it only intensified the need for health care. And by health care, I mean physical and mental. But have the…
Law enforcement enlists mental health experts to help save lives — ‘a paradigm shift in policing’
Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB), June 8, 2022, by Riley Bunch: SAVANNAH, Georgia — Sometimes when Savannah Police Department officers are called to a scene of a crisis, those who respond may not look like police at all. Officers arrive in an unmarked Ford Explorer, donning a simple blue polo and…
Georgia students’ private battle: Anxiety disorders in the classroom
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 1, 2022, by Vanessa McCray and Eric Stirgus: Latha Wright studies Latin, draws her own comics and films videos with her little brother. The 16-year-old Atlanta student also battles anxiety. When her family sought help, they encountered obstacles that make it difficult for many Georgia teens…
The Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas are tackling mental health, one patch at a time
KERA, May 19, 2022, by Elena Rivera: The COVID-19 pandemic worsened stress, anxiety and depression for young people—especially young girls. Those are things the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas have addressed through their mental health patch, called Okay to Say. It’s one part of a wider prevention effort to mitigate…
In a pandemic, people might know they need food or housing. But how do you help them realize they also need therapy?
Chicago Tribune, March 30, 2022, By Alison Bowen: As the pandemic wore on, Kayode Martin felt stuck. He’d graduated virtually, a high school senior when COVID-19 arrived in Chicago. A year later, in 2021, he was working at a store but struggling to find a routine that felt on good…
Mental health care at work: Roundup of recent research on employee assistance programs
The Journalist’s Resource, Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard University May 24, 2022 Insurance makes seeking mental health care more affordable for those who have it, but workers often have access to an additional form of help at no cost: employee assistance programs. By Clark Merrefield The…
Achieving mental health parity: The struggle to get insurance plans to improve coverage of mental health care
The Journalist’s Resource, Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard University May 11, 2022 Insurance companies have failed to follow a federal law that expands access to mental health treatments. But many factors, including clinician shortages, also affect progress. By Denise-Marie Ordway In a 54-page report to Congress…
Racial disparities in mental health care: An explainer and research roundup
The Journalist’s Resource, Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard University May 18, 2022 Little has changed since the office of the U.S. Surgeon General issued a report on mental health disparities two decades ago. Persisting structural racism is one of the key drivers of disparities but experts…