2016

The Chronicle led more than 70  news organizations to focus intensively on San Francisco’s seemingly intractable problem of homelessness. This particular story. Nsationwide, approximately a third of homeless persons live with mental illness--and 80% of those who are chronically homeless.

American Academy of Pediatrics advises family doctors to screen teens for suicide risks after new information shows that suicide s the second leading cause of death among them, The benefits of antidepressants as a treatment option also signficantly outweigh risks.

The Wasshington Post's Pultizer Prize-winning health reporter Amy Ellis Nutt sat down with NAMI for a live chat on NAMI's Facebook page--the first time the news organization conducted one on the social media page of an outside organization. The story includes video.

Anyone who kills someone is not what we would consider mentally healthy. But that does not mean they have a clinical diagnosis and therefore a treatable mental illness. There could be emotional regulation issues related to anger wich are a separate phenomenon..  I think we have a long way to go in terms of brain science to really understand those distinctions" said NAMI's senior policy advisor, Ron Honberg. "People  [may] feel like, 'If I get identified as having a psychiatric diagnosis, people are going to draw certain conclusions.' It’s hard enough to get people to seek help when they need it.”

NAMI, NAMI Virginia and NAMI Hampton-Newport News aree among the national and state organizations are outraged ov er the dealth of a man in the Hampton Roads Regional Jail. "W are extremely concerned about the likelihood of future deaths if problems are not remedied." they declared in a letter to the U.S. Depsartment of Justiice. 

Honest adviced from those who know. #1 is don't say that a person's life isn't really bad; it only  trivializes a medical illness. #7 is also important: don't romanticize the illness by claiming it's cool because so many creative actors, artists and writers have it.

A study led by a John Hopkins researcher, published in the journal of Health Affairs, has found that almost 40% of news stories about mental illness connect it to viloence toward others, even nthough less than 5% of violence in the U.S. is directly relatedd to violence. Skewed perception constributes to stigma, fear and discrimination.

A legal theory of “permanent incompetence” may make California the first to address a growing problem of aging and gravely mentally ill inmates awaiting ever-delayed execution.  

Clkick on the photo of each man on death row who has serious mental health issues to explore his story.Comptency is examined only weeks before execution.

A new federal report produced by NAMI and the US Department of Justice says police chiefs and sheriffs across the country should put mental health programs in place for their officers to help them cope with the aftermath of mass shootings and other traumatic events