mental health Archives | Northwest Public Broadcasting

Child Psychiatrists Warn That The Pandemic May Be Driving Up Kids’ Suicide Risk

By NPR News February 2, 2021

Las Vegas school class of 2020 in chalk in parking lot

In recent months, many suicidal children have been showing up in hospital emergency departments, and more kids are needing in-patient care after serious suicide attempts. "Across the country, we're hearing that there are increased numbers of serious suicidal attempts and suicidal deaths," says Dr. Susan Duffy, a professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at Brown Read More

101 Songs You Turned To In 2020 To Help Navigate A Tumultuous Year

By PBS Newshour January 3, 2021

"It sounds like a friend now instead of an enemy," John Prine says of his singing voice.

As 2020 came to a close, we asked artists and authors about the songs that helped them survive a strange and devastating year. We also posed that question to you, and compiled a playlist of 101 songs that you played over and over again this year. Some songs offered an escape. Some infused joy and despair. Read More

The Importance Of Avoiding Cabin Fever During The Northwest’s Pandemic Winter

By NWPB News January 1, 2021

A backpack and hiking poles in the snow by a hiking trail sign in Spokane County's Dishman Hills

As we find ourselves in the coldest, darkest days of the year during the worst-case surge yet, it can feel like a herculean task just to take a daily walk around the block. Some studies found that even little five-minute outdoor excursions can benefit our health — but 20 to 60 minutes is even better. Read More

Washington, Oregon Health Agencies Watching For Suicide Rise During Pandemic, But Not Seeing It

By Tom Banse December 16, 2020

Mock headstones outside the State Capitol mark the number of people who died by suicide in Washington in one year as part of an education event during the 2017 legislative session. Courtesy of Jo Arlow

It stands to reason that all the stress, anxiety and isolation of the pandemic could lead more people to take their own lives. But newly obtained data for Washington and Oregon show this is one bad thing that 2020 has not delivered. Public health agencies and suicide prevention groups have been keeping an eye out since spring for a possible rise in suicides. Read More

No More Emotional Support Peacocks As Feds Crack Down On Service Animals On Planes

By NPR News December 8, 2020

An emotional support dog - comfort pet for flying held by a person

A rule going into effect in the new year will allow only trained and certified dogs to accompany people with disabilities on commercial airline flights. Continue Reading No More Emotional Support Peacocks As Feds Crack Down On Read More

StoryCorps Northwest: She Became A Counselor After Two Sons Died By Suicide

By Sueann Ramella December 2, 2020

Ali Bretthauer and her mother, Catherine Perusse

Catherine Perusse is a counselor in Sandpoint, Idaho, who knows first-hand about the devastation of suicide: Two of her sons died of self-inflected death six years apart. In this episode of StoryCorps Northwest, Catherine and her daughter, Ali Bretthauer of Moscow, Idaho, share how the deaths changed their lives. Read More

BOOK REVIEW: ‘Wintering,’ Encourages ‘The Active Acceptance Of Sadness’

By NPR News November 12, 2020

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times, by Katherine May

The British author writes beautifully of her own recent bout with a personal winter, a period when she felt low and overwhelmed — and aims to help others to embrace their winters. Continue Reading BOOK REVIEW: ‘Wintering,’ Read More

In Rural North Idaho, With Help Far Away, Communities Take It Upon Themselves To Tackle Suicide

By NWPB News October 16, 2020

Hank Thornton makes the rounds in Benewah County, Idaho, where he checks on veterans to see if they need services like food assistance and medical treatment. He also looks for signs of suicide risk and offers resources and an ear when needed. Rural Mountain West communities have high suicide rates and help is often far away, so community members like Thornton have taken it upon themselves to reach out to their neighbors. CREDIT: Heath Druzin / Guns & America

Tens of thousands of Americans die every year from gun suicide, and some of hardest-hit areas spend the least on prevention. In the Idaho Panhandle, some small-town residents are stepping in where the government has failed. Read More

Crisis Clinicians Ride Along With Washington Deputies In Latest Example Of Policing Reimagined

By Tom Banse October 2, 2020

Compass Health program manager Marla Johns, center, and Skagit County Detective Anne Weed, right, collaborated to embed mental health clinicians with deputies responding to relevant 911 calls.

Skagit County Sheriff's Office Detective Anne Weed broached the idea for a partnership months before the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police ignited the national debate about reform. Weed said two existing mental health clinicians from Compass Health are now being "embedded" with regular patrol deputies. They get assigned the 911 calls involving people acting out Read More

Changes In Opioid Supply Create New Risks As Stay-At-Home Rules Ease

By NPR News May 18, 2020

A patient arrives to pick up medication for opioid addiction and is given hand sanitizer at a clinic in Olympia, Wash. The pandemic is changing the distribution networks and supplies of street drugs across the United States, authorities say.

The disruption in the illegal opioid trade had varying impacts around the country. As stay-at-home orders lift, that creates different risks of overdose that public health is trying to manage. Continue Reading Changes In Opioid Supply Read More

After Attacks, Western State Hospital Will Open New Ward For Most Violent Psychiatric Patients

By Austin Jenkins January 30, 2020

Western State is one of the largest psychiatric hospitals west of the Mississippi River. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS

Nearly a year-and-a-half after a series of vicious patient-on-staff attacks, including one that cost a nurse part of her ear, Western State Hospital is poised to open a new unit to treat its 10 most violence-prone patients. Read More

Study: Changing Diet Can Help Boost Mood And Tamp Down Depression

By NPR News October 11, 2019

Depression symptoms dropped significantly in a group of young adults who ate a Mediterranean-style diet for three weeks. It's the latest study to show that food can influence mental health. Continue Reading Study: Changing Diet Can Help Boost Read More

Lengthy Detention Of Migrant Children May Create Lasting Trauma, Say Researchers

By NPR News August 23, 2019

When children are held for long periods away in detention centers, such as this center for migrant children in Carrizo Springs, Texas, they may suffer psychological harm.

The Trump administration is trying to legalize indefinite detention of migrant families. But detention can be emotionally crushing for kids, leading to long-term mental health problems like PTSD. Continue Reading Lengthy Read More

Washington Cancels Two More Contracts With In-Home Care Provider Following Scrutiny

By Austin Jenkins August 20, 2019

Tammie Corter with her son Tyler Groseclose who is severely autistic and non-verbal and a current client of Aacres Washington in Spokane. COURTESY TAMMIE CORTER

The Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) announced the contract terminations Tuesday, the same day the state placed Aacres Washington LLC (Spokane) and Aacres Washington LLC (Spokane County #2) on provisional certification status “based on serious non-compliance with the law and regulations.” Read More

Poll: Americans, Including Republicans And Gun Owners, Broadly Support Red Flag Laws

By NPR News August 20, 2019

In this photo taken Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, gun shop owner Tiffany Teasdale holds a semi-automatic rifle at a shop in Lynnwood, Washington. CREDIT: ELAINE THOMPSON/AP PHOTO

Strong majorities of Americans from across the political spectrum support laws that allow family members or law enforcement to petition a judge to temporarily remove guns from a person who is seen to be a risk to themselves or others, according to a new APM Research Lab/Guns & America/Call To Mind survey. Read More

Girls Are Bearing The Brunt Of A Rise In U.S. Cyberbullying

By NWPB News July 28, 2019

Rachel Whalen looks at her phone at her home in Draper, Utah. Whalen remembers feeling gutted in high school when a former friend would mock her online postings, threaten to unfollow or unfriend her on social media and post inside jokes about her to others online. CREDIT: RICK BOWMER/AP

There's a rise in cyberbullying nationwide, with three times as many girls reporting being harassed online or by text message than boys, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Continue Reading Girls Are Bearing The Brunt Of A Rise Read More

Federal Agencies Boost Efforts To Address Wildland Firefighter Suicides

By NWPB News July 15, 2019

Bill Arsenault of the Idaho Falls Fire Department looks at memorial stones at the Wildland Firefighters Monument at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. Federal officials at the NIFC are bolstering mental health resources for wildland firefighters following an apparent increase in suicides. CREDIT: KEITH RIDLER/AP

No figures on wildland firefighter suicides are available because federal agencies often track only fatalities that occur during work hours, and families don’t always release a cause of death. But lang management agencies are concerned about an increasing number of suicides, and seeking to address ways to help. Read More

Seattle Faces Backlash After Easing Up On Punishing Crimes Involving Mental Illness

By NPR News July 12, 2019

In this incident in April, captured on a police officer's body camera, it took nearly two hours of negotiations and at least a dozen police officers to safely subdue a man with mental illness who had taken over an alleyway. Courtesy of city of Seattle

Seattle is grappling with a crisis of what is sometimes called "visible homelessness" — people who live in the street and struggle with mental illness or drug addiction. It's a population that often commits small crimes, such as disorderly conduct or shoplifting to pay for drugs. And public frustration is growing. Read More

New Markers For Alzheimer’s Disease Could Aid Diagnosis And Speed Up Drug Development

By NPR News July 5, 2019

Researchers are using brain scans, blood and spinal fluid to detect early signs of Alzheimer's disease. These "biomarkers" may also offer a quicker way to test new Alzheimer's drugs. Continue Reading New Markers For Read More

Poll: Americans Say We’re Angrier Than A Generation Ago

By NPR News June 26, 2019

Nearly 9 in 10 Americans say people are more likely to express anger on social media than in person. CREDIT: Karrastock/Getty Images

The latest NPR-IBM Watson Health poll found that 29% of people said they were often angry when checking the news. Another 42% said the news sometimes made them angry. Continue Reading Poll: Americans Say We’re Angrier Than A Generation AgoRead More

Federal Judge To Hear Arguments Over Admission Delays At Oregon State Psychiatric Hospital

By Conrad Wilson June 11, 2019

The Oregon State Hospital in Salem. CREDIT: Josh Partee CC BY-SA 2.5 - creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5

A federal judge is set to hear arguments Portland this week from mental health advocates who say the state is failing dozens of criminal defendants in need of treatment. Continue Reading Federal Judge To Hear Arguments Read More

Oregon Considers Changing The Way Mentally Ill People Are Committed

By Kristian Foden-Vencil May 22, 2019

Don Baglien worked with the local behavioral health provider to get his 19-year-old son help. But since he's now an adult, Baglien wasn’t privy to his medical history. That meant he couldn’t intervene and things got worse.CREDIT: KRISTIAN FODEN-VENCIL/OPB

Civil commitments have been appealed so many times that the legal standard has gradually become harder and harder to meet. “Just because we have a mental illness and we’re symptomatic doesn’t mean we’re stupid or drooling on ourselves... We’re able to understand, if we’re before a judge, that I may lose my liberty,” Read More

Those Experiencing Mental Health Crisis Find Themselves Stuck In ER, With Nowhere Else To Go

By Tom Banse April 7, 2019

People in mental health crisis can be lodged for days on a gurney in a hallway, like these at Olympia's St. Peter Hospital emergency room, because there's nowhere else to go. TOM BANSE / N3

Some psychiatric patients are spending not just hours in the emergency room, but days or a week. They're living there in the ER because there is nowhere else to send them. Northwest policymakers are now making it a priority to create more treatment capacity for people in mental health and addiction crises. Read More

Washington’s Largest Psychiatric Hospital Cited And Fined For Failing To Protect Assaulted Nurses

By Austin Jenkins March 27, 2019

Western State Hospital is Washington state's largest psychiatric facility. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK

The enforcement action this week by the Washington Department of Labor and Industries follows a months-long investigation triggered by three violent patient-on-nurse assaults last year at Western State Hospital in Lakewood. Read More

Most Inmates With Mental Illness Still Wait For Decent Care

By NPR News February 4, 2019

The Joliet Treatment Center, southwest of Chicago, is one of four facilities now providing mental health care to some of Illinois' sickest inmates. It's a start, say mental health advocates, but many more inmates in Illinois and across the U.S. still await treatment. CREDIT: Christine Herman/Illinois Public Media

Nearly three years after the state of Illinois agreed in a court settlement to revamp mental health care in prisons and provide better treatment, a judge says the care remains "grossly insufficient." Continue Reading Most Inmates With Mental Illness Read More

In State Of State Address, Jay Inslee Calls For Climate Change Action, Addressing Mental Health

By Austin Jenkins January 15, 2019

Climate change topped Gov. Jay Inslee's list of priorities in his 2019 State of the State speech. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS/N3

Warning that Washington state is at a "tipping point," Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday delivered a State of the State address that called on lawmakers to address carbon pollution, "transform" the mental health system and save Puget Sound orcas. Read More

Inside Jay Inslee’s Proposed Budget: A New, 500-Bed Mental Hospital To Replace Western State

By Austin Jenkins December 11, 2018

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, pictured here outside Western State Hospital, is proposing the state explore building a new state hospital. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is taking the first step toward a plan to help house and treat psychiatric patients who have been involved in the criminal justice system: a new, 500-bed state mental hospital. Continue Reading Read More

Mountain West Farmers Turn To Twitter To Discuss Depression Amid Concern For Their Well Being

By NWPB News December 10, 2018

Larry McMillan drives a combine as he harvests barley Friday, Aug. 24, 2007, near Moscow, Idaho. The region's warm and dry weather has provided optimal conditions for the continued harvest season. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Ranchers and farmers living in the Mountain West are vulnerable to all kinds of things—drought, fluctuating crop prices, trade wars—and in part because of those things - depression and suicide. But there's some help out there, from an unlikely source: Twitter. Read More

Western State Hospital Nurses Sign No-Confidence Petition Over Attacks By Psychiatric Patients

By Austin Jenkins November 2, 2018

In the wake of three serious patient-on-staff assaults, more than 150 nurses at Washington's Western State Hospital have signed a "no-confidence" letter calling for the replacement of the psychiatric hospital's chief nursing officer Karen Pitman and her deputies. Read More

Does Washington Need New Guardianship Rules For Adults With Severe Mental Illness Or Addiction?

By Austin Jenkins October 4, 2018

A Washington state senator who says he’s heard from “literally hundreds of parents” of adult children who are struggling with mental illness or addiction wants to allow families to petition for temporary guardianship. Read More

A ‘Miserable Underworld.’ One Washington Mom’s Fight To Change The Mental Health System

By Austin Jenkins August 27, 2018

Jerri Clark of Vancouver, Washington started the group Mothers of the Mentally Ill after her son struggled to get the help he needed after he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS

More than 80 people gathered at the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. They were there for a forum organized by a fledgling group of moms whose severely mentally ill children have struggled to get the help they need in Washington state — sometimes with deadly consequences. Read More

Western State, Washington’s Largest Psychiatric Hospital, To Lose Certification And Federal Funds

By Austin Jenkins June 25, 2018

Despite a two year turnaround effort, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Monday that it will strip Washington’s Western State Hospital of federal certification for failing to comply with standards. Read More

Feds Accept Plan To Mitigate Suicide Risk At Western State Hospital

By Austin Jenkins May 29, 2018

Last week, federal inspectors found serious safety violations at Western State Hospital that could put patients at risk of suicide. They spent several days at Western State looking for full compliance with federal standards. Now the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has accepted the hospital’s immediate plan to address the suicide risk issues. Read More

Suicide Risk Prompts Emergency Measures At Western State Hospital

By Austin Jenkins May 25, 2018

Federal inspectors have found serious safety violations at Western State Hospital that could increase the chances of patient suicides. The finding this week has the potential to further imperil $65 million in annual federal funding the state receives to operate the 857-bed psychiatric hospital near Tacoma. Read More

At Western State Hospital, A Waitlist To Get In And A Waitlist To Get Out

By Austin Jenkins May 17, 2018

Brian (who asked us not to use his last name) holds a piece of artwork that his daughter made. He says she's struggled with mental illness since college and needs a safe, stable placement in the community. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS

On any given day, nearly half the civil, or non-criminal, patients at Western State are ready to be discharged, but there's nowhere to send them. That means they take up beds that patients in crisis, like Brian's daughter, may desperately need. In other words, there's a waitlist to get into Western State because there's a waitlist to get out. Read More

These Parents Used ‘Joel’s Law’ To Get Their Son Involuntarily Committed

By Austin Jenkins October 16, 2017

Larry and his wife Crystal used Joel’s Law to get their adult son involuntarily committed to a mental health facility earlier this year. AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK Listen In the living room of her Olympia home, Crystal opens up a large file box that contains her son’s life history. “As a mom you… Read More

A 911 Call, A Werewolf At The Door And A Family’s Quest To Involuntarily Commit A Loved One

By Austin Jenkins October 10, 2017

Denise Vermillion petitioned to have her stepson involuntarily committed under Joel’s Law. AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK Listen On a recent Wednesday morning, Denise Vermillion stood outside the Thurston County Courthouse and expressed the frustration that had been building inside her for days. “I have a loved one who’s having some mental issues and… Read More

How 11 Suicides Forced Change Inside Washington Prisons

By Austin Jenkins March 6, 2017

In 2014 and 2015, Washington's prison system experienced a spike in inmate suicides. During those two years 11 inmate deaths were ruled suicides, giving Washington one of the highest prison suicide rates in the country. Austin Jenkins has spent the past year investigating how this happened and how the prison system responded. Read More