HEALTH
First Person: The mental health model of ‘forced treatment’ doesn’t work
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As someone who lives with depression and anxiety, I wonder: Could we be having a different conversation about mental health?
HEALTH
PA changed its standard for involuntary mental health treatment earlier this year. So why aren’t counties using it?
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Involuntary mental health treatment is a highly controversial issue among practitioners, advocates and those who have sought and received treatment. Some argue that involuntary treatment is the only way to guarantee that certain people get the help they need. Others say it infringes on a person’s civil rights and can push them away from seeking help in the future.
HEALTH
Mother of Columbine shooter talks about guilt and suicide prevention
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Her son was one of the two gunmen responsible for the Columbine High School massacre. Twenty years later, Sue Klebold still carries the guilt with her every day.
HEALTH
Should PA ‘carve out’ behavioral health from physical health or shift to a ‘whole person’ model?
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Supporters of integrated care believe it will better serve patients. Proponents of the current system worry about the loss of local control and funds.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Active shooter drills have become common in Pittsburgh-area schools but mental health effects remain unknown
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With mass shootings on the rise, school districts find themselves with the responsibility to prepare students and staff. But there is little study to how effective drills are and if there are long-term implications.
FIRST PERSON
Sun still shines on your heavy head
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"My first mental health crisis almost took my life. Recovery gave me an opportunity to build my life worth living," writes singer-songwriter Jamie Kunning.
HEALTH
How Janet views independent living with disability and mental health issues
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Janet Simeone has been diagnosed with an intellectual disability. Combined with depression and anxiety, she has difficulty doing things on her own, including making friends and living independently.
FIRST PERSON
Reporting through trauma: Investigating the opioid crisis while my father was homeless
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From 2017 to 2018, I investigated the opioid crisis in Southwestern Pennsylvania while my father was homeless in Pittsburgh. He was dying in the street as I wrote about others experiencing the same reality.
HEALTH
Mental illness was a label assigned to me until I took ownership of my identity.
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Mental illness was a label I always knew, but one that I never thought described me. The label was given to me in my early childhood and, from then on, I tried to make peace with the fact that I was “ill.” I twisted and turned the label in my head, trying to figure out what it meant for me and how it fit into my life.
