Latest California Healthline Stories
She Was Dancing On The Roof And Talking Gibberish. A Special Kind Of ER Helped Her.
With mental health beds in short supply, emergency rooms increasingly have become the care of first and last resort for people in the grips of a psychiatric episode. Now, hospitals around the country are opening emergency units that calmly cater to patients with mental health needs.
A GAO report released this week says that bureaucratic confusion and vacancies in key posts are largely to blame for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ failure to support suicide prevention efforts.
The study’s results are generally consistent with the finding that people who are more highly educated, and whose career paths involved more intellectual challenge, build a “cognitive reserve” that can delay the worst depredations of dementia.
Brandon Nelson’s family blames failures in the state’s mental health system for their son’s suicide.
The allegations by Dr. Michael Golding include claims that the frequency with which inmates are treated by psychiatrists and receive their medications is not being reported truthfully. U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller’s court in Sacramento wants to hear from Golding in testimony later this month before deciding how to proceed further over his allegations.
Trauma From Wildfires Still Haunts Survivors A Year Later
No comprehensive survey of fire-related injuries or hospitalizations from the Redwood Valley wildfire in Mendocino County has been compiled. But beyond the physical toll, grief has weighed heavily on the shoulders of the community in the months since.
Mental Health Services For New Mothers Get Boost From Recently Signed Laws
Currently, less than 1 in 4 women with maternal depression receive treatment for the disorder, usually because they’re never screened for it. New legislation seeks to improve those statistics.
Brown Signs Legislation Designed To Help Mentally Ill Homeless People
Currently, conservatorship laws often block counties from helping people suffering from both mental illness and substance abuse if they refuse assistance, officials say. The new legislation would create pilot programs in San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles to expand that power. It was one of several bills that Gov. Jerry Brown approved this week, but a closely watched measure on abortion pills at public universities is still sitting on his desk.
Former Facebook Content Moderator Files Lawsuit, Says Images She Witnessed Gave Her PTSD
Facebook employs more than 7,500 workers to monitor written posts and images. Director of communications Bernie Thomas says Facebook ensures “that every person reviewing Facebook content is offered psychological support and wellness resources.” However, the lawsuit claims workplace safety guidelines aren’t followed.
Bills on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk could require some providers to screen moms for these disorders. Hospitals and other facilities offering deliveries would also have to educate staff about the issue.
