Recent posts

How to support someone going through a mentally tough time

By editor
August 15, 2021

The Washington Post By Allyson Chiu July 27, 2021 Shortly after news broke that Simone Biles had unexpectedly withdrawn from the women’s gymnastics team final at the Olympics because, as she later put it to reporters, she felt she wasn’t in “the right head space” to continue competing, reactions to the stunning decision poured forth. While many...   read more


Should a Mental Health Emergency Derail a Dangerous Climb?

By editor
July 25, 2021

The New York Times By Kelley Manley July 11, 2021 A mountain climber with bipolar disorder had an episode that thwarted his team’s plan to summit the world’s seventh-highest peak, prompting a debate about mental illness in adventure sports. Cory Richards was about to attempt an unclimbed route up the seventh-highest mountain in the world when...   read more


How to Manage Panic Attacks

By editor
July 25, 2021

The New York Times By Julie Halpert April 12, 2020 The sudden, short-lived feeling of anxiety, shortness of breath and disabling fear can be confused with symptoms of coronavirus. Here’s what to do about it. Anna Daniels, a 27-year-old living in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, was scheduled to start a new job as a nanny on...   read more


How to Support Adult Children Struggling With Mental Health

By editor
July 25, 2021

The New York Times By Julie Halpert July 7, 2021 Expert advice on how to gently offer help and compassion. Katie Bradeen of Colorado Springs, Colo., began to worry about her 20-year-old son, Ryan, when he came home for Christmas break of 2020. She said he had a “gray demeanor” and “he seemed to be...   read more


Some mentally ill folks can’t help themselves. Why Sacramento took a tough step to help

By drwong
July 25, 2021

The Sacramento Bee By Phil Serna June 05, 2021 By a unanimous vote, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors recently approved a controversial assisted outpatient treatment program for those suffering from severe mental illness in our community. Sacramento County enacted“Laura’s Law.” Named after Laura Wilcox, a Nevada County woman who was only 19 when she was shot and...   read more


Column: A letter to my parents about depression and mental illness

By drwong
June 28, 2021

Los Angeles Times By Frank Shyong June 25, 2021 Dear Mom and Dad, There’s a story that I need to tell, and I know that it’s one that my family should hear first. But every time I’ve tried to explain these last few years, I couldn’t. I wrote down the words and even rehearsed them,...   read more


Supreme Court Rejects Texas-Led Claim to Invalidate Affordable Care Act

By drwong
June 28, 2021

American Psychiatric Association Mon Jun 21, 2021 The U.S. Supreme Court last week upheld the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and ruled against the state of Texas and other plaintiffs in its challenge to the ACA, saying the plaintiffs had no legal standing to bring the case.The ruling puts to rest the latest legal challenge to the ACA...   read more


Calling mental health workers, not police, to deal with mental health crises

By drwong
June 28, 2021

The Washington Post By Rob Waters June 20, 2021 Spencer Merritt thought he was going to die. He couldn’t breathe and voices in his head told him he had been poisoned and that his beloved dog, Lulu, who died a year earlier, had been, too. He thought the voices were talking to him through hidden microphones...   read more


In Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal, some see a ‘wake-up call’ for sports that neglect mental health

By drwong
June 6, 2021

The Washington Post By Liz Clarke June 1, 2021 Although she has withdrawn from the French Open, tennis star Naomi Osaka this week scored a victory that athletes and advocates say will have an enduring impact by putting athletes’ mental health in the global spotlight — and sending a warning shot to the sports industry...   read more


Court Ruling in Wit v. UBH Should be Upheld, Urges American Psychiatric Association

By drwong
June 6, 2021

American Psychiatric Association Thu May 20, 2021 Managed care organizations must use medical necessity criteria and assessment tools developed by nonprofit mental health and substance use disorder specialty organizations when making coverage-related determinations.That’s what APA and seven other medical organizations told the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in a friend-of-the-court brief filed yesterday...   read more