Mental Health

Ashley Taylor could have gotten special permission to visit her grandfather when he entered hospice this spring. But she has an autoimmune disorder, and didn’t feel comfortable visiting a nursing home, many of which have been plagued by the coronavirus. 

On today's program: Online schooling poses new challenges for students enrolled in special education courses; new learning environments put teachers under stress and impact their mental health; some parents are turning to learning hubs for childcare and help with school work; and for Good Question, Kid! a teacher answers students’ science questions. 

On today's program: Local colleges and universities plan to welcome students back to campus amid the pandemic; a Pittsburgh-based research firm says one third of parents surveyed are uncomfortable sending their children back into classrooms; and experiences with racism take a toll on the mental health of people of color.

A new study finds that pregnant women living near hydraulic fracking activity in Pennsylvania are more likely to develop depression and anxiety.

“These are vulnerable women who are growing another human being inside of them," said Joan A. Casey, the study's lead author and an environmental health scientist at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Casey and her colleagues conducted the study with 7,715 research volunteers; all were expectant mothers within the Geisinger Health System, which serves much of central Pennsylvania.

On today’s program: A 30-year Pitt study finds depression symptoms are decreasing in Pittsburgh's youngest seniors; President Trump replaces the Clean Power Plan; a Penn Hills senior housing community is struggling with mold; operas composed by Mr. Rogers are set to premiere in Shadyside; and family members of mentally ill individuals refusing treatment are at a legal stand-still.

Pennsylvania democrats are counting on the midterm momentum they garnered last year as they gear up for the 2020 presidential race. Donald Trump's victory in Pennsylvania in 2016 came as a surprise to many democrats, including Nancy Patton Mills, who now serves as chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. 

The Pittsburgh Center for Victims is offering survivors of violent crimes a way to stay informed about the legal status of their perpetrators. The center has worked with the Allegheny County Jail to keep survivors informed about release dates for more than 20 years, but according to Center for Victims CEO Laurie MacDonald, the app takes this work a step further.

A trauma response team is spending the week with former classmates of slain teenager Antwon Rose Jr. at Woodland Hills High School. The counseling group, operated through FOCUS Pittsburgh, provides mental health services to residents of affected communities to facilitate what founder Rev. Paul Abernathy calls “trauma-informed community development.”

A state law that takes effect in April has some mental health advocates concerned, even as others tout it as a way to help people with serious mental illnesses.

Many people use social media to create community, but a new study from University of Pittsburgh researchers shows that social media is actually more likely to make people feel lonely.

One of the first things you notice when you walk into the Case Management Unit in Dauphin County is the boxes, piled up in offices and between rows of cubicles.

People in the justice system often rely on law libraries for information, especially if they can’t afford an attorney. Sometimes those situations are complicated by mental health challenges.

Many substance use disorder treatment centers expect their patients to immediately stop using when they enter treatment. But this approach, often referred to as quitting “cold turkey,” is not a one-size-fits-all solution.