mental health

According to the National Stepping Up Initiative, in the U.S. approximately 2 million times each year, people who have serious mental illnesses are admitted to jails. These individuals often don't receive appropriate, or any, treatment, and, upon release, are at a higher risk of re-incarceration than those without mental illnesses.

There are tens of thousands of mental health mobile apps, with new ones coming and going every day. Miami University researchers looked at studies about those apps - and hundreds of apps themselves - to learn whether they're helping or hurting people.

In Ohio and across the country, jails are becoming defacto hospitals with more than 30 percent of inmates suffering from mental illness. The national program Stepping Up will now include Hamilton County after county commissioners voted to enhance existing efforts late last year.

The September 6 shooting at the Fifth Third Center at Fountain Square left four people, including the shooter, dead, and two more wounded. But even people who were there that did not suffer physical harm during the shooting may be experiencing lasting emotional effects.

A third of Dayton's police force is part of a pilot study to reduce stress using brain stimulation. One hundred  officers are now in the fourth week of a six-week study for the therapy, already proven effective in both civilians and military.

While the majority of individuals who don’t have access to safe and secure housing are in their situations due to economic reasons, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 20 to 25 percent of the homeless population in the United States suffers from some form of severe mental illness.

The diagnosis of mental disorders is largely based on looking at a patient's history to determine signs and symptoms that, collectively, lead to a recognizable syndrome. Symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, known as ADHD, can include hyperactivity, fidgeting, trouble focusing or the need to get up frequently. But youth at risk for bipolar disorder often initially present signs of having ADHD.

Some peoples’ clown phobias may have been triggered with the bizarre string of clown sightings, threats and arrests throughout Ohio and the nation. The fear of clowns is known as Coulrophobia, one of hundreds of phobias people may have.

Music and dance can be powerful, promoting a sense of wellness, bringing joy and healing, and uniting people. Music and dance therapies are research-based health practices that can improve an individual's physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs. 

About six million Americans age 65 and older experience symptoms of depression. Though common among the elderly, depression is not a normal part of aging. 

  Note: This program originally aired August 4, 2016.

According to a survey conducted by Public Citizen and the Treatment Advocacy Center, U.S. state prisons and county jails have as many as 10 times more seriously mentally ill inmates than state psychiatric hospitals.