Articles Tagged: Mental health

A plan to overhaul and combine Iowa’s delivery system for mental and behavioral health services is headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds to be signed into law.

The companies see a business opportunity in the shortage of inpatient beds for people with severe mental illness nationwide -- but especially in rural areas clamoring for care.

Spring is a season of revitalization and growth — and it’s also a time dedicated to promoting and raising awareness about mental health and wellness.

Dr. Vivek Murthy has said the youth mental health crisis is the “defining public health issue of our time” and called on Congress to put in place safety standards to minimize the harms of social media platforms on children.

Bill, which heads next to the Senate, would merge Iowa’s treatment networks for mental health and substance use issues into a unified behavioral health system. Currently, the networks are made up of 32 regions in the state — 13 for mental health care and 19 for substance use issues.

UI instructor and nonprofit director Fred Meyer reveals new Earthmind programming for students

Advocates hope the governor’s plan to combine mental health and substance use treatment networks will improve access for Iowans. But some worry that until other funding issues are addressed — like low Medicaid reimbursement rates — “We're just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.”

Mental health isn’t just a concern among students. Faculty and staff across Iowa and the nation are facing heightened mental health needs too – both personally and professionally, in their role responding to and managing the student distress they see in their classrooms.

More than two years after launching a 24/7 crisis and support line for University of Iowa students, the campus in January expanded that phone, text, and online chat service to faculty, staff, and postdocs – as part of an ongoing UI effort to “prioritize the mental health and well-being of employees.”

There were 212 licensed psychiatrists practicing in the state in 2021, down from 236 in 2012, according to Iowa Health Professions Tracking Center.

A state official says it would help streamline services offered to Iowans, align the goals of existing systems and eliminate redundancies in mental health and addiction treatment programs.

The governor heard from groups requesting additional tax cuts, as well as support for child care, apprenticeships and mental health services during a public hearing Wednesday.

Across colleges and universities, the words and lived experiences of addiction and recovery, dependence and therapy, mental illness and counseling are becoming less taboo, making initiatives like Iowa State University’s Collegiate Recovery Program more popular and important for students seeking support.

During the holidays, we’re tempted to spend too much money on gifts, stay up too late, fill our calendar with parties, skip regular exercise or eat too much. Here’s what a UI professor had to say on how centering your values can help avoid holiday burnout.

While the CDC recently announced that U.S. suicide rates are at the highest levels since 1941, a University of Iowa expert says there’s reason to believe young people may be successfully reducing the stigma surrounding mental health issues.