Mental Health

The case of Miquel Richards is an unfortunate tragedy. In 2017, while experiencing a psychotic episode, Richards’ 15-minute standoff with police ended with him being shot 16 times when he raised what turned out to be a toy gun.

In some ways, there’s not a lot to envy about growing up in our current climate. Children are exposed to stresses far earlier now than in previous generations, from mass shootings to hate speech and more.

After yet another NYPD officer committed suicide this year on Wednesday, a parade of officials have called it part of ‘a crisis,’ asking officers to seek help and take mental health issues seriously.

Becoming an adolescent is hard for anyone, but psychologist say that having a pet can provide some serious mental health benefits for teenagers.

Today's teens have a lot on their plates and on their minds. Mental health is a top concern. In fact, 70 percent of teens surveyed by pew research say depression and anxiety are major problems among their peers—even more so than bullying, drugs or alcohol.

All public school students in New York State will notice a new entry in their list of subjects: mental health. A law went into effect this school year requiring that mental health be a part of health education classes. The mandate comes as intentional self-harm remains among the Top-10 causes of death in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Puerto Ricans will never forget September 20, 2017. Hurricane Maria ripped through the island, causing catastrophic damage. Thousands lost their lives in the days and weeks after. The disruption to daily life made things worse for many Puerto Rican families.

With our smartphones always on, it is almost impossible not to take our work home with us. And that is seriously stressing us out. In fact, a new study found that just the thought of having to deal with work e-mails during personal time can take a toll on our mental health.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday morning proposed new legislation called the Red Flag Gun Protection Bill that would allow parents and teachers to get a court order to prevent students suspected of being a danger to themselves or others from getting guns.

When designer Kate Spade took her own life this week, it shocked the fashion world and her legions of fans. But her death is part of an alarming upward trend of suicides. A new CDC report finds that suicides rose across the country in more than half of states by more than 30 percent between 1999 and 2016.

New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray speaks about two important issues she is championing. The city strives to be a place where everyone can feel included. A new campaign called the Unity Project promotes inclusion for the city's LGBTQ youth. She also talks about a youth-led mental health awareness program.

One woman is using life lessons to empower other women. Stephanie Carnegie is a single mom and entrepreneur. For more than 10 years, she owned a public relations company representing artists and entertainers.

The average mass attacker in America is neither an ISIS terrorist nor a high school student with an assault weapon. What these killers did have in common in 2017: they were all men often dealing with symptoms of mental illness, according to a federal agency report. Many of these attacks, 82 percent of which were carried out with guns, left the United States paralyzed last year. The U.S. Secret Service compiled 28 mass attack incidents, defined as onslaughts harming three or more people in public places.

The Nassau County district attorney on Tuesday convened a new school and community safety task force to promote preparedness and improve information sharing. Members of the task force are coming together to recommend reforms. The inaugural meeting comes at a time when many are questioning safety, especially in schools after the Parkland shooting. There are over 200,000 students in Nassau County alone.

Experts say staying mentally alert underscores an important component of the aging process. Dr. Zachary Palace says the most important aspect of keeping the mind sharp is finding opportunities to build alternate brain pathways as some neurons deteriorate.

For many of us, scrolling or posting on social media is part of our daily routine. But social media's immersive presence and impact on our lives are leading many young users to seek relief and hit delete. Back in December, Hill Holliday's research group Origin conducted the survey of more than 1,000 young people across the United States. The key findings: 64 percent of users between the ages of 18 and 24 said they have taken a temporary social media break and 34 percent of them deleted their accounts entirely.

New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray announced an expanded initiative to help domestic violence victims. It is a major effort to fight the problem.