Mental Health

Idaho Matters takes a look at what's being done locally to address the mental health crisis impacting Idaho children.

Election day is just around the corner and the race for the Boise mayor’s seat has been heated. There are four candidates hoping to get the job and we wanted to hear from all of them, so we’re sitting down today with each one to find out their vision for Idaho's capital city.

Four years after a legislative report blasted a state facility housing severely mentally ill patients, a checkup finds significant improvement.

Farmers and ranchers in the West are being pressured by rising production costs, increased workloads and extreme weather. No wonder they face higher levels of stress and mental health issues than other Americans.

Idaho Matters takes a look at some of states most urgent health needs.

Across the nation kids are suffering from a mental health crisis, experiencing increasing levels of anxiety and depression. And when it comes to looking at groups that are most at risk, reports found that students attending high performing schools fell into this category.

Last year a few hundred crisis call centers across the country replaced their 1-800 numbers with a simpler three-digit code. Since then that number, which is the 988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, has answered over 12,000 calls, texts and chats from people in Idaho experiencing a mental health crisis.

There's growing interest in the potential mental health benefits of psychedelics. Now, scientists are trying to understand the substances and get them approved at the federal level and some of that research is happening in our region.

The Bureau of Indian Education recently extended a program that provides more mental health resources for tribal youth, impacting more than 100 Mountain West schools.

It's been one year since the Boise Public Library hired Ashley Hammond as its first Mental Health Coordinator. Since she started, Hammond says she has helped almost 200 patrons.