“The bottom line is really that loneliness and isolation are bad for our health,” said UCSF geriatrician Dr. Carla Perissinotto.
Mental Health & Trauma
A reporter shares what she learned about taking care of yourself while reporting on grief-filled topics such as teen suicide.
When it comes to children, Florida's law regarding involuntary commitments for psychiatric treatment is applied inconsistently.
To keep children from being committed under the Baker Act, some schools are addressing early childhood trauma and changing their approach to student discipline.
Community mourns a leader as annual homeless memorial nears.
Data shows children who are committed under the Baker Act often are referred by school officials. School shootings and other incidents have placed more pressure on officials to intervene.
Each year, about 36,000 children in Florida are involuntarily committed for psychiatric evaluations under the state's Baker Act and disabled kids are becoming increasingly ensnared.
Shiqiao Peng produced this story as part of her participation in the 2020 National Fellowship, a program of USC Annenberg's Center for Health Journalism.
As the state battles a new coronavirus surge, public health officials and lawmakers are grappling with how to better prepare skilled nursing facilities for the next infectious disease crisis.
The number of children who are taken for involuntary psychiatric evaluations in Florida increases every year. This is the first story in a five-part series about how the state's Baker Act affects children.