Mental Health & Trauma

Homelessness is a health crisis, and the clock is ticking. With homeless life expectancy between 42 and 52, and half of the nation's homeless at least 50, it's not surprising that Orange and several other California counties have seen a dramatic rise in homeless deaths in recent years.

Social isolation and ageism are issues that many LGBT older adults encounter in retirement, as a growing body of academic papers and health research has documented.

Reporters Kameel Stanley and Ed Williams discuss ethics in journalism, with a focus on communities in crisis. They emphasize how taking the time to understand a community can lead to more compelling reporting.

A group of reporters visits L.A.’s Homeboy Industries and learns what second chances mean for young survivors of gang life.

Stresses like poverty, neglect and abuse all manifest differently in the brain and can cause different mental health issues later in life, explains researcher Katie McLaughlin of the University of Washington.

Many immigrants are now afraid to leave their homes for work or school for fear of being arrested and deported. This climate of fear has made children in these familes newly vulnerable to what psychologists call "toxic stress."

At each turn, the people responsible for her safety failed her — her birth parents, relatives, foster parents, the Indiana Department of Child Services, school officials, therapists and others.

Arizona tends to try out new approaches and programs, but rarely sticks with such efforts long enough to bring about change.

The Carribean children left behind after parents migrate can suffer from depression, low self-esteem and feelings of abandonment. Such feelings can lead to problems in school and leave kids vulnerable to abuse.

In Indian Country, generational poverty, poor schools and a lack of health care all contribute to chronically high rates of stress during childhood.