mental illness news stories on Newser

Senators Want 'Lunatic' Deleted From Federal Laws

Dustin Lushing — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:24:01 CDT

Two senators have introduced a bill to erase the word "lunatic" from the federal code because the term is considered outdated and offensive, reports the Los Angeles Times . "Federal law should reflect the 21st century understanding of mental illness and disease," says Kent Conrad of North Dakota, who co-sponsored the...

5% of US Adults Suffer Serious Mental Disorders

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:36:27 CST

Some troubling numbers from a government report released today: Each year, around 20% of US adults suffer from a mental illness—and about 5% suffer from a serious mental disorder. But less than half of all mental illness sufferers get treatment, and just 60% of those who suffer serious disorders...

4 Mentally Ill Adults Found Chained in Philly Basement

Kevin Spak — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:13:05 CDT

Three people have been charged with kidnapping and other offenses after four mentally challenged adults were found chained and starving in the sub-basement of a Philadelphia apartment building. The building's landlord discovered the prisoners on Saturday, lying in their own filth in a 10-by-15-foot room, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. All...

NY State Caregivers Keep Jobs Despite Abuse

Matt Cantor — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:43:05 CDT

At New York state homes for the mentally disabled, firings are rare—even when caregivers abuse or neglect patients, the Poughkeepsie Journal reports. Of the state’s 20 attempted firings across some dozen facilities since 2007, 18 were unsuccessful; only 2% of disciplinary cases at more than 100 facilities led to...

IHOP Massacre: Victim, Shooter Profiles Emerge

Mark Russell — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 04:38:01 CDT

Eduardo Sencion, the 32-year-old suspected gunman who killed four people in a senseless shooting at a Carson City IHOP , had a history of mental illness but no criminal record, according to a profile by AP . Sencion fought with police in 2000 when he was taken into protective custody for a...

40% of Europeans Are Mentally Ill

Mark Russell — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 06:03:04 CDT

Nearly 165 million Europeans—about 38%—suffer from depression, anxiety, insomnia, dementia, or other mental and neurological illnesses, according to a new study. And with less than a third of those getting the treatment they need, Reuters reports that these illnesses are costing Europe hundreds of billions of euros each...

Climate Change to Prompt Rise in Mental Illness

Matt Cantor — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:45:48 CDT

Continuing climate change could lead to an increase in mental illness—particularly following severe weather events like what we've seen this weekend, according to a new report. Such events can damage social cohesion, the report says, leaving behind increased anxiety, depression, drug abuse, and post-traumatic stress, the Sydney Morning Herald...

Book: Best Leaders Are Mad

Mark Russell — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 04:22:00 CDT

People often complain about the madness of America's leaders in Washington—but what if that madness is actually a good thing? After looking at famous leaders from Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King, Dr. Nassir Ghaemi has concluded that being manic or depressed often makes for better leaders, reports NPR...

Lawyers Search Loughner's Family for Signs of Insanity

Kevin Spak — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:23:27 CDT

Jared Loughner’s lawyers have been researching family records dating back as far as 1893 in what looks like an attempt to show that mental illness runs in his family, the New York Times reports. The lawyers issued and then withdrew a host of subpoenas to the Illinois Department of Public...