Mental health: How innovations, shortages, gaps and COVID grief shape care in Arizona
Mental health is one of Americans' top health concerns.
Arizonans young and old struggle with bullying, trauma, anxiety, depression and chronic mental illnesses.
Access to care isn't always easy, whether you are a young person with an eating disorder or an older resident in a rural area.
And stigma about seeking help remains.
Need help finding services: Here are some mental health resources
In 2023, The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com looked into issues around mental health in the state. Here is our report:
December: 7 key findings about Arizona's mental health system
Arizona is in a mental health crisis, but there are ways to improve: Here's what we know about the state of the system and what to do to fix it.
Arizona officials won't say how many Arizona State Hospital patients have died by suicide: Fifteen Arizona State Hospital patients have died since 2015. Most were due to medical issues, but the causes for at least four remain unclear. Citing privacy concerns, Arizona won't release incident reports for Arizona State Hospital patient deaths. The Republic has been seeking records for almost a year.
November: Arizona organizations help veterans with mental health struggles
What's being done to prevent veteran suicides: In Arizona, close to one in every five suicides is a veteran. But across the state, there are pockets of progress.
October: Getting the right care provider for you
Finding therapists of color is a challenge in Phoenix. Here's why that matters: The Phoenix population is increasingly diverse, but its mental health workforce is overwhelmingly white.
What kind of mental health provider do you need? Here's a guide to the different types, from psychiatrist to psycologist to counselor to therapist and more.
September: Innovations in mental health treatment
'It's not like caregiving': Intensive mobile mental health teams are expanding in Arizona: Expanding "assertive community treatment" was a provision of settling a landmark Arizona mental health lawsuit. Is it working?
How Arnold v. Sam revamped Arizona's mental health system: In 1981, Chick Arnold risked his job as the Maricopa County public fiduciary by suing his employer and the state of Arizona because people with mental illness were not getting enough support. The lawsuit was a game-changer.
August: How to get care? Beware of these barriers
Demand for mental health care is up, but many Arizona providers don't take insurance: The pandemic put a spotlight on the difficulty of getting mental health care. In Arizona, that could mean waiting lists and high out-of-pocket costs.
Having trouble finding a therapist? A community health center might be able to help. The centers often offer therapy and psychiatric care.
July: Eating disorders are rampant in Arizona, especially among girls
Anxiety increased during COVID-19, and so did eating disorders: Federal data indicates that eating disorders, which are debilitating and can be fatal, soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among adolescent girls. Arizona health providers and patients say the problem has not gone away, even though the pandemic has waned.
June: State hospital struggles with safety, staffing, critics say
Patient arrests, including attacks on staff, show a need for outside oversight at the Arizona State Hospital, critics say. Darren Beach's story helps explain why: "It's infuriating that we continue to ignore the most vulnerable seriously mentally ill people in our state. It's almost like they are expendable," said Deborah Geesling, a longtime Arizona mental health advocate who has a son with a serious mental illness. "The state hospital has just been neglected. It's like every new administration just kicks it down the road and doesn't want to address it."
May: Mental illness often emerges unexpectedly in young adulthood
Psychosis first appeared just as her life in Arizona was taking off. How one young woman found her footing: Young adults in Phoenix experiencing schizophrenia for the first time are getting early help from Valleywise Medical Center. Here's why that's so important.
'I've got the space and I can't use it': Why psychiatric beds in Phoenix area remain empty: Lack of nurses and health techs during the pandemic caused Valleywise Health to turn away hundreds of psychiatric patients, and dozens of beds still remain unstaffed.
Common signs of mental illness, and where to get help: Symptoms of serious mental illness often show up unexpectedly in young adulthood. Here's how to get help if that happens.
April: Kids' mental health needs often not met
When suicides hit close to home, they acted: Student efforts have ignited conversations and community action in the East Valley over kids' mental health needs.
What you can do to help: Here are warning signs of mental health struggles in young people and how adults and other kids can effectively respond.
March: COVID-19 grief lingers
COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona exacerbates a mental health care crisis. A mental health crisis created over the past three years could have long-term public health consequences, including shorter lifespans.
Need help finding mental health services in Arizona? Here are some resources for crisis and non-crisis situations.
Grief is a normal emotion, but it can be overwhelming. Here are some tips for living with it.
More about Arizonans' mental health
Be patient and be a role model: How to talk to kids about the Nashville shooting. Children who are struggling with feelings about the Nashville shooting may turn to trusted adults for help. Here's how to respond.
New hospital in Mesa seeks to address bed shortage for mental health patients. Acadia Healthcare is looking to address the Valley’s shortage of beds for mental health patients with a new 100-bed inpatient treatment facility in southeast Mesa.
'The Bachelor' made them famous. But it also inspired these reality stars to seek therapy. Here's how the show impacts its stars.
A controversial effort that would allow certain Arizona psychologists to prescribe medications for mental health disorders failed at the state Capitol. Here's why.
Have a question?
We will try to help. Email newstips@arizonarepublic.com and put "State of Crisis" in the subject line.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mental health in Arizona: What to know and resources
