child mental health

The increased demand for intensive mental health care that has accompanied the pandemic has worsened issues that have long plagued the system.

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.

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.

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.

Youth depression, anxiety and suicide attempts have been on the rise during the pandemic. School shutdowns keep kids from friends and therapists, leaving social growth up to parents in many cases.

Dr. Howard Pratt, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Community Health of South Florida, has advice on how to step in and support young people who are struggling with difficult emotions and stress.

The Florida Department of Education is making $2 million available to rural counties across the state to increase access to telehealth to provide mental…

Anxiety and depression among teens and youth are getting worse since COVID lockdowns began in March, early studies suggest, and many experts say they fear a corresponding increase in suicide.