mental health

Kai Koerber was a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High during the 2018 massacre. Seeing his peers — and himself — struggle with returning to normal, he says he wanted to do something to help people manage emotions.

Residents can make video calls with trained counselors who use American Sign Language by clicking on the "ASL Now" button on the website or by dialing 1-800-273-TALK.

For rural Americans, who live in areas often short of mental health services and die by suicide at a far higher rate than urbanites, the federally mandated crisis phone line is one of the few options to connect with a crisis counselor.

Anyone 18 and older can join the online support group daily at either noon or 6 p.m.

The Tampa Bay Thrives survey found mental health challenges are affecting residents' productivity and attendance at work. But stigma about mental health appears to be decreasing.

When summer ends and school begins, students, teachers and parents often feel overwhelmed while adjusting to new schedules.

Tori Bowie's bipolar issues were more than an afterthought in the Orange County neighborhood where police found her body days after the 32-year-old, who was eight months pregnant, died due to childbirth complications.

Fewer than half of older adults who need mental health care or treatment for substance abuse get it. Many therapists don't feel qualified to treat older people, and insurance coverage is spotty, too.

The stress of caring for children with mental health conditions can take a physical toll that disrupts parents’ ability to provide care, say psychologists, researchers and advocates for families.

"I know it's complicated, I really do. But we have to be able to do something," says a Pasco County mom whose 21-year-old son shot himself a year ago.