mental health

A group of parents in the Shawnee Mission School District are happy about a new Kansas law banning cellphone use during the school day, but they want even more done about access to digital media. Now the district is restricting the use of school-issued iPads during recess and at home.

Multidisciplinary artist Kasim Hardaway reflects on the first year of “Take What You Need,” an interactive public art installation that pops up around Kansas City and invites people to pause and reflect on their lives.

The death of 44-year-old Lloyd Gilmore after he sought help from Sikeston officers has renewed long-standing concerns about racial bias, accountability and police brutality. Gilmore's cause of death still has not been released.

Missouri saw 2,690 deaths from Alzheimer's in 2024 — a 145% increase since 2000. One southeast Missouri couple is trying to convince lawmakers their support is critical. Plus: A substance abuse counselor in Kansas City has developed secular recovery programs focused on inclusivity.

Fifteen former residents of Change Academy at Lake of the Ozarks say they were physically assaulted by staff, and some say they were sexually abused by other residents a youth residential treatment center in Missouri that takes in children from across the country.

Federal mortality data reveals a 16% decrease in so-called “deaths of despair” caused by alcohol, drugs and suicide, but cuts to public health infrastructure may make it challenging for the trend to continue.

Schools around the Kansas City metro are working to connect families with food, housing and other resources to make sure kids have the support they need until they return to class in the fall. Here's where to find free meals, mental health support and more.

When Congress ended pandemic-era free lunches for public schools in 2022, student meal debt skyrocketed in Kansas. One Wichita-area 6th grader launched her own fundraiser to tackle students’ lunch tabs at her school district. Plus: "Cow goggles" are allowing farmers to see through bovine eyes, and potentially improve animal welfare.

Many women struggling to get pregnant also experience depression and anxiety – often without support. After their own personal experiences, two local mental health providers founded The Village Fertility Co. to support the psychological and emotional wellbeing of women experiencing infertility.

A nonprofit program in Kansas City believes songwriting can help teens through mental health challenges. We'll stop by Rebel Song Academy to hear how students are finding their calm through music.

Since 2017, the nonprofit Rebel Song Academy has been found to help adolescents deal with a variety of mental health challenges by having them study composition and perform music together.

A new study from the University of Missouri-Kansas City reveals that people are actually speaking fewer words each day — and the loss is even greater among people under 25 years old. But engaging in small, everyday conversations can help strengthen connections and improve communication skills over time.