mental health

Now out on streaming, “Your Attention Please” shows footage of Missouri U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley confronting Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg about how social media is hurting teenagers. The film explores how tech companies keep users addicted, and how young people are seeking to redefine human connection.

Pressure to perform and social media are contributing factors to a rise in suicide rates among children between the ages of 8-12 years old. A Kansas City psychologist said that some young kids lack the understanding of the finality of their decision and can be more impulsive, heightening the risk.

Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd died last week. In April, Zahnd said the job, which he held for nearly 24 years, brought him joy and also “considerable pain.” Up To Date spoke with two former prosecutors about the toll the job had on their mental health.

The state is taking bids to create a mental health transportation system. Without it, people in crisis can end up in the hands of law enforcement or simply waiting in emergency rooms.

Dr. Sasha Hamdani's new book, "Too Sensitive," aims to provide a science-backed, empathetic framework for understanding why some people experience high emotional sensitivity. The Kansas City psychiatrist joined KCUR's Up To Date on Tuesday.

A man with untreated schizophrenia spent two and a half years in the Clay County Jail, which subjected him to unsanitary conditions and physical abuse. His experience is a cautionary tale about the dangers of an overwhelmed system where vulnerable defendants and jailers await help.

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.