Texas’ shortage of mental health care professionals is getting worse
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated an already short supply of therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers. Full Story
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![AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 14, 2023: Communities in Schools staff members Christy Mitchell, Dorothy Garza and Amara Nitibhon (left to right) pose for a portrait at Langford Elementary School in Austin, Texas on February 14, 2023. (Photo by Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune)]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune -
This Texas town has the highest rate of youth attempted suicides in the state. A grieving father hopes to reverse it.
According to a new analysis by a national health care company, Lubbock has the highest rate of attempted suicides by children between the ages of 6 and 17. A local leader suggests a dearth of resources isn’t helping. Full Story
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![Adam Hernandez in a home on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, in Lubbock, Texas. (Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune)]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas’ attorneys apply for clemency, citing mental illness
At issue is whether Thomas, who gouged out his eyes after confessing to the 2004 murders of his estranged wife, their son and her daughter, is competent to be executed in April. Full Story
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![The view of Texas' execution chamber from a witness viewing room.]()
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Texans with mental illnesses are dying in Houston-area jails
A Houston Landing investigation found that nearly 180 people in Texas had been flagged as potentially mentally ill but died in jail instead of getting the care they needed. Full Story
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![Rowena Ward replaces flowers on the gravestone belonging to her son, Rory, last month at Klein Memorial Park Cemetery in Houston on Jan. 7, 2023. Rory died in 2021 after being beaten by a fellow inmate at the Harris County Jail — one of 52 people who died of unnatural causes in the custody of Houston area jails and had exhibited mental health concerns over the past decade.]()
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Farmers face a higher risk of suicide. The Texas Agriculture Department wants $500,000 a year to change that.
The department’s helpline is less than a year old. But advocates hope state lawmakers fully fund it as farmers and ranchers continue to face hard economic times and isolation. Full Story
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![Grant Heinrich, Operations Manager for Pro Agri Spraying, stands outside of his Slaton business Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2022.]()
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After Uvalde shooting, Texas senators recommend better mental health care access and school security
The committee urged lawmakers to pay special attention to rural areas. But its lone proposal on guns would not have made a difference in the Robb Elementary shooting. Full Story
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![Flowers lay on the sign for Robb Elementary School on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 in Uvalde. Twenty one people were killed after a gunman after a high school student opened fire inside Robb Elementary School on Tuesday where two teachers and 19 students were killed.]()
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State leaders won’t commit to specifics about how much they might invest in children’s mental health
As public debate intensifies over how the state will divvy up billions in new money, community groups that treat children for mental illness fear they’re not a priority. Full Story
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![Students arrive at Morehead Middle School on Aug. 19, 2021, in El Paso. The school district, EPISD, as of today voted a mask mandate for all teachers, staff and students in school facilities, defying Gov. Abbott's order that restricted local entities from instituting mask mandates.]()
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U.S. Supreme Court rejects request to review Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas’ case
Thomas’ attorneys appealed saying that some members of the jury that sentenced him had expressed racist views. In their dissent, the court’s three liberal justices wrote that Thomas’ conviction and death sentence were unconstitutional. Full Story
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![The Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 1, 2021. Today, the Supreme Court will hear cases regarding abortion in Texas.]()
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“It’s destroying me”: Storm after storm, climate change increases strain on Texans’ mental health
Tens of thousands of coastal Texas residents have survived repeated extreme weather events including Hurricane Harvey. For many, it has taken an emotional toll, and researchers warn that climate change could be “catastrophic” for our mental health. Full Story
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![Dana Jones, who has been a victim of many floods, holds her head in her hand as she recounts her experiences at her home in Houston on August 1, 2022.]()
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How to care for your mental health in the age of climate change and worsening natural disasters
Call or text 800-985-5990 to reach the national Disaster Distress Helpline, or dial 211 to find local mental health resources in Texas. Full Story
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![Barbara Edmonds, right, practices applying pressure on a wound on Deborah Berry during a CERT training at Felix Cook, Jr. Elementary School in Houston on August 1, 2022.]()
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Texas’ law on gun background checks plagued by critical omissions of minors’ mental health records
Lawmakers tried in 2009 to require that the state report all court-ordered mental health hospitalizations to a federal gun background check system. Juveniles have been left out. Full Story
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![Thousands of roses and handwritten notes, hundreds of candles and dozens of stuffed animals surround a fountain in the center of the City of Uvalde Town Square in Ulvade on May 29, 2022.]()
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After Uvalde shooting, Texas leaders will spend more than $100 million on school safety, mental health
Almost half the money is going toward bullet-resistant shields for school police officers, a move that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called on fellow state leaders to support. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference at Uvalde High School on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 in Uvalde. Twenty one people were killed after a gunman after a high school student opened fire inside Robb Elementary School on Tuesday where two teachers and 19 students were killed.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Uvalde was a mental health desert before a school shooting prompted Texas to respond with resources
After the May 24 school shooting, mental health help is now pouring into Uvalde, where a fourth of residents are uninsured and counseling options are few and far between. Full Story
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![People pray during the vigil at Uvalde County Fairplex on Wednesday, May 25, 2022.]()
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Texas was building a program to find troubled students and prevent school shootings. It hadn’t reached Uvalde yet.
Created in 2019, the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium identifies distressed students and refers them to mental health services. Full Story
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![Hundreds of gifts surround a fountain in Uvalde town square in Uvalde on May 29, 2022.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribune -
This time, Gov. Greg Abbott has few suggestions on how the state might prevent future mass shootings
After previous mass killings during his more than seven years in office, Abbott has pledged that lawmakers and his administration would search for solutions. He made no substantive suggestions Wednesday. Full Story
![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference at Uvalde High School on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 in Uvalde. Twenty one people were killed after a gunman after a high school student opened fire inside Robb Elementary School on Tuesday where two teachers and 19 students were killed.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Texas college students confront anxiety, apathy as another pandemic semester begins
As Texas universities and colleges begin a fifth semester during the COVID-19 pandemic, many students say they are struggling with uncertainty and an indifference toward school and the future. Full Story
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![A student walks through a bridge connecting two sides of the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley campus in Brownsville on Oct. 19, 2021.]()
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10 Texas stories you don’t want to miss as we say goodbye to 2021
It was another historic, news-filled year. As you get ready for 2022, check out these memorable articles The Texas Tribune published in 2021. Full Story
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![A view of the South Entrance of the Texas Capitol from the Capitol Dome in Austin on Aug. 12, 2021.]()
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El cuidado de la salud mental es el mayor reto de la pandemia en Texas
Según un informe de Mental Health América, Texas ocupa uno de los últimos lugares en cuanto al acceso a servicios en salud mental. En este podcast preguntamos a los expertos qué servicios están disponibles para la población de habla hispana. Full Story
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![A person looks out their window during the COVID-19 pandemic.]()
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Where parents and students in Texas can turn for help with mental health concerns
Reports of depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide among Texas students are rising as the pandemic drags on. Here is a resource guide for those seeking help. Full Story
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![A Texas elementary school student works on a laptop.]()
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Jordan’s story: Isolated, anxious and failing online classes, an 11-year-old Texas boy considered suicide
Months of remote learning were hard on the Frisco ISD student. Like other schoolchildren across the state, he experienced mental health issues, in large part due to social isolation during the pandemic. Full Story
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![Chairs are stacked on tables in a classroom at Judson High School in Converse on Aug. 11, 2020.]()
Credit: Allie Goulding/The Texas Tribune
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