Week of Mental Health

A GP writing for Mamamia says she sees new mothers every week and that one particular word they use prompts her to look more closely for signs they are struggling, such as postnatal depression or exhaustion. The piece highlights how subtle cues in language can help doctors identify mothers who need extra support.

Chicago's citywide mental health emergency response service is continuing to expand, with the addition of longer operating hours announced this week. The programme, which sends mental health professionals to crisis calls, is being scaled up across the city. Expanded hours mean more residents can access emergency mental health support outside standard daytime periods.

Cat lovers are playfully checking in on each other's mental health by rating their mood 'on a scale of cat', sharing photos of felines in various states of relaxation or chaos. The trend, tied to the weekly Caturday tradition, uses humour to open up conversations about mental health and encourage people to talk about how they are feeling.

Hope Network has been awarded a $600,000 grant to fund mental health and suicide prevention training. The Michigan-based nonprofit provides behavioral health services across the state, and the funding is expected to expand training efforts aimed at suicide prevention. Local news outlets in Michigan, including WILX and WNEM, reported the grant award this week.

World Mental Health Day is approaching with lived experience as its theme, and mental health professionals are reflecting on it publicly. One therapist with thirty years of clinical practice says the wisest voice in the room usually belongs to the person who lived through the pain, and is encouraging others to make that recognition part of their practice this week. The theme is prompting practitioners to elevate the perspectives of those with direct experience of mental illness alongside professional expertise.

Chicago has appointed its first street psychiatrist, Sam Jackson, to lead the city's new Street Psychiatry pilot program. Jackson was mentored by James Withers, widely considered a pioneer of street medicine, who this week watched his former student take over the Chicago initiative. The program brings psychiatric care directly to homeless residents on the streets rather than waiting in clinics.

Ellise Kakazu, a beauty queen, is speaking publicly about perinatal mental health, saying the issue goes 'more than a crown'. In an interview with Northwest Asian Weekly, she discusses mental health challenges around pregnancy and childbirth, aiming to reduce stigma and encourage mothers to seek help.

Kovarovic is building a growing mental health network, according to a report in Tompkins Weekly. The story highlights efforts to connect mental health support and resources within the community, with the network described as expanding over time. Further details about the scope and participants of the initiative were not provided.

An art therapy program aimed at veterans has started in Palm Beach County, Florida. The initiative, reported by Florida Weekly, offers creative therapy as a way to support veterans' mental health, a group often affected by PTSD and related challenges.