Mental Heath

Decarlos Brown Jr., the man charged with stabbing Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte light rail, suffered from schizophrenic delusions and poor mental health since his release from prison in 2020, according to his family. The case shows how the state struggles to contain and treat mentally ill people who may pose a risk to the public.

A new street outreach program in Mecklenburg County is up and running with the goal of breaking barriers to mental health care.

The stabbing death of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail renewed conversations about the need for mental health treatment and led some leaders to examine the involuntary commitment process for people who pose a danger to themselves and others. A crime bill recently passed by the legislature takes steps in that direction and we examine how the involuntary commitment process works and where it might go wrong.

A local mental health leader is working to reshape the way Charlotte approaches mental health by drawing from her own experiences.

A Mecklenburg County report this year found more people sleeping outside now than any year since 2010. In part one of a two-part series, WFAE's Elvis Menayese explores why homelessness remains a pressing issue and why some people sleep on the streets instead of going into shelters.

Doctors are writing "social prescriptions" to get people engaged with nature, art, movement and volunteering. Research shows it can help with mental health, chronic disease and dementia.

The symptoms can include nerve pain, emotional numbness and sexual dysfunction and can last for years after stopping the drugs. Patients are pushing for recognition and more research.

A new mental health resource has been launched in Charlotte, aiming to make it easier for individuals and families to find the help they need.

N.C. Secretary of Health and Human Services Dev Sangvai visited Hendersonville to advocate for mental health and the state legislature to reinstate funding for the Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) program which delivers food, housing support and more to low-income North Carolinians.

With people losing their jobs and the stock market rocky, there's a lot of financial anxiety right now. Research shows how you approach it can be key to protecting your mental and physical health.