Sections
Making Sense of Mental Health: On the Line
Underlying many of Alabama's societal challenges, from homelessness to prison overcrowding to school failure to unemployment, is undiagnosed or mistreated mental illness. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that only one-third of Americans with mental health problems get care. Monday, March 13th, WBHM will conclude our year-long special project Making Sense of Mental Health with a live call-in program. We'll talk to mental health experts and consumers, and we'll take your phone calls.
Whose Orders at abu Ghraib?
Internet news service Salon.com reports that the Deputy Chief of Staff for Alabama Congressman Mike Rogers has been reprimanded for his role in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal. Christopher Brinson is also U.S. Army Reserve Captain Christopher Brinson and served as supervisor for many of the accused officers and soldiers stationed at the now-infamous and soon-to-be closing Abu Ghraib. WBHM's Steve Chiotakis spoke with national affairs reporter Mark Banjamin about the story.
Bibb County resolve
Authorities have made three arrests in the spate of fires that've befallen churches in parts of rural Alabama. 19-year old Ben Moseley, 19-year old Russell Debusk and 20-year old Matthew Lee Cloyd, all college students in the Birmingham area, face conspiracy and arson charges. But while investigators were trying to find the culprits, life went on in rural Bibb County - where half of the fires occurred. Many residents told WBHM's Steve Chiotakis that the crimes brought a new resolve to churchgoers.
The Learning Game
It's always seemed like a game to get children to learn. But the trend inside the classroom has been moving away from the traditional 'lecture and retain' methods and more toward educational programs that kids are likely to be interested in. Many of today's computer programs feature games that inspire competition and success. And that seems to be teaching a lesson to adults, as WBHM's Steve Chiotakis reports.
Alabama Church Fires: Community Reaction
State and federal investigators continue sifting through the rubble of ten Alabama churches, looking for clues of who set them ablaze. Meantime, rumors are starting to circulate amongst residents in Alabama's rural towns, as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
Alabama Church Fires
Hundreds of state and federal investigators are working in Alabama to find the person or people responsible for a string of church fires through the central part of the state. So far, 9 churches have burned. Five are confirmed arsons, and investigators say the other four have similar M.O.'s. WBHM's Tanya Ott is following the story.
Katrina: Kids Mental Health
Thousands of Mississippi and Louisiana school kids remain in Alabama - displaced by Hurricane Katrina. And while the flurry of newspaper and television stories about storm victims has largely died down, mental health workers say there's still a lot of work to do to help children regain a sense of normalcy. WBHM's Raleigh-Elizabeth Smith reports.
Root Shock
Clean-up and rebuilding efforts continue across regions of the hurricane-wracked Gulf Coast. As expected, the mental health needs of evacuees are a big concern, especially as reports surface about surging suicide rates in the affected areas. The ordeal has left invisible, but long-term emotional scars on many survivors, as reporter Dale Short explains.
Women Leaders
The Black Belt of the Deep South got its name from the dark, rich soil, that made cotton king and fueled the institution of slavery. Today the area remains predominantly African American. It's also one of the poorest regions in the nation. One group in Alabama believes it can change the economics of the Black Belt - by getting more women into leadership positions in the state. WBHM's Tanya Ott explains.
Remembering a Soldier: Stephen White
Talladega, Alabama, has laid to rest its first soldier to die in Iraq. Sergeant First Class Stephen White and four other soldiers died January fifth in Najaf when a roadside bomb destroyed the HumVee they were riding in. His death hit his family and community particularly hard, because White was a 20-year veteran who had planned to retire. From member station WBHM in Birmingham, Tanya Ott reports.
Autism: Treatment
Autism is one of the most heart-breaking childhood disorders. It's characterized, in part, by severe social withdrawal and sensory intolerance. Thirty years ago, one in 10,000 children were diagnosed with autism; today, it's fewer than one in a thousand. Experts agree that some children can be helped if you catch the disorder early, but they're not so unified on the best methods. Karen Brown continues a two-part series - focusing today on treatment for autism.
Autism: Diagnosis
More children are being diagnosed with autism than ever before. Recent journal studies show rates three to four time higher than 30 years ago. As researchers ponder reasons for the trend - some say it's greater awareness, others blame environmental factors - parents and doctors are learning to pick up the early signs of autism... and debating when it's appropriate to make the diagnosis. Karen Brown reports.
Medicare & Mental Health
Medicare's new drug benefit has gotten of to a rocky start. Alabama state officials say hundreds of people are being turned away or charged far too much for drugs at local pharmacies. And mental health advocates worry the glitch could have long term ramifications. WBHM's Capitol Hill correspondent Benjamin Shaw reports.
Play Therapy
Digging in the sand - playing with dolls and action figures - for children these are fun activities to pass time either alone or with friends. But in recent years a growing number of psychologists and psychiatrists have recognized that play can also be therapeutic. These professionals have developed a new method of therapy, called play therapy, to help children cope with trauma in their lives. Ryan Mills explains.
Highway Tango
When it comes to trucking safety, Alabama has been hauling up the rear in most categories: fatal accidents, inspections, traffic enforcement, number of state troopers. Over the past five years, the number of fatal car-truck crashes has remained steady, averaging around 137 each year and a recent poll by truckers in Overdrive magazine ranked Alabama the worst in truck inspections. The state hasn't done much to change those statistics. That means it's a 'drive at your own risk' mentality on Alabama highways, for car and truck driver alike. WBHM's Steve Chiotakis takes a look at how drivers of four- and eighteen-wheeled vehicles mix and mingle on the roads, and what can happen when things get ugly.
Holiday Blues
While the Christmas season is often a time of great joy and happiness, it can also bring about feelings of gloom and depression. If you're feeling a touch of 'the holiday blues,' you're not alone. WBHM reporter Frank Thompson has more on this all-too-common seasonal phenomenon:
Babec’s Pacemaker
Most twenty-six year olds don't have to worry about heart problems unless they're a male gorilla pushing four hundred pounds. Babec, the Birmingham Zoo's senior silverback, is turning twenty-six but in the fall of 2005 it looked like he might not see another birthday. Babec was in the final stage of heart disease. While his illness was life threatening, it led to a scienitfic breakthrough -- Babec got a pacemaker. WBHM's Rosemary Pennington visited Babec to see how he's doing.
Lawyer Assistance Program
In a study of 105 professions, lawyers ranked number one in the incidence of depression. Male lawyers are two times more likely to commit suicide than the general male population. And substance abuse rates are also higher in the legal field than in many other fields. The stats are getting the attention of the Alabama Bar Association. Frank Thompson reports.
Phyllis’s Story
Last year a record number of Americans needed emergency shelter. While the Department of Housing and Urban Development is unveiling its masterplan to end chronic homelessness there are still millions of Americans needing help. In the latest installment of our Making Sense of Mental Health Project WBHM's Rosemary Pennington recently visited a Birmingham shelter where the majority of the residents have a mental illness.
Green Tea and Skin Cancer
There have been countless studies over the last few years touting the health benefits of drinking tea. Black tea appears to help prevent ovarian cancer while green tea is shaping up to be a potent weapon in the fight against several different cancers. WBHM's Rosemary Pennington recently spoke with a UAB researcher about a new study that ties green tea to skin cancer prevention.
Meth Bill
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed sweeping new policies on methamphetamine enforcement. But as Laura Strickler reports from WBHM's Capitol Hill Bureau the vehicle for the meth legislation - the Patriot Act - faces a rough road in the Senate.
Ten Days of Tibet
NPR News and Classical Music for North Central Alabama
Asian Soybean Rust
Alabama farmers are almost done harvesting cotton, corn and soy - the state's big three agricultural commodities. This year many soy farmers are breathing a sigh of relief. It was the first growing season soy farmers had to watch for a devastating disease that has crippled crops in Asia, Africa and South America. John Sepulvado has the story of the scientists from Alabama and around the southeast who are working to fight Asian Soybean Rust spores.
Asperger’s Syndrome: the Kids
Aspergers Syndrome is a mental disorder that only recently has been widely identified. As the rate of diagnosis increases, parents of young children with Aspergers look for resources. Reporter Donna Francavilla profiles a new choice in Birmingham.
Flu Pandemic
Today in Washington, state and federal officials are meeting to hammer out a flu pandemic preparedness plan. President Bush's proposal earmarks more than $7 billion for vaccine research, preparedness and buying anti-virals. But some states, including Alabama, say it's not enough. WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
World AIDS Day
More than forty million people the world over are living with HIV/AIDS with five million new infections this year alone. December 1st is World AIDS Day. Started in 1988 it is an international event which aims to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS issues. In this web excluse WBHM's Rosemary Pennington speaks with an AIDS educator about the day and the epidemic.
Mental Health & Workplace Productivity
Depression and anxiety tend to peak as the holidays approach, either because of the stress of the season or simply the weather, with seasonal affective disorder brought on by darker, gloomier days. A new review of previous studies finds that depression and anxiety exact an enormous toll on U.S. businesses.
My Uncle Danny
One-percent of the global population lives with schizophrenia -- a chronic, often disabling, brain disorder. The most common type of schizophrenia is 'paranoid schizophrenia'. Paranoid schizophrenics suffer from delusions and hallucinations. It's something WBHM's Rosemary Pennington knows a bit about; her Uncle Danny has lived with it for more than three decades.
Medicare D
Enrollment for Medicare/Part D kicked off this week with benefits to begin after the first of the year. But seniors have lots of questions about the plan. And there was one place in Birmingham that featured some answers. WBHM's Steve Chiotakis spoke with Cooper Green Hospital's project manager Mark Sussman about the 2005 Health Fair and all the new information coming out about the new prescription drug program.
House Budget & Mental Health Programs
The U-S House of Representatives passed its controversial budget early this morning, but it wasn't easy. WBHM's Capital Connection Correspondent Laura Strickler reports on how the budget would impact many programs in the state of Alabama, including mental health care.
The Gospel According to Anne
Anne Rice has a rabid following; readers who've come to love her tales of vampires, witches and others 'outsiders'. But her days of writing about them are over. Rice is embarking on a new direction -- one that some think is a departure for the author. Rice talked with WBHM's Rosemary Pennington about the shift.
Special Education
Walk into any classroom in America - and chances are there'll be at least one special education student. You may not be able to pick him or her out of the crowd. His disability could range from dyslexia or attention deficit disorder to cerebral palsy. It used to be these students were segregated from the general school population, but legal changes beginning in the mid-1970s brought special education students into regular classrooms. It used to be called 'mainstreaming', but today's buzzword is 'inclusion.' Parents fought hard for it, but as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports - despite significant gains they say it's still a battle.
