Research shows that kids may start experimenting with substances around ages 11 or 12. But many substance use programs don’t serve people that young.

Local organizations recently announced a new grant fund that will allow mental health organizations statewide to expand access to trauma-informed mental health care for youth.

Last year, Indiana was one of just 10 states chosen as part of a federal demonstration program to increase access to mental health and substance use disorder resources. The state’s eight pilot sites received their designations as Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics at the beginning of this year.

The program is designed to fill gaps in mental health crisis response across Indianapolis. It emphasizes reducing police involvement when other teams are available.

NPR's health reporters followed the emerging science on what keeps our brains and our minds healthy. Here are highlights of the studies that piqued our readers' interest the most.

The term “excited delirium” has been used as a diagnosis to describe people who die suddenly in police custody. But physicians and medical boards have long dismissed excited delirium as unscientific, and some argue it’s used by police to justify excessive force.

A team of civilians that responds to mental health calls in Indianapolis will expand to the north side.

Should patient spirituality be considered as a determinant of health? Some public health experts say yes.

A judge rejected motions to dismiss the case over the Indianapolis Police’s killing of Herman Whitfield III in 2022.

Millions of Americans perceive politics as a significant source of stress. How can people recognize signs of –– what specialists call –– sociopolitical stress? And what steps can they take to deal with it?