Killer Economy

Layoffs, foreclosures, the recession—experts say bad economic news has provoked a surge in mental-health problems. Yet while calls to crisis hotlines are soaring, state budgets for mental health services are being cut. What can be done to protect America’s peace of mind? We talk to U.S. Reps. Patrick Kennedy (D–R.I.) and Tim Murphy (R–Pa.) about what some are calling a “Killer Economy.”

Mental Health Parity

Mental health services are under a severe strain. We talk with practitioners. And Rep. Patrick Kennedy joins Sheilah to discuss a personal goal of his: parity in mental-health coverage.

Battling Stigma

Rep. Tim Murphy talks with Sheilah about battling the stigma of mental illness and how we can protect our children from the effects of the recession.

In the Community

Cutbacks in community mental-health resources couldn’t be coming at a worse time. Linda Rosenberg and Kathryn Power join Sheilah to discuss how mental-health clinics are dealing with the recession.

Getting Help

Linda Rosenberg and Kathryn Power give advice on coping with the economic crisis.

Resources

• Our guest, Kathryn Power, heads the Center for Mental Health Services, part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free, suicide-prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. If you need help, please dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

• Our guest, Linda Rosenberg, heads the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare.

The Host

Through most of her distinguished reporting career, Sheilah Kast has focused on the economy and workplace and how they affect people's lives. Well known to viewers of public television, ABC News, and CNN, she has covered the White House and Congress.

Kast also reported on the Washington aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. Her stories included an investigation of anthrax in the mails and the struggles of bereaved Pentagon families to secure benefits.

At The Washington Star, in her first reporting job, Kast covered financial regulation, taxes, and energy. Her expertise in these important issues eventually led her to start a national public-television show, "This Week in Business," which she hosted in association with Business Week magazine.

Ms. Kast is a skilled interviewer. She has often hosted NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday and has her own current-affairs interview show on public radio in Maryland.

Contact Us

Inside E Street - AARP
Techworld Station
P.O. Box 50239
Washington, D.C. 20091-9998
E-mail: estreet@aarp.org