The latest Mental Health America report likely underreports the current prevalence of mental illnesses in the population, both among children and adults, but nothing in the pandemic by itself would suggest that the relative rankings of the states would have changed solely because of the pandemic.

There were early signs trouble was brewing on the substance use front. When the state released its first revenue report after the pandemic took hold here and revenues plummeted, tax collections from alcohol sales had risen 13%.

In Georgia, more than 1,900 people died of drug-related causes in the 12-month period ending January 2021, which is a 38.8% increase over data from the previous year.

Increased funding for mental health treatment is desperately needed in Georgia, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only made things worse. The state has a total of 533 beds for adults in crisis with a mental health or substance use emergency.

The Georgia Mental Health Policy Partnership and Substance Use Disorder Community shared a vision Monday for moving through the COVID-19 pandemic and shift perceptions around mental health, substance use, and well-being.

The coalition is offering positive policy solutions based on the American Rescue Plan funds for the 2022 Georgia legislative session to reform policies impacting the Georgia Mental Health Policy Partnership and Substance Use Disorder Community.

The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Association is awarding nearly $600,000 in grant money to the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse. Part of the money will be used for the “Georgia Recovers” billboard campaign. GPB’s Ellen Eldridge reports on the council’s work to reduce stigma associated with substance use disorder. 

A bill in the Georgia House is aimed at bringing insurance coverage for behavioral health issues in the state up to par with the rest of the country.

More than 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in the 12 months ending in May 2020, the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period, according to recent provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Phase 1 of the Addiction Alliance is to launch an intensive outpatient program in the Atlanta area and introduce a partial hospital program.

U.S. Rep Henry “Hank” Johnson walked away from all drugs and alcohol more than 25 years ago, he shared for the first time with GPB News in an exclusive...

Gov. Brian Kemp’s proposal to expand Medicaid with a waiver-application process is being met with backlash.

Fatal drug overdoses in Cobb County dropped year over year according to new data, but officials aren’t comfortable calling the drop a trend. According...

Billboards, telling stories of recovery from addiction, are now live across the state. The campaign was announced earlier this month by Georgia Recovers...