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A new book by a University of Washington professor on the death penalty finds support for executions may be motivated by people's own fear of death. Philip Hansten, professor emeritus of pharmacology at the University of Washington and author of "Death Penalty Bulls---," argues against the practice. Hansten draws on work by Ernest Becker, an anthropologist who said reminding people of their own mortality made them cling tighter to their cultural views and even increases people's punitive urges in order to defend their culture. ...

Most South Dakotans live in federally designated mental-health professional shortage areas, and a new report recommended steps Congress and other decision-makers can take to help states close gaps within the behavioral health workforce, amid a growing demand for mental-health services and a shortage of licensed providers. Kendall Strong, senior policy analyst for the health project at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said one solution is to enhance the role of those with mental-health training who do not have the full credentials. She argued behavioral-health support specialists are certainly up...

By the time they turn 18, one in 11 Missouri children will experience the death of a parent or a sibling. A Glendale-based organization that works with these kids and families says grieving children may need different kinds of support than adults.

One in 11 Missouri children, and one in 13 nationally, will lose a parent or sibling by age 18. Childhood grief that is not dealt with can have short and long-term negative effects, including school problems, mental health issues and even a shortened life span. Becky Byrne, founder and executive director of Annie's Hope, The Center for Grieving Kids in Glendale, explained kids grieve differently than adults, so it is not always obvious when they are struggling. ...

A recently proposed plan has been devised to better fund Virginia's mental-health programs. The new Right Help, Right Now plan calls for $230 million in funding for upgrades to the state's mental-health system. Some elements of the plan include expanding mental-health programs in schools, growing tele-behavioral health operations in high schools and college campuses, and creating more than 30 mobile crisis centers. ...