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A new report from the city controller’s office questions the effectiveness of the LAPD’s signature crisis response program, saying clinicians trained in de-escalation too often are forced to defer to armed patrol officers.

For years, Los Angeles Police Department officials have touted the success of the Systemwide Mental Assessment Response Team, or SMART. But critics say the program, which pairs licensed specialists with officers in unmarked cars, is failing in the crucial initial minutes of encounters when multiple police shootings of mentally ill people have occurred.

Dinah M. Manning, chief of strategic initiatives and senior advisor in the controller’s office, said the report found an “inherent contradiction” in the SMART program.

Even though its purpose is to send in clinicians and tap their expertise to avoid killings, LAPD policy still requires armed patrol officers to clear a scene of any potential threats beforehand.

Traditional police units almost always take charge, even on calls in which no weapon is involved, such as a person threatening to commit suicide, Manning said.

Referring to SMART as a co-response program “is pretty much a misnomer in this case,” she said. “How is it that we’re ending up with so many fatalities?”

An LAPD spokesperson declined to comment in response to questions about the report.

LAPD officers have opened fire 35 times this year; in recent years, department statistics showed at least a third of all police shootings involved someone with obvious signs of emotional distress.

The report pointed to other shortcomings with the SMART program, which is housed within the department’s Mental Health Unit. Officers detailed to the units receive no specialized training, the report said, also finding that the department has failed to properly track uses of force on mental health-related calls.

The department’s existing use of force policy “falls short” of best practices for dealing with people in mental distress, the controller’s report said. The LAPD’s policy, it said, “only makes cursory mention of ‘vulnerable populations’ without expounding on the dynamic realities presented in encounters with people who have a mental health condition or appear to be in a mental health crisis.”

Too often in cases in which SMART responds, the report said, the outcome is that the person in crisis is placed on an involuntary 72-hour hold. Such scenarios do not involve an arrest or criminal charges; instead the person is held under state law that allows for detention if a person poses a threat to themselves or others.

The controller’s report comes amid a continued debate in L.A. and elsewhere about how officials should respond to emergencies involving mental health, homelessness, substance use or minor traffic incidents.

The city has expanded its alternative programs in recent years, but proponents warn that looming cuts in federal spending for social safety net programs under the Trump administration could hinder efforts to scale up and have more impact.

LAPD leaders in the past offered support of such programs, while cautioning that any call has the potential to quickly spiral into violence, necessitating the presence of officers.

The Celebrity Traitors may appear like it is all fun and games on TV, but some of the participants have explained that they really did find it difficult to live under rules and deception for several weeks during filming

The makers of The Celebrity Traitors have confirmed mental health experts are on hand to support the contestants at all times after Jonathan Ross revealed he struggled while making the show. The star-filled version of the game show has been a ratings smash for the BBC.

But it seems lying to all those around you can play heavily on those taking part, both faithfuls and traitors alike. In a recent podcast, talk show host Jonathan, 64, admitted that he found it difficult to lie to the fellow stars in the first UK celebrity version of the show.

He was selected alongside comedian Alan Carr, 49, and singer Cat Burns, 25, as a traitor – and tasked with killing off fellow stars and working to manipulate the other contestants to wrongly guess who the traitors were. But speaking on his podcast, Jonathan remarked: “You’re on the defence this whole time” – and complained it was hard to be constantly lying.

READ MORE: I’m A Celebrity line-up – Huge comedian return to the limelightREAD MORE: Stephen Fry’s response after pal opened up about his cocaine near-death experience

Fans of the Traitors will note that a psychologist, Victoria Plant, and a psychotherapist and counsellor, Tanya Taylor-Wright, are listed as part of the crew. A source told The Sun that the mental health experts were on hand to support those taking part.

They said: “People may think it is just a telly show, but when you’re living the game 24/7, it takes a toll. It was made clear to the celebrities that help was on hand for them if they were struggling with the mind games.

“There is a duty of care in television now, so medical experts are employed on set, but it was of paramount importance on The Traitors because of the nature of the show.”

A spokesperson for The Traitors confirmed to The Mirror that the exact same measures are put in place for the civilian version of the show – and that showmakers take ensuring the care and safety of contestants is met at all times extremely seriously. This always includes making a psychotherapist and a psychologist available to the cast.

The spokesperson said: “Since the very first series in 2022, we have had a dedicated welfare team and psychological support on hand at all times who monitor and regularly speak to all of the players in private to ensure they feel comfortable throughout the entire process. Our priority is and will continue to be supporting the well-being of our cast, and this is the case before, during and after filming.”

So far, the traitors have managed to avoid being uncloaked as the 16 faithful contestants have either been picked off like sitting ducks or tricked into banishing their fellow faithfuls.

Viewers have been left in amusement as the traitors have expertly taken out the other stars while competing to win a prize of up to £100,000 for charity. Alan spilled the first blood when he marked singer Paloma Faith for death in plain sight when he completed a task which involved planting a black mark on her face.

Jonathan’s time could be running out, however, as the faithful contestants have speculated that either he or Stephen Fry could be a traitor, but they voted out the Blackadder actor at a round table.

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Life-changing mental health walking and running groups are set to open all over the country in honour of Pride of Britain winner Marcus Skeet

The Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards 2025 were a night to remember as ordinary people – who have done extraordinary things – were applauded for their hard work by a host of famous faces.

And when Marcus Skeet, the record-breaking charity runner and mental health champion received his Special Recognition Award, he got an extra surprise. After handing Marcus his trophy, pop star Anne-Marie, and podcast duo Pete Wicks and Sam Thompson revealed Pride of Britain had launched a special GoFundMe for mental health charity Mind in Marcus’s honour.

Money raised will pay for special mental health walking and running groups all over the country called Marcus’s Movers. The groups, which include mental health practitioners, cost £2,500 to set up.

READ MORE: Lydia Bright’s poignant foster care connection as she celebrates Pride of Britain kids

Sam and Pete kicked things off with a £5,000 donation on stage, and then Pub Landlord Al Murray took to the floor to persuade some other famous faces to chip in too.

Dragons Den tycoon Duncan Bannatyne donated £20,000, bringing the total raised on the night to £50,000, enough to fund 20 potentially lifesaving Marcus’s Movers groups. A stunned Marcus told Ashley Banjo: “From the bottom of my heart, that means the absolute world. I’m lost for words.”

Now you can help by donating to the GoFundMe to help Mind set up even more Marcus’s Movers groups in communities all over Britain. The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards with P&O Cruises celebrate unsung heroes like Marcus. His own life was transformed by walking and running – the teenager went from the lowest possible ebb to becoming a record-breaking charity fundraiser and Pride of Britain winner.

He was 12 when his dad was diagnosed with early-onset dementia. Marcus’s physical and mental health rapidly declined and he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and intrusive thoughts which dramatically impacted his life.

At 15 he was in “one of the darkest places”, and attempted suicide after spending months alone in his room with no contact with the outside world. Desperate to turn his life around, Marcus, now 17, started walking short distances at first, before building up distance and speed until he was jogging longer routes. He says: “My mental health was at an all time low so I decided to run, not just for mental health but to raise awareness. Running pushed my body and mind and the feeling after a run was like nothing else.”

Since then, Marcus has raised more than £200,000 for Mind through running, including a run from Land’s End to John O’Groats. The gruelling 874 mile challenge saw him become the youngest person ever – and the first under 18 – to run the entire length of the UK.

Marcus has documented his journey on social media in the hopes of inspiring others who are struggling with their mental health. He says: “Life is brutal, sometimes you feel like you’re in a place you can’t get out of. But I promise you, every road may have speed bumps but you’ll get over them. Mental health is such a big thing, everyone is different but I find running helps mine.”

Find out more about Marcus’s Movers and donate at gofundme.com/f/marcus-movers

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman often refers to the playoffs as the “theater of October.”

On the first day of the month Wednesday night, Game 2 of the National League wild-card series was only four batters old when the Dodgers had some dramatic adversity strike.

With two outs in the top of the first, Yoshinobu Yamamoto induced a routine fly ball down the right-field line. Outfielder Teoscar Hernández positioned himself under it. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the inning would have ended there.

This time, however, Hernández committed a horrifying mistake. The ball hit off the heel of his mitt. The Cincinnati Reds suddenly had runners at second and third base. And what should have been a clean opening frame instead turned into a two-run disaster, with Sal Stewart slapping a single through the infield in the next at-bat.

For the Dodgers, it was an immediate test.

Of their mental resolve after a self-inflicted miscue. Of their veteran composure in the face of an early deficit. Of the kind of resiliency that was so key in their World Series run last year, and will need to be again for them to repeat as champions.

In an eventual 8-4 comeback victory, they successfully, triumphantly and assuredly passed.

Behind 6 ⅔ clutch innings from Yamamoto, a go-ahead two-run rally in the fourth inning keyed by a Kiké Hernández double, and a back-breaking four-run explosion in the sixth after Yamamoto had escaped a bases-loaded jam, the Dodgers eliminated the Reds in this best-of-three opening round.

Despite another late tightrope act from the bullpen, which gave up two runs in the eighth before Roki Sasaki finished things off in the ninth, the team booked their place in the NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Dodgers did not make it easy on themselves. They were dealt a full range of October theatrics. But they prevailed nonetheless with a hard-fought victory — the kind that could catapult them into the rest of this month.

Facing their early 2-0 deficit, the Dodgers never panicked.

Ben Rortvedt doubles during the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The turnaround started with Yamamoto, who finally ended the first inning by striking out Elly De La Cruz, then didn’t let another runner reach base for the next four innings.

The offense, meanwhile, chipped away at veteran Reds right-hander Zack Littell, stressing him with constant early traffic before eventually breaking through in the third, when Ben Rortvedt sliced a leadoff double down the left-field line and Mookie Betts scored him with an RBI single.

The Dodgers then went in front in the fourth, thanks to a big swing from a familiar postseason hero. After a leadoff single from Max Muncy, Kiké Hernández smacked an elevated fastball into the right-center field gap. Muncy scored all the way from first to tie the game. Hernández, whom the Dodgers have re-signed each of the past two offseasons thanks largely to his playoff reputation, had his latest moment of fall-time magic.

Hernández would come around to score in the next at-bat, when Miguel Rojas dumped a base hit inside the right-field line.

From there, the score remained 3-2 until the sixth inning — when the game climaxed in two memorable sequences.

First, Yamamoto had to wiggle out of red-alarm danger, facing a bases-loaded jam with no outs after the Reds led off with three-straight singles. At that point, the right-hander’s pitch count was climbing. Blake Treinen started to get loose in the bullpen. But manager Dave Roberts, as he promised entering the playoffs, kept his faith in his starter.

Yamamoto rewarded him for it.

After Austin Hays bounced a grounder to Betts that the shortstop threw home for a forceout, Yamamoto slammed the door with back-to-back strikeouts. Stewart fanned on one curveball. De La Cruz couldn’t check his swing on another. Yamamoto celebrated with a primal scream. A crowd of 50,465 erupted around him.

The cheers continued into the bottom half of the inning, as the Dodgers finally pulled away with an outburst from their offense. It started with a single from Kiké Hernández, marking his second-straight two-hit game to begin these playoffs. It was aided by a throwing error from Stewart at first base, allowing Rortvedt to reach safely and put runners on the corners. Shohei Ohtani then knocked in one insurance run on an RBI single. Betts added another with a one-hopper that got past third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes for an RBI double.

And fittingly, it was Teoscar Hernández who delivered the death blow, following an intentional walk to Freddie Freeman with a two-run, bases-loaded, redemption-rich double.

The Dodgers eventually stretched the lead to 8-2, when Betts drove in his third run of the game with his third double of the night in the bottom of the seventh — giving him four total hits in a contest for the third time in his career.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts speaks with pitcher Emmet Sheehan before removing him from the game in the eighth inning Wednesday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Then came the bullpen, which once again thrust itself into danger after Emmet Sheehan gave up two runs in the eighth on two singles and two walks; his command so shaky, Roberts decided to pull him in the middle of an at-bat against Will Benson after he nearly plunked the batter in an 0-and-2 count.

However, it was mostly smooth sailing from there. Alex Vesia took over, and retired the side by striking out two of three batters (even though there was another walk in-between).

The ninth inning, meanwhile, belonged to Sasaki, who retired the side in order with 100-mph fastballs and his trademark splitter, ending a night of theatrics by sending the Dodgers to the next round.

As Dodgers players packed in for Clayton Kershaw’s retirement news conference last Thursday, Freddie Freeman waved the Kershaw family to a row of seats at the front of the room.

He wanted Kershaw’s wife, Ellen, and their four kids in front of the pitcher right when he sat down at the dais at Dodger Stadium.

How else, Freeman joked, could they get the future Hall of Famer to cry?

Turned out, in a 14-minute address announcing his retirement from baseball at the end of this season, Kershaw did get choked up from behind the mic. But, it happened first when he addressed his teammates. They, he told him, were who he was going to miss most.

“The hardest one is the teammates, so I’m not even going to look at you guys in the eye,” Kershaw said, his eyes quickly turning red. “Just you guys sitting in this room, you mean so much to me. We have so much fun. I’m going to miss it.”

“The game in and of itself, I’m going to miss a lot, but I’ll be OK without that,” he later added. “I think the hard part is the feeling after a win, celebrating with you guys. That’s pretty special.”

Days later, that message continues to reverberate.

For the Dodgers, it served as a reminder and a reset.

Ever since early July, the team had lived in a world blanketed by frustration and wracked with repeated misery. Many players were hurt or uncharacteristically slumping. The team as a whole endured an extended sub-.500 skid. Behind inconsistent offense and unreliable bullpen pitching, a big division lead dwindled. Visions of 120-win grandeur were meekly dashed.

Amid that slump, the club’s focus drifted. From team production to individual mechanics. From collective urgency to internal dissatisfaction.

“Everyone on this team has been so busy this year trying to perfect their craft,” third baseman Max Muncy said, “that sometimes we forget about that moment of just hanging out and enjoying what we’re going through. “

Or, as Kershaw put it after his final regular-season Dodger Stadium start on Friday, “the collective effort to do something hard together.”

“All that stuff is just so impactful, so meaningful,” Kershaw explained.

And if it had gone missing during the depths of mostly difficult summer months, Kershaw’s retirement has thrust it back to the forefront.

“I do think it helps reset,” Muncy said. “Over the course of seven, eight months, you see each other every day and sometimes you take that a little bit for granted … It’s not something that anyone forgot. But sometimes you need a refresher. I think that was a good moment for it.”

Don’t mistake this as a “Win one for Kersh!” attitude. The Dodgers insisted they needed no extra motivation to defend their title, even after what’s been a turbulent repeat campaign.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw announces he will retire at the end of the season during a news conference at Dodger Stadium.

But, both players and coaches have noted recently, their efforts this year have sometimes felt misplaced. The togetherness they lauded during last year’s championship march hadn’t always been replicated. A pall was cast over much of the second half.

“When you’re not winning games, it’s not fun,” veteran infielder Miguel Rojas said earlier this month. “But at the end of the day, we gotta put all that aside. … We have to come here and enjoy ourselves around the clubhouse, regardless of the situation.”

The Dodgers did that and more this past weekend, when a celebration of Kershaw — which included nearly team-wide attendance at his Thursday news conference, several on-field ovations Friday, and Kershaw’s address to Dodger Stadium on Sunday — was accompanied by three wins out of four against the San Francisco Giants.

“Watching him get choked up when he started talking about the teammates — it was just a crazy feeling in that room,” pitcher Tyler Glasnow recounted from Thursday’s announcement.

Added Muncy: “You hear when he talks about the stuff he’s gonna miss the most, the stuff that he enjoys the most: It’s being a part of the team. It’s being with the guys. It’s being in the clubhouse.

“To hear a guy like him just reinforce that, I think it’s a good message for a lot of people to hear.”

In Muncy’s estimation, the Dodgers have “seen a reflection of that out on the field” of late, having moved to the verge of a division title (their magic number entering play Monday was three with a 10-4 record over the last two weeks.

“There’s been more of an effort to try and enjoy the moments,” Muncy said. “Make sure we’re still getting our work in, but try to enjoy the moments.”

The Dodgers made a similar transformation last October, when they used their first-round bye week to build the kind of cohesion they had lacked in previous postseason failures — one the team credited constantly in its eventual run to the World Series.

Kershaw’s retirement might’ve provided a similar spark, highlighting the significance of such intangible dynamics while lifting the gloom that had clouded the team’s last two months.

“There’s obviously been a lot of things to point [to this season], as far as adversities, which all teams go through,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “But I think that as we’ve gotten to the other side of it … guys have stuck together and they’ve come out of it stronger, which a lot of the times, that’s what adversity does.”

More adversity, of course, figures to lie ahead.

The Dodgers ended the weekend on a sour note, with Blake Treinen suffering the latest bullpen implosion in a 3-1 loss on Sunday. They’ll still enter the playoffs in a somewhat unsettled place, needing to navigate around a struggling relief corps and overcome a hand injury to catcher Will Smith.

It means, like last year, their path through October is unlikely to be smooth.

That, after a second half full of frustrations, they’ll have to lean on a culture Kershaw emphasized, and praised, repeatedly over the weekend.

“To have a group of guys in it together, and kind of understanding that and being together, being able to have a ton of fun all the time, is really important,” Kershaw said. “The older I’ve gotten, the more important [I’ve realized] it is. Like, you can’t just go through your day every day and go through the emotions. You just can’t. It’s too hard, too long to do that.”

“You gotta have Miggy doing the mic on the bus. You gotta have Kiké. You gotta have all these guys that are able to keep us having fun and energized every single day. That’s what this group is, and it’s been a blast.”

BOXING champion Ricky Hatton fought bravely not just in the ring but also with his own mental health struggles.

The legendary boxer, 46, previously spoke out about his battles outside the sport after retiring in 2012.

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Ricky was found dead at his home this morning, just months after he announced his return to the ring.

Boxer Ricky, who won 45 of his 48 pro fights during a glittering career, previously spoke about his struggles with depression and how he had fought back from the brink with his mental health and alcohol addiction.

Talking about his struggles, the multi-weight world champ told Radio 4 earlier this year: “I used to go to the pub, come back and sit there in the dark crying hysterically.”

He had also been open about the need for boxers to get more help after hanging up their gloves.

In the past, Ricky had also talked about how his life took a dark turn after losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a 2007 fight in Las Vegas.

He explained how he overcame problems with drink, drugs and depression, and why mental health issues are so prevalent in boxing.

Ricky told BBC Sport: “If a boxer can come out and say they’re struggling and crying every day, it’s going to make a huge difference.

“Having gone through it, I now see it as my job to help those suffering with mental health.”

The boxing legend ballooned up in weight after his retirement as he struggled with alcohol abuse and depression, but got himself back on the straight and narrow three years ago for an exhibition bout with Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera.

Ricky, nicknamed “the Hitman”, was incredibly popular among boxing fans and enjoyed fame both during his career and after announcing his 2012 retirement.

And he never shied away from his mental health battles, bravely fighting his demons for years after quitting the sport.

Ricky even shared just months ago that he was planning his comeback to boxing, with a fight set for December 2.

Speaking to SunSport earlier this year, he shared how he had been inspired by Oasis’ comeback tour, as well as his weight loss, to bring himself back into the ring.

He said: “It inspired a lot of people, you know, for me to get in shape again at the age I’m at.

“Especially bearing in mind all my problems I’ve had personally with mental health and stuff like that.

“It was nice for so many people to come up to me and go, ‘Oh, I’ve always struggled with my weight and to see you get it off at your age.’

“I’ve always struggled with my mental health and I’ve had my problems.

“And to see where you were a few years ago to what you’re doing now, it’s inspirational.”

Ricky had first retired from the sport in 2011 before announcing a comeback fight in 2012.

However, his ill-fated bout against Vyacheslav Senchenko led to his immediate retirement in November that year.

But inspired by the Gallagher brothers, who also walked him to the ring for his 2008 win over Pauli Malignaggi, Ricky was looking forward to a return to the spotlight, 13 years after his last professional bout.

YOUNG people being overdiagnosed with mental health conditions has left the state at breaking point, a report warns.

Policy Exchange’s study is backed by Jeremy Hunt, who as Health Secretary in 2012 pushed to give mental health the same importance as physical health.

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He now admits a surge in diagnoses — as parents chased support for kids — had “unintended consequences” by overwhelming the special educational needs (SEND) system.

The report says costs are “unsustainable” and seeks a radical overhaul.

Mr Hunt said: “We seem to have lost sight of the reality that child development is a messy and uneven process.”

He added that in trying to support young people there are “excessive impulses to medicalise and diagnose the routine, which can undercut grit and resilience”.

Earlier in the year, The Sun revealed that nearly one million children and young people were referred for mental health help last year.

Over 958,200 children in England were referred to Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services.

That is equal to eight per cent of England’s population of 12 million children.

And an increase of 10,000 from the previous year, according to research by the Children’s Commissioner. 

Anxiety was the most common reason, followed by neurodevelopmental conditions and autism.

Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza called for urgent action to tackle waiting times.

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Despite spending more on psychiatric services and prescribing psychiatric medications at a higher rate than almost any other nation, mental health in the United States over the last two decades has only been getting worse.

Rates of depression, anxiety, suicide, overdose, chronic disability due to mental health conditions, and loneliness have all been rapidly increasing. No quantity of psychiatric drugs or hospitalisations appears adequate to reverse these trends.

Despite this, the US medical and psychiatric establishment has persistently refused to use its substantial political power to demand the transformation of care by expanding non-medical support systems to address the root social causes of mental illness, such as poverty, childhood trauma and incarceration, rather than focusing on reactive treatment via lucrative medication-centric norms. This failing status quo has created an opening for President Donald Trump and Secretary of Health Robert F Kennedy Jr’s emerging plans to remake the nation’s approach to mental health, with disastrous consequences now coming into focus.

Trump and Kennedy have hijacked legitimate anger at a broken system to justify destroying public care infrastructure, including Medicaid, food and housing assistance, harm-reduction and overdose prevention programmes, and suicide-prevention hotlines for LGBTQ youth, while promoting wellness scams and expanding the police state. They focus on the “threat” supposedly posed by psychiatric medications and call to reopen the asylums that once confined approximately 560,000 people, or one in 295 US residents, in horrific conditions, until protests against their cruelty led to their closure beginning in the 1950s.

Trump invokes false claims about mental illness to demonise immigrants, whom he is now hunting via a mass arrest and incarceration campaign. Last month, he signed an executive order that allows police to arrest and forcibly institutionalise poor Americans who are unhoused, deemed mentally ill, or struggling with addiction, effectively incarcerating them for indefinite periods.

Trump’s order, which also defunds housing-first programmes and harm-reduction services, while criminalising homelessness and encampments, contains no provisions to protect people from abuse or from the political misuse of psychiatric labels and institutionalisation to target his opponents. This raises concerns about risks to LGBTQ youth and other vulnerable groups. It also threatens groups upon which the administration has shown a eugenicist fixation: transgender people, people with autism, and others with disabilities that RFK Jr and Trump have characterised as a threat or burden on society.

The order appears to grant the government the power to deem anyone mentally ill or abusing substances, and to confine them indefinitely in any designated treatment facility, without due process. In a context where there is already a profound shortage of psychiatric beds even for short-term treatment, there are no provisions for new funding or regulatory systems to ensure that facilities are therapeutic or humane, rather than violent, coercive warehouses like American asylums of decades past.

Trump’s allies, including some medical professionals aligned with ideologies of social control and state coercion, may dismiss this as overly pessimistic. But that requires ignoring the fact that Trump’s executive order follows Kennedy’s proposal for federally funded “wellness farms”, where people, particularly Black youth taking SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors primarily used to treat anxiety and depression) and stimulants, would be subjected to forced labour and “re‑parenting” to overcome supposed drug dependence.

These proposals revive the legacy of coercive institutions built on forced labour and racialised interventions. Kennedy has also promoted the conspiracy theory that anti-depressants like SSRIs cause school shootings, comparing their risks with heroin, despite a total lack of scientific support for such claims. In his early tenure as health and human services secretary, he has already gutted key federal mental health research and services, including at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Given this, it is unclear what kind of “treatment”, other than confinement and cruelty, Trump and RFK Jr plan to deliver in their new asylums.

Trump and Kennedy’s lies about mental health, cuts to public care and vision for expanding the incarceration of immigrants, homeless people, and anyone they label as mentally ill, worsen mental health while creating more opportunities to profit from preventable suffering, disability and death. These tactics are not new, and their harmful consequences and political motivations are well established.

From Hungary to the Philippines, right-wing politicians have deployed similar rhetoric for comparable purposes. In a precedent that likely informs Trump’s plan, Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, attacked psychiatric reformsas leftist indoctrination and defunded successful community mental health services, replacing them with coercive asylum and profit-based models, while advocating pseudoscience linked to evangelical movements. Bolsonaro claimed to defend family values and national identity against globalist medical ideologies, while sacrificing countless Brazilian lives via policies later characterised by the Senate as crimes against humanity.

Bolsonaro’s record is instructive for anticipating Trump’s plans. Trump has made no secret of his admiration for Brazil’s disgraced former president and their shared political ideologies. Bolsonaro’s reversal of Brazil’s internationally recognised psychiatric reform movement, which emphasised deinstitutionalisation, community-based psychosocial care and autonomy, inflicted profound harm. Under his rule, institutionalisation in coercive “therapeutic communities”, often operated by evangelical organisations, with little oversight, and similar to RFK Jr’s proposed “wellness farms”, skyrocketed.

Investigations revealed widespread abuses in these communities, including forced confinement, unpaid labour, religious indoctrination, denial of medication, and physical and psychological violence. Bolsonaro’s government poured large sums into expanding these dystopian asylums while defunding community mental health centres, leaving people with severe mental illness and substance use disorders abandoned to punitive care or the streets.

This needless suffering pushed more people into Brazil’s overcrowded prisons, where psychiatric care is absent, abuse rampant and systemic racism overwhelming, with Black people accounting for more than 68 percent of the incarcerated population. Bolsonaro’s psychiatric agenda enhanced carceral control under the guise of care, reproducing racist and eugenicist hierarchies of social worth under an anti-psychiatry banner of neo-fascist nationalism.

Trump and Bolsonaro’s reactionary approaches underline a crucial truth: Both psychiatry and critiques of it can serve very different ends, depending on the politics to which they are attached. Far-right politicians often use anti-psychiatry to justify privatisation, eugenics and incarceration. They draw on ideas from the libertarian psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, who argued in the 1960s that mental illness was a “myth”, and called for the abolition of psychiatric institutions.

In the US today, these political actors distort Szasz’s ideas, ignoring his opposition to coercion, by gutting public mental health services under the guise of “healthcare freedom”. This leaves vulnerable populations to suffer in isolation, at the hands of police or fellow citizens who feel increasingly empowered to publicly abuse, or even, as seen in the killing of Jordan Neely in New York City, execute them on subways, in prisons, or on the streets.

By contrast, critics of psychiatry on the left demand rights to non-medical care, economic security and democratic participation. Thinkers such as Michel Foucault, Frantz Fanon, RD Laing and Ivan Illich advocated for deinstitutionalisation not to abandon people, but to replace coercion with community-led social care that supports rights to individual difference. Their critiques targeted not psychiatry itself, but its use by exploitative, homogenising political systems.

To oppose reactionary anti-psychiatry, mental health professionals and politicians cannot simply defend the status quo of over-medicalisation, profit-driven care and the pathologisation of poverty. Millions justifiably feel betrayed by current psychiatric norms that offer little more than labels and pills while ignoring the political causes of their suffering. If the left does not harness this anger towards constructive change, the right will continue to exploit it.

The solution is not to shield America’s mental health systems from critique, but to insist on an expansive political vision of care that affirms the need for psychiatric support while refusing to treat it as a substitute for the political struggle for social services. This means investing in public housing, guaranteed income, peer-led community care worker programmes, non-police crisis teams and strong social safety nets that address the root causes of distress, addiction and disease.

Mental health is fundamentally a political issue. It cannot be resolved with medications alone, nor, as Trump and RFK Jr are doing, by dismantling psychiatric services and replacing them with psychiatric coercion.

The fight over mental health policy is a fight over the meaning of society and the survival of democratic ideals in an era where oligarchic power and fascist regimes are attempting to strangle them. Will we respond to suffering with solidarity, or with abandonment and punishment? Will we recognise the collective causes of distress and invest in systems of care, or allow political opportunists to exploit public disillusionment for authoritarian ends?

These are the questions at stake, not just in the United States, but globally. If the psychiatric establishment refuses to support progressive transformation of mental health systems, we may soon lose them altogether as thinly disguised prisons rise in their place.

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, these organisations may be able to help.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

A lunatic. An idiot. A person of unsound mind. 

These three phrases were used in The Nigerian Lunacy Ordinance of 1916, later modified into The Lunacy Act of 1958, to describe people battling mental disorders. Beyond these descriptors, the act stated that individuals with mental illness could be confined in asylums based on the judgment of a magistrate, medical officer, or family member, regardless of their consent to such confinement.

The legislation was inherited law from the colonial masters, copying the cultural norms of the United Kingdom’s mental health affairs of the 1900s. However, with criticisms from institutions like Cambridge, which argued that the act “hampered the progress of the mental health movement for nearly 70 years”, the UK came up with the 1959 Mental Health Act, officially repealing the old law. They described their new act as “a fresh provision with respect to the treatment and care of mentally disordered persons”. Among other changes, stigmatising words such as “lunatic” and “asylum” were replaced with terms like “mental disorder” and “patient”, giving mentally afflicted people the choice to seek help for themselves. 

Nigeria, however, had other ideas.

While the UK took this step in a new direction, Nigeria steadfastly held on to the 1958 Lunacy Act, and for decades, the country would show no signs of amending it. 

The urge for change went on for years, with judicial officers like the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, asking for a reform of the Lunacy Act at a Bench and Bar Forum in 2016. She criticised the state of the Lunacy Act, explaining that the laws remained grossly inadequate and hopeless in dealing with the situation in Nigeria.

The Lancet Global Health journal also regarded the act in 2020 as “reflective of a period in human history not only when mental health was severely misunderstood but also when the treatment of people with mental health care needs was both inhumane and ineffective.”

Even mental health advocacy groups lent their voice to the fight. In 2021, the Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI) hosted an X space, speaking out against the act and urging the legislative arm to repeal and replace it with something more humanising. Some Nigerian psychiatrists also lent their voice to the matter, with the President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, Taiwo Lateef, explaining in 2019 that the Lunacy Act was inadequate, failed to define a mental disorder, and that it stemmed from a time when there were no treatments for mental illnesses.

For a long time, there was a desperate call for change, and after 65 years, Nigerian leaders finally listened to these pleas. In 2021, the National Mental Health Act was introduced, and it was officially signed into law on January 5, 2023. After years of waiting for reform, people began to see the changes in national mental health they had long requested. The Act was lauded, with people praising the government for enacting it. Mental health practitioners like Alabede Surajdeen also termed it “a cheering and good development”.

With five parts and 56 actionable sections, the long-awaited 2021 Mental Health Act swore to bring a monumental number of changes that, when implemented, would leave the mental health landscape in Nigeria forever altered. 

The Act promised a Department of Mental Health Services to truly focus on mentally disordered persons and a Mental Health Fund to ensure frequent financing. It guaranteed patients the freedom to consent to whatever was done to them and ordered mental health to be integrated into everyday clinics. It also proposed the formation of an independent Mental Health Assessment Committee to prevent abuses.

Despite its promises, most of the 56 sections of the act have not been implemented. The most glaring absence is the lack of a Department of Mental Health Services, as every other law governing mental health care in Nigeria is meant to flow through this system. 

The National Library of Medicine, a scientific medical journal, analysed the Act in 2024. It explained that the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) was supposed to establish a Department of Mental Health Services. However, as of 2025, the FMoH has not provided any updates on when this department will be created, and there is no mention of such a department on their website. Basic rights promised, like legal protection from discrimination and the choice to deny treatment, remain unenforced.

While the Act mandated affordable and accessible mental health care, the price and accessibility of therapy seems too high and limited for the average Nigerian. It also promised the integration of mental health services into primary healthcare, but most mental health units remain buried within public health departments.

This has led to many state leaders lacking the needed direction to implement the Act on a state level.  As a result, out of Nigeria’s 36 states, only three have recognised the Act, and only two states – Lagos and Ekiti – have successfully adopted it into their local legislation. Inadequate budgetary allocation for mental health, among other factors, explains why this lack of implementation persists.

In 2021, a study showed that Nigeria did not have a mental health budget. All the funding received for mental health situations was pegged at between three and four per cent of the total health budget, with 90 per cent of that limited funding allocated to Federal psychiatric hospitals. The promised Mental Health Fund remains a concept within the law, and the capital given to the mental health sector remains unnoticeable.

Another issue halting the implementation of the Act is the severe shortage of trained personnel. In 2022, media reports showed that only 250 psychiatrists were recognised to help over 200 million Nigerians. In 2024, months after the act went into effect, the Medical Report Foundation found that these statistics had not changed. 

At a ratio of about one psychiatrist to  80,000 Nigerians, experts say the strain on those meant to enact the Act is steep, making them move outside the country with their expertise. Just like psychiatrists, facilities are also greatly limited in the country.  The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has reported ten federal neuropsychiatric hospitals in Nigeria, each one dating back to before the existence of the Mental Health Act. 

While the existence of 10 federal neuropsychiatric hospitals may inspire hope in some, others have no faith in them due to mistrust of the government. Modupe Olagunju*, a final year student who has struggled with her mental health on and off for over 6 years, seemed disgusted by the prospect of attending a government-owned mental health facility.

“I would not attend a federal hospital for anything, especially not for my already fragile mental health. From my experience, almost everything that involves government-provided facilities in Nigeria involves three things: Crowds, bribery, and competition. Every regular healthcare facility I’ve been to that is owned by the government was poorly managed and overflowing with patients. I don’t believe a government mental health facility would be well-equipped to handle mental health matters professionally.”

Modupe’s concern for a lack of proper government-owned mental health facilities seems well-founded. While the Federal Government ordered 16 new infrastructure projects for the neuropsychiatric hospital in Kware, Sokoto State, in 2025, their efforts to improve mental health facilities after the Act’s existence seem to have ended there. No information about the projects’ implementation has come out since May, and no new neuropsychiatric hospitals have been opened since 2022. 

The crawl towards implementation can be attributed to the masses as well, as deep-rooted cultural stigma continues to influence the public understanding of mental health and therefore dampens the government’s push to do something about it, experts said.

A study by the African Polling Institute revealed that 54 per cent of Nigerians attribute mental illness to possession by evil spirits, and 23 per cent understand it as a punishment from God. Many Nigerians are more concerned with religious institutions than seeking out psychiatric care, which may discourage the government from taking action to better mental health facilities.

When Modupe was asked if there were any hindrances towards her seeking therapy, both before and after the Act’s implementation, she said, “It took me a while to convince my family to allow me.  My dad and my brother don’t really believe in mental health matters and believe Africans can’t go through such  a Western phenomenon (even though my dad has been diagnosed with a mental health issue himself). It was my mum who finally relented and took me in 2020, but even now, they are sceptical. ”

With a lack of significant effort from the government, many are worried that the Act does far more showing than telling. Paul Agboola, the Provost and Medical Director of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital of Abeokuta, notably told journalists in 2025 that “Togo, Ghana and Benin Republic are already implementing this law, but we who pride ourselves as the giants of Africa can’t implement our [mental health] laws that have been passed for two years now.”

The effects can be felt on a personal level. Modupe expressed her confusion about the Mental Health Act when asked if she was aware it existed.

“No, I am not aware [it exists].  I didn’t even know we had a Lunacy Act, and now we have another one? I am very surprised that such an Act exists because it feels like Nigeria has too many problems to pay much attention to mental health.”

As someone who has struggled with thoughts of ending her life since 2019, years before the Mental Health Act came to be, Modupe laughs at the idea that a positive change has occurred from when her struggles began till now. 

“In Nigeria, the [mental health]  law is just a suggestion.” She mused, “It isn’t something that needs to be implemented. Unless you have the right connections or adequate knowledge, the policy is useless.” 

Tomiwa Oladapo*, an autistic sexual assault survivor, also expressed his disbelief that the Act was a thing, saying, “I didn’t know… I think I didn’t know because coverage of stuff like that sucks in our country, and I’ve become really apathetic to this country. If something good had come out of the Act, I’m sure I would have known about it, but since 2021, please, what has changed?”

At best, it seems the Act has done little other than halt the degradation of mental health in the country, as no reports show a significant dip in the state of mental health nationwide since the its existence. In fact, some believe, on a private level, that mental health in Nigeria is ticking upward.

“At the end of the day, these discussions and changes about mental health in Nigeria are often had in privileged spaces. I do think people are more aware (of mental health) in Nigeria in recent days, but I’m not sure the nation itself is bringing about any significant change,” Tomiwa told HumAngle.

His views reflected those of Bernice Ezeani*, a 21-year-old NYSC corper who simply stated, “I haven’t seen anything significant from the government or state (concerning mental health) but from private entities? Yes. I also don’t know about the Act, but I know that private entities have been championing mental health activities even since before the Act.”

Still, for many in Nigeria, private efforts towards mental health improvement are not enough. “We have an Act,” Bernice states, “And so we should use it.”

Properly implementing the Act not only favours mentally ill Nigerians calling for change but also strengthens the country’s economic stability, benefiting all inhabitants.

This view is echoed by the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), a global health organisation, which showed the steep cost of underinvesting in mental health nationwide. 

The study explains that brain health, which is how optimally the brain works,  and brain skills, such as analytical thinking and creativity, are linked. Together, they are necessary for the sort of productivity that drives the modern workforce and therefore builds the economy. 

Mental illness is described as a major roadblock for brain health, and in a country where an estimated 20 – 30 per cent of inhabitants are estimated to suffer a mental illness, according to ReasearchGate, a monumental portion of Nigerians, if they has access to proper mental health care, could have a positive impact on Nigeria’s struggling economy.

Until the Mental Health Act brings significant action to back up the written law, its 56 sections will remain mainly symbolic. For the millions who need the promises it offers, the law without proper implementation will continue to foster confusion and hopelessness, with some continuing to share the same sentiment as an X user did in 2025, stating, “Mental health Act signed 2022 yet implementation is poor. Funding is also very poor, we still have a long way to go (in regards to ) mental healthcare in Nigeria.”

Jax Taylor will not be returning to “The Valley” for Season 3.

The 46-year-old reality star’s departure follows a fraught second season on the “Vanderpump Rules” spinoff, which chronicled the end of his marriage to Brittany Cartwright and time in a mental health treatment facility. Before the season premiered in April, Taylor also opened up about his on-and-off cocaine addiction for the past two decades.

“After an incredibly challenging year and many honest conversations with my team and producers, I’ll be stepping away from the next season of ‘The Valley,’” he said in a statement. “Right now, my focus needs to be on my sobriety, my mental health and coparenting. Taking this time is necessary for me to become the best version of myself — especially for our son, Cruz.”

Taylor’s unraveling marriage and struggles with sobriety were at the center of Season 2. Just before production began in July 2024, Taylor allegedly flipped a coffee table and bruised Cartwright’s knee, his estranged wife said on the show. Even while in the mental health facility, he continued to watch Cartwright on their home cameras and send her angry text messages, which were shown on the reality series.

“You took my job away from me … I’ve worked so hard for two years for this and you took it from me,” read one text.

“Now do the work as a single mom. I am watching the cameras and [you’re] not there,” he said in another.

Cartwright filed for divorce in August 2024, citing irreconcilable differences. Taylor was served divorce papers on camera, shown in Episode 10. He has since agreed to give Cartwright full custody of their 4-year-old son, Cruz, according to People.

“The Valley” Season 2 finale will air July 22, followed by three reunion episodes. Taylor will appear at the reunion, which was filmed in May, Bravo confirmed.

July 8 (UPI) — A Georgia judge ordered a mental evaluation for Jose Ibarra, the man convicted in the 2024 murder of 22-year-old university student Laken Riley.

It will determine if Ibarra, a native of Venezuela, was mentally competent at the time of the crime and later at trial, including whether he understood the legal consequences of waiving a trial by jury and if he is mentally equipped to assist in his own appeal.

In November, Ibarra was convicted of malice murder and other related charges in the February 2024 attack that left Riley, a nursing student, dead near a wooded trail on the campus of the University of Georgia.

It was the impetus behind the Laken Riley Act, decried as a political move by opponents and which passed the Senate and was signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on January 29.

The decision to call for the mental evaluation was issued last week by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard, who sentenced Ibarra to life in prison with no chance of parole.

Haggard’s order filed on Thursday instructs officials to figure out if the undocumented migrant was “capable of understanding the nature and object of pretrial proceedings, including waiver of jury trial rights.”

Ibarra, 27, is hoping to vacate his guilty sentence or secure a new court trial after his attorneys filed a new-trial motion only weeks after his conviction late last year.

His legal team argued that the guilty verdict was “contrary to law” and evidence.

Ibarra, who speaks Spanish as a first language and possibly faced a language barrier, was characterized as “a slow learner” last month during a virtual hearing by defense attorney David Dodds.

The state, for its part, did not oppose the evaluation request but filed a separate motion to seek public money to retain expert witnesses for a possible court appeal.

BBC Sport pundits Anne Keothavong and Tracy Austin praise Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s ability to bounce back from being denied a game winning point due to “an operating error” deactivating the automatic line calling system in her fourth round win over Sonay Kartal at Wimbledon 2025.

Watch live coverage from every court on BBC iPlayer.

Available to UK users only.

June 26 (UPI) — Republican House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer on Thursday issued a subpoena to a former Jill Biden aide in his panel’s probe into Joe Biden‘s mental health.

The subpoena targeted Anthony Bernal, a former assistant to the president and senior adviser to the former first lady, calling for him to appear for a deposition on July 16 as part of Comer’s probe into what his press announcement called “the cover-up of President Joe Biden’s mental decline and potentially unauthorized executive actions.”

Comer’s announcement on the subpoena said Bernal was reportedly so close to the former first lady that he was referred to as her “work husband.”

A day earlier, Bernal had notified Comer’s panel that he would not take part in its requested interview. Comer on Thursday said that Bernal previously had confirmed that he would appear “for a voluntary transcribed interview” on Thursday. However, Comer said, the White House Counsel’s office informed Bernal that it was waiving executive privilege for the committee’s investigation. At that, Bernal refused to appear.

In a subpoena cover letter, Comer said, in part, to Bernal that “the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform requested that you — because of your role as a senior aide to former President Joe Biden — appear for a transcribed interview on June 11, 2025, broadly regarding ‘the extent of your influence over the former President and your knowledge of whether the former President was personally discharging the duties of his office.’

“Given your close connection with both former President Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden, the Committee sought to understand if you contributed to an effort to hide former President Biden’s fitness to serve from the American people,” the letter continued. “You have refused the Committee’s request. However, to advance the Committee’s oversight and legislative responsibilities and interests, your testimony is critical. Accordingly, please see the attached subpoena for testimony at a deposition on July 16, 2025.”

Bernal was one of the sources cited in Jake Tapper’s book Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again. That book also has been referenced by Comer in his panel’s investigation into Joe Biden’s mental health.

In May, Comer announced his investigation, citing general concerns about Biden’s age and mental capacity after the president’s troubled performances and missteps on the campaign trail, which eventually resulted in Joe Biden withdrawing from his presidential run.

Comer’s investigation also launched as renewed interest in Biden’s health erupted after the former president announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump ordered an investigation into Joe Biden’s cognitive state, alleging that White House aides covered up his mental decline.

WASHINGTON — Nearly six months after Joe Biden left the White House, Senate Republicans are still scrutinizing his presidency, kicking off the first in what’s expected to be a series of congressional hearings this year on his mental fitness in office.

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee brought in three witnesses Wednesday — none of whom served in Biden’s administration — to scrutinize his time in office, arguing that the former president, his staff and the media must be held accountable. Democrats boycotted the hearing and criticized Republicans for “armchair-diagnosing” Biden when the committee could be looking into serious matters.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who co-chaired the hearing, said that they will aim to “shine a light on exactly what went on in the White House during Biden’s presidency.”

“We simply cannot ignore what transpired because President Biden is no longer in office,” Cornyn said.

A spokesperson for Biden declined to comment on the hearing.

It was the first in what could be several hearings about Biden in the coming months. Over in the House, the Oversight Committee has subpoenaed several of Biden’s former staff members, along with his White House doctor, ordering him to testify at a June 27 hearing “as part of the investigation into the cover-up of President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline.”

Questions about Biden’s age and fitness erupted in the summer after his disastrous performance in a debate against Republican challenger Donald Trump, which ultimately led to the Democrat’s withdrawal from the race.

Even after Trump won back the presidency in November, Republicans have continued to hammer on Biden’s age, citing in part new reporting about Biden that was published this year.

Trump now alleges that Biden administration officials may have forged the former president’s signature and taken sweeping actions without his knowledge, though he provided no evidence of that happening. Trump has ordered lawyers at the White House and the Justice Department to investigate.

Republicans played clips during the hearing Wednesday of Democrats defending Biden. In the montage, the Democrats talk about how Biden was mentally sharp when he was in office.

“Most Democrats on this committee have chosen to all but boycott the hearing and have failed to call a single witness,” Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) said. “They have chosen to ignore this issue, like they ignored President Biden’s decline.”

Sen. Dick Durbin, the committee’s top Democrat, criticized Republicans for holding a hearing on the last president at a time when there are “numerous critical challenges facing the nation that are under our jurisdiction.”

“Apparently armchair-diagnosing former President Biden is more important than the issues of grave concern,” said Durbin of Illinois.

After his opening remarks, Durbin played a video montage of his own — but with clips of Trump speaking that he said reflected the “cognitive ability” of the current president. Durbin left the hearing after his opening remarks.

Three witnesses testified: former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, former White House official Theodore Wold and University of Virginia law professor John Harrison. Spicer and Wold both served under Trump.

Much of the focus was on Biden’s alleged use of an autopen. Trump has repeated long-standing allegations that the Biden White House relied on an autopen to sign presidential pardons, executive orders and other key documents, claiming that its use cast doubt on their validity.

Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) also questioned Spicer on “what mechanisms should we put in place” to hold the media accountable “for not actually following what is clearly in front of them.”

Cappelletti writes for the Associated Press.

What in particular impacts LGBTQIA+ mental health and wellness?

LGBTQIA+ people face unique mental health challenges, due to persistent discrimination, social exclusion, and systemic barriers in healthcare, housing and employment. Many of us have experienced rejection, bullying, or isolation. Even within healthcare, many LGBTQIA+ individuals report poor experiences, including misgendering or a lack of cultural understanding, leading to delayed care or opting-out altogether. Mainstream services often don’t meet our community’s needs, while private therapy is financially out of reach. People with intersectional identities are often impacted more. At Queerwell we focus on prevention, creating a sense of community, belonging and empowerment – creating spaces where LGBTQIA+ people feel seen, heard, and supported to thrive.

So, who inspires you?

Firstly, I’d like to mention Maari Nastari, co-founder of Queerwell, a trans woman of colour, who we sadly lost last December. She gave 19 years of her life to providing support to LGBTQIA+ people facing homelessness, housing issues and domestic violence. Queerwell delivers its work in memory of her. Secondly, the LGBTQIA+ community also inspires me, especially those who get out of bed every day and face a world where they may experience discrimination, isolation, loneliness, anxiety and other forms of poor mental health. That is the biggest achievement – getting up and facing the world. It can be so hard for many LGBTQIA+ people, which is why Queerwell will be there for them.

How can people support Queerwell?

Queerwell is creating radical, affirming support, including therapy, coaching, and creative healing spaces that actually work for our community. We’re done waiting. With your help, we’ll build a future where every queer person gets the care they deserve. Be the change. Please donate to our #BeWell25 campaign, so that we can launch our services this summer. For example, £25 could ensure a person can access a learning space workshop or PlayShop. We want to focus on delivering our services in places where there are fewer options. You can also provide support to Queerwell as a volunteer or practitioner – all our therapists, coaches and facilitators are paid. And, you can fundraise for us.

Head to Queerwell’s website, and follow them on Instagram.

Chris Packham, 64, has opened up about his mental health battles and how he once ‘didn’t want to be on this planet any longer’, but his beloved pets gave him ‘purpose’

Chris Packham has poignantly disclosed that his pets provided him with ‘purpose’ during his lowest moments, confessing: “My dogs saved my life.”

The much-loved wildlife expert is set to grace our screens again on Monday, May 26, with the return of the beloved series Springwatch, where he will co-host with his long-time colleague Michaela Strachan.

Despite his cheerful television presence, the 64-year-old has spoken out about his struggles with mental health and a time when he “didn’t want to be on this planet any longer”.

In an intimate chat with Country Living, Chris, who rose to fame with the ’80s hit show The Really Wild Show, revealed: “My dogs saved my life.”

He elaborated: “I’ve been in some dark places. I was so miserable I didn’t want to be on this planet any longer, but my dogs took that choice away. They gave me the gift of purpose – and it’s the reason I’m still here,” reports Gloucestershire Live.

The devoted animal enthusiast expressed how his connection with his Poodles was so profound that he “couldn’t break it”.

He remarked: “I used to call my previous dogs ‘my joy grenades’. I’d let them off the lead, and they’d run for the sheer joy of running. It didn’t matter how miserable I was, that would always put a smile on my face.”

Diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of 44, Chris notes that individuals on the autism spectrum can often form even stronger bonds with dogs.

“I think it’s because we’re never judged. We are always accepted by that animal: the bonds are very tight,” he explained.

“Dogs offer us unconditional love. They are always pleased to see us. We trust them implicitly. I sleep with my dogs, we eat the same thing. I have an enormous responsibility and duty of care to make sure that my dogs are happy and healthy.”

Springwatch is celebrating its 20th year with a brand new segment called Springwatch Street, giving viewers a glimpse into the hidden lives of urban wildlife like foxes and swifts.

Ahead of the new series, Chris spoke about his relationship with co-host Michaela, saying: “We’re great friends. We know each other really well, so sometimes we may disagree about something, and the team may look at us and think, ‘Oh my goodness, the presenters have fallen out!’

“But we haven’t. We don’t get upset about those things. We don’t have to agree about everything. We just move on. So, the fact that we’re great, lifelong, trusted mates helps, but also that we work in very different ways in terms of way that we approach our job.”

Springwatch returns to BBC Two from Monday, May 26 at 8pm

*If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit Samaritans

I created my first Instagram account in March 2015 when I was 13 years old. Back then, social media was just a space for me to share photos of my cats and keep an eye on whatever One Direction was up to. Fast forward 10 years, and social media is now a tool I use to keep in touch with family and follow along with politics – while still, of course, sharing photos of my cat.

I’ve always had quite a toxic relationship with social media. I’ve gone back and forth on the idea of deleting all of my accounts and never touching an app again, but I could never bring myself to do it. As someone who has moved cross country multiple times, I don’t want to lose contact with almost everyone I grew up with, and social media is an amazing tool to discover and connect with LGBTQIA+ communities that I wouldn’t have otherwise found. The truth is, I’d feel extremely lonely if it wasn’t for social media.

Though it’s important to me to keep up with current events, the whiplash of scrolling from a cute guinea pig video to a violent debate over basic human rights was starting to have a serious effect on my mental health. I was doom scrolling more than ever, to the point where I needed to put a one hour screen time limit on certain apps for my own sanity.

So, I decided to create myself a digital safe space, a place where I could access the positive, uplifting side of social media, while avoiding the content that was impacting my mental health.

I recently created a brand new account to share my artwork, but I made an effort to only follow other artists and regularly search for arty advice, tips and tricks. The algorithm must have caught on pretty quickly, because suddenly my explore page was entirely made up of artists and small business owners who were sharing their incredible artwork and uplifting each other. All of a sudden I was in a space that was wholeheartedly positive, creative and inspiring.

This wasn’t at all what I was used to on my personal account, which was rampant with politics and people arguing with each other. Of course, the concept of having a second Instagram account wasn’t something that was new to me – I’ve had an account specifically for sharing sunset photography, one for special effects makeup and various “aesthetic accounts” – but this was the first time I intentionally curated an algorithm. It just so happened to be an overwhelmingly positive community I chose to seek out.