An Irvine couple had quite the wake up call Sunday morning, when a troubled man rang their doorbell at 6:30 a.m. and calmly informed the husband he was there to rape his wife and was challenging the husband to a duel. more ›

6-year-old Jack Dorman was placed on a psychiatric hold after he drew what school officials say was a "disturbing picture" that expressed a wish to die, according to NBCLA. The student at the LAUSD's Taper Avenue Elementary in San Pedro was evaluated by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Psychiatric Mobile Response Team, who determined the child was at risk of harming himself, and placed him on a 72-hour psych hold. more ›

Feeling a little down, Los Angeles? You're not alone--alarmingly so. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health says that there has been a significant increase in the percentage of adults who said that they have been diagnosed as depressed, according to a release issued today. more ›

LA Lakers player Ron Artest auctioned off his one and only NBA championship ring in the name of charity on Saturday night. Raymond Mikkael, a father of four from Hawthorne, walked away with the prized prize, while proceeds from the raffle -- estimated at over $500,000 -- went to benefit mental health awareness and treatment for children, a cause important to the athlete, reports KTLA. more ›

Imagine Los Angeles County with a homeless population that is 70 or more per cent smaller than it is today. That's the vision according to a task force report issued by he United Way and the L.A. Chamber of Commerce, according to KPCC. They have a plan to end homelessness in L.A. County in five years. more ›

The woman accused of stabbing four people inside the Target store at Santa Monica and La Brea in West Hollywood will have a pre-trial mental health evaluation hearing next month, according to the WeHo News. more ›

A 1950s state code still on the books instructs California's Department of Mental Health to conduct research into the "causes and cures of homosexuality," but a group, with the help of a local Assemblymember is looking to repeal it. AB 2199, or "Repeal of Discriminatory Code," was authored by Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) and sponsored by Equality California (EQCA). more ›

Homeless musician Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, the subject of the book and film The Soloist, has recorded his first album, and today LA Times columnist and longtime advocate of Ayers Steve Lopez tells the story of the tenuous process. more ›

An associate professor in UCLA's history department last year had concerns about the undergrad student suspected in last week's campus stabbing. E-mails from 20-year-old Damon Thompson to Stephen Frank indicated something was wrong. more ›

"The budget will cut $33 million from Medi-Cal, $8 million from probation camps, $10 million from mental health and $6 million from alcohol and drug programs, according to a memo by county Chief Executive Officer Bill Fujioka... The state budget will also cost the Metropolitan Transportation Authority about $133 million this year" more ›

When it comes to the cost of a gallon of gas these days, it certainly doesn't seem to be the case that "it can't get any worse." We grumbled when it got to $3, winced when it hit $3.40, cringed when it hovered at the $4 mark, and now we're seeing prices in the $4.40 range at pumps all over SoCal. And, in true trend-setting fashion, our high gas prices have finally inspired the rest of the country to catch up; the national average is now over $4 a gallon. more ›

It took the LAPD nearly "two dozen police officers, a helicopter and a special team" to block roads and escort Britney Spears in an ambulance with covered windows from her Mulholland Drive Studio City Home to UCLA Medical Center early yesterday morning. They even had a code name, The Package, for her so paparazzi listening to police scanners would not pick up on it. more ›

Don't forget to enter our Labor Day Weekend Contest with the prize to see AIR at the Greek Amphitheater later this month. Recent major events for the Los Angeles Fire Department include a fire last night in North Hills contained to a 12 x 12 foot room where a twenty-something male in serious condition with smoke inhalation and an air ambulance rescue for a two-year-old boy who fell from a pony, dragging him near... more ›

Vote today! - Here's the election guide if you can't find it lying around in your stale mail pile. And here's a list of polling places. Sure, you may not be super-excited about the choices this time around, but you DO get a free sticker. more ›

The LA Times held its first publisher's forum last night with an impressive panel gathered to discuss homelessness. LA Times columnist Steve Lopez, Sheriff Lee Baca, Bobby Shriver (Mayor pro tem of Santa Monica), LAPD Chief William Bratton, Lamp Community head Casey Horan and Dr. Marvin Southard, Director of the LA County Department of Mental Health sat in directors chairs as LA Times Editorial Page Editor Andrés Martinez moderated. That's Martinez in the picture. But first we had a nice opening from the Mayor. more ›

We haven't gotten confirmation on this yet but it all looks legit and nutty enough: In October and November, Tom Cruise will be giving 4 lectures on "Scientology's Mental Health Solutions" at the Scientology Celebrity Centre, International right here in Hollywood. The events are open to all humans of all thetan levels and will be streamed online and available for broadcast (although we don't quite know where. The wonder that is the scientology celebrity centre website hasn't been updated since July). We're especially curious about the Hubbard Mark Super VII Quantum Electropsychometer that will be featured at the third lecture. That's the coolest name for a fake machine we've heard in ages. more ›