Mental Health

When the Northville Psychiatric Hospital closed, many of the patients either had to leave southeast Michigan for hospitals elsewhere in the state or ended up in community programs that haven't always met their needs, an advocacy group says.

How The Loss Of U.S. Psychiatric Hospitals Led To A Mental Health Crisis

2:19pm November 30, 2017

by Samantha Raphelson

The evaporation of long-term psychiatric facilities in the U.S. has escalated over the past decade, sparked by a trend toward deinstitutionalization of mental health patients in the 1950s and '60s.

A coalition of mental health advocacy groups is calling on federal regulators, state agencies and employers to conduct random audits of insurers to make sure they are in compliance with the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

Health Insurers Are Still Skimping On Mental Health Coverage

12:09pm November 30, 2017

by Jenny Gold

Behavioral care is four times more likely to be out-of-network than medical or surgical care, a nationwide study shows. That can make treatment unaffordable even for people who have health insurance.

Watmon and Ogen Rwot sit next to his mother in the yard of his family's compound.

How Dogs Are Lending A Paw To Uganda's Traumatized War Veterans

10:33am November 29, 2017

by Julian Hattem

In Uganda, dogs are not typically pets and are often feared. But one young man decided to see if therapy dogs might be helpful for traumatized veterans of the civil war.

Light therapy helps some people with seasonal affective disorder feel better. Now it's being tested as a treatment for bipolar disorder.

Light Therapy Might Help People With Bipolar Depression

5:19pm November 27, 2017

by Patti Neighmond

Light therapy can help treat depression that's part of seasonal affective disorder, but it hasn't worked so well for treating bipolar disorder. It may come down to when people are exposed to light.

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If you're regularly checking your phone at night in a dark room, you're probably tricking your body into thinking it's still daytime.

Apps Can Cut Blue Light From Devices, But Do They Help You Sleep?

12:13pm November 27, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

Lots of phone and tablet apps promise to improve sleep by filtering out the blue light from device screens. But that won't help if the reason you're not getting enough shut-eye is caffeine or stress.

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Saving Lives Via Text Message

8:42pm November 26, 2017

by Anya Kamenetz

The suicide rate for teenage girls is at a 40-year high. A nonprofit called Crisis Text Line is providing help — sometimes lifesaving help — through a medium trusted by young people: text messages.

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Health & Safety

Adult Siblings Can Make Our Lives Healthier And Happier

6:00am November 23, 2017

by Robin Marantz Henig

Our sibling relationships are the longest-lasting family ties we have, and can help us weather the pains and challenges of adulthood, including illness and the death of parents.

It's not easy to start end-of-life discussions, but some people make it a holiday tradition.

This Thanksgiving, Carve Out Time To Talk About End-Of-Life Wishes

6:00am November 22, 2017

by JoNel Aleccia

Turkey dinner with a side dish of death isn't everyone's idea of a festive meal. But end-of-life planning advocates say the holidays are an ideal time to have these conversations with family members.

A friendship between a four-year-old and an 81-year-old might seem unlikely, but Dan Peterson says Norah Wood gave him a reason to live again after his wife died.

Health & Safety

An Unexpected Friendship Brought The Sun Out Again For A Grieving Man

12:44pm November 21, 2017

by Erika Lantz

After his wife died, Dan Peterson didn't know what to do with himself. Then, he found a new friend in an unlikely place: the grocery store.

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Many children recover quickly from a concussion, but some have much more severe symptoms. Competitive sports are a major source of injury.

Spit Test May Help Reveal Concussion Severity

2:11pm November 20, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

When a child suffers a concussion, it's very hard to tell if the brain injury will cause long-term problems. An experimental test that looks for bits of genetic material in spit might help.