Mental Health

Charlene Yurgaitis gets health insurance through Medicaid in Pennsylvania. It covers the counseling and medication she and her doctors say she needs to recover from her opioid addiction.

5 Americans Talk About How A Health Law Overhaul Would Affect Them

5:50pm September 23, 2017

by Gisele Grayson

All year, NPR member station reporters around the country have asked people how they would be affected by proposals to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Here are five of those stories.

Powerful Storms Make For Compelling Stories, But Can Cause Mental Health Stress

7:59pm September 21, 2017

by Shankar Vedantam

NPR's Kelly McEvers talks with Shankar Vedantam, host of NPR's Hidden Brain podcast about how witnessing traumatic events — even from a great distance — can affect mental health.

Queue Listen Now

Sen. Lindsey Graham, second from left, speaks as Sen. John Barrasso, from left, Sen. Bill Cassidy, Sen. John Thune and Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell listen during a news briefing after the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon on Tuesday.

Graham-Cassidy Health Bill Would Shift Funds From States That Expanded Medicaid

5:21pm September 21, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

The bill's sponsors say their plan to reallocate federal health funding among states is more equitable. It also would cause largely Democratic states to lose funding while Republican states gain.

Macho Man, Little Princess: How Gender Norms Can Harm Kids Everywhere

2:17pm September 21, 2017

by Maanvi Singh

Girls are vulnerable, boys are strong. It's a dichotomy that researchers observed in 15 countries around the world — and one that has big consequences for children's health and success.

Affordable Care Act navigators helped guide those looking for insurance during an enrollment event at San Antonio's Southwest General Hospital last year. Beyond helping with initial enrollment, navigators often follow up with help later, as an applicant's

Bemoaning Budget Cuts, Health Care Navigators Say Feds Don't Get It

1:52pm September 20, 2017

by Michelle Andrews

The federal government has sharply cut funding to groups that help people enroll in health plans. But the groups say federal officials don't understand how much help and follow-up some people need.

Health & Safety

VA Cautions Ken Burns' Vietnam Documentary Could Trigger PTSD

1:04pm September 18, 2017

by Steve Walsh

The VA is preparing for an increase in Vietnam veterans seeking mental health treatment after PBS airs a Vietnam documentary. Mental health professionals say it could trigger PTSD and depression.

Queue Listen Now

While benzodiazepines and SSRI antidepressants are not risk-free, says Yale psychiatrist Kimberly Yonkers, "it should be reassuring that we're not seeing a huge magnitude of an effect here" on pregnancy.

Xanax Or Zoloft For Moms-To-Be: A New Study Assesses Safety

8:34am September 18, 2017

by Allison Aubrey

Is it OK to take antidepressants or anxiety medicine during pregnancy? Recent research suggests women who need treatment can take these drugs. Doctors recommend the lowest effective dose.

Queue Listen Now

Tackle Negative Thinking Head-On To Boost Diversity In Biomedicine

5:09am September 16, 2017

by Esther Landhuis

One California university is trying a new strategy to help minority students perform better in STEM classes and develop the mental resilience to face future challenges.

A Houston resident walks through waist-deep water while evacuating her home after severe flooding following Hurricane Harvey in north Houston.

After Hurricane Katrina, Many People Found New Strength

5:22pm September 15, 2017

A long-term study of people who survived Hurricane Katrina found that most were doing well, and some feel the experience transformed them. But others remain haunted by anxiety and depression.

A smokestack rises in the background over the East Houston community of Manchester, Texas, where the air was heavy with what smelled like gasoline after Hurricane Harvey in late August. The neighborhood is ringed by industrial sites.

Air Pollution From Industry Plagues Houston In Harvey's Wake

5:05am September 14, 2017

Flooding in Houston and utility outages led to belches of fumes from refineries and other industrial sites. Residents of a region already struggling with air pollution wonder: Is it safe to breathe?