Mental Health

Young human brains need loads of stimulation to learn and grow, pediatricians have long known. But a mouse study shows overstimulation also rewires the brain in ways that can interfere with learning.

Heavy Screen Time Rewires Young Brains, For Better And Worse

8:12am November 19, 2016

by Jon Hamilton

Bombarding young mice with video and audio stimulation changes the way the brain develops. But some scientists think those sorts of brain changes could protect kids from stressing out in a busy world.

This election season, therapist Jean Fain found that making muffins as a meditative practice was a reliable source of comfort and hope.

To Relieve Post-Election Stress, Bake And Bake Again

6:53pm November 18, 2016

by Jean Fain

Food works better than Valium but shouldn't be your sole comfort, therapist Jean Fain advises clients. But any recipe can become a meditative practice if you give it your full, undivided attention.

Is marijuana a gateway drug to smoking cigarettes?

Will Legal Marijuana Lead To More People Smoking Tobacco?

3:16pm November 18, 2016

by Anna Gorman

California boasts one of the lowest rates of tobacco smoking in the nation. Researchers worry that pot smoking will lead the way to cigarette smoking.

Addiction to opioids and heroin is a major public health problem, but so is alcohol abuse.

Surgeon General Murthy Wants America To Face Up To Addiction

2:03pm November 17, 2016

by NPR Staff

More people struggle with alcohol or drugs than have cancer, and 1 in 5 Americans binge drink. It all costs the nation $420 billion a year. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says we know how to help.

Queue Listen Now

A police officer holds a bag of heroin that was confiscated as evidence in Gloucester, Mass., in March. Massachusetts is one of 38 states that allow civil commitment for substance abuse.

A Twist On 'Involuntary Commitment': Some Heroin Users Request It

5:51pm November 15, 2016

by Karen Brown

Some Massachusetts opioid users are so desperate to quit the drug habit that they are asking judges to lock them up and require treatment. Critics question whether courts should play this role.

He's more likely to get a timeout than a spanking.

Health & Safety

Spanking Young Children Declines Overall But Persists In Poorer Households

3:44pm November 14, 2016

by Rob Stein

One-quarter of mothers with the lowest incomes told researchers they'd administered physical discipline to a kindergarten-age child in the past week. Overall, though, physical discipline has declined.

This image is from lab-grown brain tissue — a minibrain — infected by Zika virus (white) with neural stem cells in red and neuronal nuclei in green.

'Minibrains' Could Help Drug Discovery For Zika And For Alzheimer's

6:01pm November 13, 2016

by Jon Hamilton

Each lab-grown cluster of human cells fits on a pin's head, but contains some of the cell types and circuitry of a real brain. The structures already are offering insights into how Zika attacks.

Politics & Government

After A Divisive Campaign, Healing Can Take Time And Patience

11:54am November 11, 2016

by Sean Bueter

The election of Republican Donald Trump to the presidency this week marks the end of a campaign season that lasted a year and a half.

Our unconscious brains can have a big effect on pain and healing.

How The Brain Powers Placebos, False Memories And Healing

5:12pm November 08, 2016

by Nancy Shute

Erik Vance didn't see a doctor until he was 18 years old; he grew up in a Christian Science family. As a science journalist, he explores how the mind affects the body's response to pain and disease.

Millions of people use Wikipedia for medical advice, but what they find there isn't always accurate.

Should I Trust Wikipedia With My Health?

11:16am November 08, 2016

Some doctors lambaste Wikipedia for errors in its medical pages. But there are many physicians, science teachers and researchers working overtime to make the crowdsourced health content better.