Mental Health

Couple's hands wrapped around one cup of coffee.

Young Women And Men Seek More Equal Roles At Work And Home

4:02pm January 23, 2015

by Maanvi Singh

Young couples would prefer to share responsibilities equally at work and at home, a study finds. But they realize that workplace policies and child care can make that a tough go in real life.

By Making A Game Out Of Rejection, A Man Conquers Fear

7:56am January 20, 2015

by Alix Spiegel

Jason Comely's fear of rejection was so strong that he'd become completely isolated. So he set out to get himself rejected at least once a day, every day. Funny thing is, it worked.

Queue Listen Now

Mental health therapist Shaundra Drysdale updates daily use numbers inside a crisis support services center in Greeley, Colo.

After Aurora Shooting, A 'New Way Of Responding' To Mental Crises

7:32pm January 19, 2015

by Grace Hood

In response to the 2012 theater killings, Colorado added clinics, hotlines and mobile units to support early crisis prevention. At the heart of the initiative are 13 walk-in crisis centers.

Queue Listen Now

A Kaiser mental health worker with the National Union of Healthcare Workers looks through a pile of signs Monday during day one of a week-long demonstration outside of a Kaiser Permanente hospital in San Francisco.

Health & Safety

Calif. Strike Highlights Larger Issues With Mental Health System

5:22pm January 18, 2015

by NPR Staff

This past week, more than 2,000 mental health workers for health care giant Kaiser Permanente went on strike. Organizers say Kaiser's "chronic failure" to provide timely, quality care hurts patients.

Queue Listen Now

Martin Pistorius sometime between 1990 and 1994, when he was unable to communicate.

Trapped In His Body For 12 Years, A Man Breaks Free

10:43am January 16, 2015

by Lulu Miller

Martin Pistorius spent more than a decade unable to move or communicate, fearing he would be alone, trapped, forever. NPR's new show Invisibilia tells how his mind helped him create a new life.

Queue Listen Now

Working Longer Hours Can Mean Drinking More

12:21pm January 15, 2015

by Patti Neighmond

Working more than 48 hours a week makes risky drinking more likely, a study of people in 14 countries finds. And that held true for rich and poor, men and women.

David Adam is a writer and editor at the journal Nature and was a special correspondent at the Guardian, writing about science, medicine and the environment.

Why OCD Is 'Miserable': A Science Reporter's Obsession With Contracting HIV

10:58am January 14, 2015

David Adam has had obsessive-compulsive disorder for 20 years. In The Man Who Couldn't Stop, he chronicles his experiences — and how medical understanding and treatment of OCD have changed over time.

Queue Listen Now

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, But Science Can Help

10:57am January 14, 2015

by Maanvi Singh

When your friends say it's time to stop wallowing in despair and move on, you can say that reflecting on a recent breakup can speed recovery. Oh, and maybe some Taylor Swift.

Your Online Avatar May Reveal More About You Than You'd Think

10:49am January 13, 2015

by Alison Bruzek

Even if your avatar for games and social media doesn't look at all like you, it still says a lot about your personality, a study finds. Want to look friendly? Skip the shades; wear a sweater.

David G., who lives in Toronto, came out in the summer of 2014, announcing the news on Facebook. He has the support of his parents and many friends, but hasn't found complete acceptance at school.

After Leelah Alcorn's Suicide, Trans Youth Fight Broader Bias

9:43am January 09, 2015

by Nicole Pasulka

The media response to Leelah Alcorn's suicide has prompted young transgender people — especially people of color — to demand greater awareness about the discrimination they face every day.