Mental Health

Oliver Sacks: Hallucinations

3:11pm May 21, 2013

In his latest book Hallucinations, neurologist Oliver Sacks collects stories of individuals who can see, hear and smell things that aren't really there--such as strange voices, or collages of unrecognizable faces--and explores the disorders and drugs that can produce such illusions. This interview was originally broadcast on November 9, 2012.

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Amy Goyer moved back to Phoenix to look after her father, Robert, when he began to show signs of Alzheimer's. He is just one of 5 million Americans living with the disease.

Health & Safety

Alzheimer's Cases Rise, But Hope Remains

7:47pm May 18, 2013

by NPR Staff

More than 5 million Americans currently have Alzheimer's disease, and the number is only going to increase — in part, due to aging baby boomers. But researchers say increased awareness and early detection is helping patients live with the disease.

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Despite significant advances in neurology and imaging, researchers still don't have simple lab tests for diagnosing patients with mental disorders. Diagnoses are still mostly based on a patient's signs and symptoms.

Health & Safety

Why Is Psychiatry's New Manual So Much Like The Old One?

12:51pm May 17, 2013

by Jon Hamilton

Unlike cardiology and most other fields of medicine, psychiatry still hasn't developed discrete, biological tests for diagnosing illnesses of the mind. That's because the brain "hasn't yielded its secrets yet," one psychiatrist says.

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Analyzing The Language Of Suicide Notes To Help Save Lives

1:20pm May 16, 2013

About a third of people who attempt suicide leave a note. John Pestian and others at Cincinnati Children's Hospital are merging psychology and computer analysis to see if such notes can help diagnose suicidal tendencies in the living.

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The Myth Of Multitasking

1:23pm May 10, 2013

How long can you go without checking email, or glancing at your smartphone? Clifford Nass, a psychology professor at Stanford University, says today's nonstop multitasking actually wastes more time than it saves--and he says there's evidence it may be killing our concentration and creativity too.

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Microexpressions: More Than Meets The Eye

1:23pm May 10, 2013

David Matsumoto, a psychology professor at San Francisco State University, trains national security officials and police officers to recognize "microexpressions"--fleeting, split-second flashes of emotion across someone's face. Matsumoto says those subtle cues may reveal how an interview subject is feeling, helping officials to hone their line of questioning.

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Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, center, exits the Fort Lyon Correctional Facility in Las Animas, Colo., on Wednesday after touring the facility. Hickenlooper has proposed closing the facility due to budget concerns.

Colorado Weighs Reopening Psychiatric Hospital For Homeless

4:22pm May 03, 2013

by Eric Whitney

Colorado's Democratic governor wants to move mentally ill homeless people to Fort Lyon, a former psychiatric hospital and prison in the southeast corner of the state. Critics say it would make more sense to rent apartments for the people in the neighborhoods where they are now.

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Criminologist Believes Violent Behavior Is Biological

1:22pm May 01, 2013

In a new book, The Anatomy of Violence, Adrian Raine argues that violent behavior has a biological basis just like depression or schizophrenia. This raises questions about treatment, accountability and punishment, including the death penalty.

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Parents can minimize the negative impact of their arguments on their children using a few simple techniques to calm down.

Health & Safety

How To Turn Down The Heat On Fiery Family Arguments

10:54am April 30, 2013

by Patti Neighmond

Psychologists say kids who get entangled in their parents' arguments often suffer shame and low self-esteem. So some are trying to teach parents who feel they just can't stop arguing when they get angry how to "get to calm."

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Researchers say that aggressive people tend to interpret ambiguous faces as reflecting hostility.

Health & Safety

Would Angry Teens Chill Out If They Saw More Happy Faces?

9:59pm April 08, 2013

by Alix Spiegel

Since most of the faces we encounter are emotionally ambiguous, we're forced into interpretations. And in the case of troubled teens, the perception of hostile faces all around can lead to aggressive behavior. In an experiment, researchers tried to retrain the way those kids interpreted faces.

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