Mental Health

JayaShri Maathaa speaks at TEDWomen 2020. November 12, 2020. Photo courtesy of TED.

JayaShri Maathaa: How Can Saying "Thank You" Transform Your Life?

9:52am December 18, 2020

by NPR/TED STAFF

During the coronavirus pandemic, monk JayaShri Maathaa continually turned to one powerful mantra: "thank you," a statement of genuine gratitude to provide solace and strength in troubled times.

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Jonny Sun: You're Not Alone In Feeling Lonely

9:52am December 18, 2020

by NPR/TED STAFF

For Jonny Sun, loneliness felt like being an alien on a distant planet, alone in the universe. But when he shared those feelings online, he found a community of people who felt precisely the same way.

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Suicide prevention experts and survivors of suicide attempts say the best way to help someone at risk is to start a conversation about suicide and help the person find the right kind of help.

Health & Safety

How To Help Someone At Risk Of Suicide

5:30pm December 15, 2020

by Rhitu Chatterjee

What can you do when you fear someone you know may be considering suicide? It can feel daunting, but suicide prevention experts say we all can help someone at risk by reaching out and showing we care.

Takahiro Shiraishi said he targeted those with suicidal thoughts: "It was easier for me to convince people with worries and other issues and manipulate them to my way of thinking."

Japan's 'Twitter Killer' Sentenced To Death In Killing Of 9

9:41am December 15, 2020

by Jaclyn Diaz

Takahiro Shiraishi murdered and dismembered eight women and one man in his apartment near Tokyo. He used Twitter to lure most of his victims, promising he could help them kill themselves.

Health & Safety

Black Teenagers With Mental Health Issues May Be Reluctant To Seek Help

8:18am December 15, 2020

by Alisa Roth

The CDC reports suicide rates went down in 2019. But one group has been having an especially hard time: young Black people. And nobody is sure why.

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Psychologist Christy Denckla says funerals and related rituals are "fundamental to how we mourn, to how we grieve, to how we reinforce social ties."

Health & Safety

Psychologist On Why Funerals Are Fundamental To Processing Grief

8:09pm December 14, 2020

People being unable to gather or see the bodies of people who died of COVID-19 is having profound psychological effects that will last for years, says psychologist Christy Denckla of Harvard.

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Tammy Lally: What Is The Personal Toll Of A Financial Crisis?

8:59am December 11, 2020

by NPR/TED Staff

Acquiring debt and buying on credit has been the American way since the 1920s. Financial advisor Tammy Lally describes the toll that consumerism and money-shame had on her family in the early 2000s.

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Root extracts from the African shrub iboga have long been used in traditional healing rituals and more recently as an experimental treatment for depression and to reduce drug cravings in addiction. Scientists now are working on a version of the extract th

Progress Toward A Safer Psychedelic Drug To Treat Depression And Addiction

5:19pm December 09, 2020

by Jon Hamilton

A synthetic version of the psychedelic drug ibogaine appears to relieve depression and addiction without producing hallucinations or other dangerous side effects — at least in rodents.

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Tyler Skluzacek (right) helped develop a smartwatch app to help disrupt his father Patrick's nightmares. The app recently won approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

He Designed A Smartwatch App To Help Stop His Dad's Nightmares

1:47pm December 06, 2020

by Martha Ann Overland

Patrick Skluzacek suffered from PTSD-related nightmares, which were ruining his life. His son, Tyler, created a smartwatch application to disrupt them. The app recently won FDA approval.

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Students In Southern Oregon Show Signs Of Stress After Catastrophic Wildfire

3:54pm November 30, 2020

by April Ehrlich

Hundreds of students in southern Oregon lost their homes to a wildfire. Some are showing signs of extreme stress, causing school leaders to consider resuming in-person classes to help them.