Mental Health

"The two most replicated, robust factors linked to suicide are economic change — downturn — and social disconnection," says Dr. Roger McIntyre, professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto. And both factors, he notes, are major hallmarks of th

Act Now To Get Ahead Of A Mental Health Crisis, Specialists Advise U.S.

6:00am May 13, 2020

by Yuki Noguchi

Suicide rates typically drop during natural disasters and other crises but then spike in the months or years after. So mental health specialists are looking to build psychological resilience now.

Listener Questions On How To Take Care Of Mental Health During The Pandemic, Answered

7:23am May 12, 2020

by Patti Neighmond

NPR's science correspondent answers listener questions about maintaining mental well-being during the coronavirus pandemic.

Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World, by Dr. Vivek Murthy

In 'Together,' Former Surgeon General Writes About Importance Of Human Connection

4:47pm May 11, 2020

by Rachel Martin

Dr. Vivek Murthy tells NPR: "The reality is that loneliness is a natural signal that our body gives us, similar to hunger, thirst. And that's how important human connection is."

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The Coronavirus Pandemic Disrupts Opioid Addiction Treatments In Philadelphia

3:56pm May 11, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted treatment of opioid addiction, as Philadelphia rehabs have closed. But there is hope in the increased use of telemedicine and Narcan for overdoses.

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Health & Safety

Life Kit: Tips For Living With Uncertainty

4:59pm May 10, 2020

by Sarah McCammon

The U.S. unemployment rate rose to nearly 15 percent — and no one knows where it ends. NPR's Life Kit talked to one woman who's lived through years of economic uncertainty about how to cope.

Health & Safety

Psychologist Identifies Stress Responses During The Pandemic

5:08pm May 09, 2020

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with University of Texas at San Antonio professor of clinical psychology, Dr. Mary McNaughton-Cassill, about common stress responses to disasters and other traumatic events.

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Grace Farris, Chief of Hospital Medicine at Mount Sinai West, explains how songs have become welcome hospital anthems in otherwise difficult times.

COMIC: Hospitals Turn To Alicia Keys, U2 And The Beatles To Sing Patients Home

7:00am May 09, 2020

by Grace Farris

Call them victory anthems. Every time a patient with COVID-19 is well enough to be discharged, hospitals in New York and elsewhere play songs of celebration over the intercom. A doctor explains.

Health & Safety

Psychologist Gives An Advice On How To Cope With Anxiety During The Pandemic

9:40pm May 07, 2020

Clinical psychologist Dr. Amelia Aldao answers listener questions on how to cope with anxiety when the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the mental health of many Americans.

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Health & Safety

A Psychologist Advises On How To Take Care Of Mental Health During The Pandemic

11:03pm May 06, 2020

Clinical psychologist Dr. Amelia Aldao answers listener questions on how to maintain mental wellness during the pandemic.

"If we can erase some of the stigma around [depression and suicide]," says podcast host John Moe, "that person can have at least a better shot at treatment and avoiding this kind of fate."

Humorist Lightens Depression's Darkness By Talking (And Laughing) About It

3:53pm May 05, 2020

by Terry Gross

Though John Moe's podcast, 'The Hilarious World of Depression' centers on mental illness, the conversations are funny. Humor "can bust me out" of a dark place, he says, the way platitudes never would.

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