Mental Health

Health & Safety

Adult Siblings Can Make Our Lives Healthier And Happier

6:00am November 23, 2017

by Robin Marantz Henig

Our sibling relationships are the longest-lasting family ties we have, and can help us weather the pains and challenges of adulthood, including illness and the death of parents.

It's not easy to start end-of-life discussions, but some people make it a holiday tradition.

This Thanksgiving, Carve Out Time To Talk About End-Of-Life Wishes

6:00am November 22, 2017

by JoNel Aleccia

Turkey dinner with a side dish of death isn't everyone's idea of a festive meal. But end-of-life planning advocates say the holidays are an ideal time to have these conversations with family members.

A friendship between a four-year-old and an 81-year-old might seem unlikely, but Dan Peterson says Norah Wood gave him a reason to live again after his wife died.

Health & Safety

An Unexpected Friendship Brought The Sun Out Again For A Grieving Man

12:44pm November 21, 2017

by Erika Lantz

After his wife died, Dan Peterson didn't know what to do with himself. Then, he found a new friend in an unlikely place: the grocery store.

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Many children recover quickly from a concussion, but some have much more severe symptoms. Competitive sports are a major source of injury.

Spit Test May Help Reveal Concussion Severity

2:11pm November 20, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

When a child suffers a concussion, it's very hard to tell if the brain injury will cause long-term problems. An experimental test that looks for bits of genetic material in spit might help.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can help treat PTSD, doctors say.

The Many Forms, Faces And Causes Of PTSD

8:11am November 19, 2017

You don't have to be in the military to have experiences that could lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, a doctor says.

Wendy Troxel: Does High School Start Too Early?

9:29am November 17, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Sleep expert Wendy Troxel says teens are sleep-deprived because of early school start times that cater to adults. She says high schools should start classes at least an hour later.

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Rohingya refugees wait for medical treatment at a 'Doctors Without Borders clinic in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

How Do You Help Refugees Who Are Too Traumatized To Talk?

3:47pm November 16, 2017

by Courtney Columbus

That's the dilemma for health workers in Bangladesh as they try to treat the physical and mental health issues among the Rohingya who've fled violence in their homeland of Myanmar.

More than 30,000 people a year are killed by gun violence, including 50 killed near the Los Vegas strip last month where this makeshift memorial stands.

What If We Treated Gun Violence Like A Public Health Crisis?

6:05pm November 15, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

The law restricts a major government public health agency's research into gun violence, which kills or injures more people than many other infectious diseases.

Yaritza Martinez holds her son, Yariel, during a visit to Children's National Health System in Washington D.C. She was infected with the Zika virus while pregnant, but Yariel seems to be doing fine.

Health & Safety

A Baby Exposed To Zika Virus Is Doing Well, One Year Later

4:58pm November 15, 2017

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Yaritza Martinez was infected with the Zika virus when she was 12 weeks pregnant. Doctors in Washington, D.C., are studying her son and other children to see if the virus has affected their health.

The FDA has approved the first drug with "a digital ingestion tracking system." Abilify MyCite is an antipsychotic with an ingestible sensor that transmits data to a patch, which then sends the information to a smartphone app.

Health & Safety

FDA Approves First Digital Pill That Can Track Whether You've Taken It

8:24pm November 14, 2017

by Laurel Wamsley

Abilify MyCite is a tablet with an embedded sensor activated by fluid in the stomach. Although the drug's approval is a big step for digital medicine, there are concerns about privacy and cost.