Mental Health

INTERACTIVE: THE JOY GENERATOR — Feeling blah? Science shows you can boost happiness by taking time for small moments of delight.

Health & Safety

Joy Generator: How Soothing Sounds Can Bring Inner Peace

6:43pm July 20, 2021

NPR's Joy Generator offers calming sounds to put your brain and heart at ease. How can sounds bring inner peace? One answer might be something known as A.S.M.R.: autonomous sensory meridian response.

How Competing Without Fans In The Stands Could Affect Olympic Athletes' Performances

4:42pm July 16, 2021

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with professor of sports psychology Dr. Dan Weigand about how performing without spectators could affect athletes' performances at the 2021 Olympics.

Jameson Rybak, son of Jim and Suzanne Rybak of Florence, S.C., struggled with opioid addiction and died of an overdose on June 9, 2020 — three months after he left a hospital ER because he feared he couldn't afford treatment.

A Tragic Death Shows How ERs Fail Patients Who Struggle With Addiction

11:00am July 14, 2021

by Aneri Pattani

ER doctors wanted to hospitalize the young man to help ease his withdrawal from opioid dependence. But he declined because he couldn't afford it. His mom says no one told him he had financial options.

Following Forsyth, Davidson Disengages From Cardinal Innovations

3:44pm July 13, 2021

by Paul Garber

Davidson County officials have begun what is expected to be a months-long transition to a new provider for mental health services.

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness, Kristen Radtke

Loneliness Is A Communal Experience In 'Seek You'

11:15am July 13, 2021

by Gabino Iglesias

Kristen Radtke's Seek You looks at isolation as a problem — and investigates where it comes from, how it shapes us, and why we should battle against it.

Miriam McDonald developed postpartum depression after giving birth to her third son, Nicholas. She says she felt sad, disconnected, and indifferent.

Health & Safety

Women Say California Insurer Makes It Too Hard To Get Drug For Postpartum Depression

5:41am July 13, 2021

by April Dembosky

To get a new drug for postpartum depression, some insurers want women to try other drugs first and even electroconvulsive therapy. It could be a test for California's new mental health parity law.

How Rescue And Recovery Teams In Surfside Are Coping

9:36am July 11, 2021

by Joe Hernandez

In Surfside, Fla., rescue and recovery crews are among those struggling with tremendous grief over the condo building's collapse. Some who do such work repeatedly have found ways to cope.

Mindy Perkovich has been a farmer for about 12 years in Southwest Colorado's Mancos Valley.

The Devastating Drought Across The West Could Mean An Increase In Farmer Suicides

4:31pm July 02, 2021

by Lucas Brady Woods

A Colorado analysis found farmer suicide rates rise in tandem with increased drought. Experts say a big challenge is that there are few counsellors and many guns in rural areas.

Awe Appears To Be Awfully Beneficial

9:23pm June 29, 2021

by Michaeleen Doucleff

20 years ago, scientists began to study a mysterious emotion known as awe. Now they believe awe offers a range of benefits when practiced regularly, calming our nervous systems and relieving stress.

Over the last few days, it's been said a lot on Twitter: "Chris Crocker was right." But as Crocker explained during a recent interview with NPR, they don't want to be right, and it's not about them at all.

Arts

Chris Crocker, 'Leave Britney Alone' Video Creator, Reflects On What's Changed

5:00am June 27, 2021

by Sharon Pruitt-Young

Chris Crocker opens up on the reignited interest in his 2007 viral video while asking the important question: Why did it take the world this long to care about Britney Spears?