Mental Health

Health

After Helene's floods, North Carolina tries to tame trauma's lasting damage

Katia Riddle

Mental health professionals warn that the quality and level of mental health care people in western North Carolina receive in the coming months will be critical.
Health

'Don't be boring!' How to cope with the social pressure to drink during Dry January

Malaka Gharib

What do you say to people when they ask you why you aren't drinking? How do you get your friends to hang out in places other than bars? We tackle the social conundrums of sober socializing.
Health

Tiny fish on ketamine may show how drug eases depression

Jon Hamilton

In zebrafish, ketamine causes changes a brain circuit involved in "giving up." That may help explain how the drug helps people with depression.
Politics

Troubled California teens gain protections under a new law championed by Paris Hilton

Lynn La

Hilton, the latest celebrity to lobby the Legislature, persuaded it to pass a law that brings more transparency on the use of restraints and seclusion rooms.
Health

Curious about Dry January? What to expect — and how it works

Marielle Segarra

Clare Marie Schneider

Malaka Gharib

If your New Year's resolution is to give up drinking for the month of January, this expert guide can help you get to Day 31 alcohol-free.
Health

When kindness becomes a habit, it improves our health

Maria Godoy

Whether it's volunteering at a local school or taking soup to a sick neighbor, improving the welfare of others can also improve our own physical and mental health, a sizable body of research shows.
Health

For young adults, caregiving isn't just hard. It can shape you for life

Kat McGowan

Caregiving responsibilities can cut young people off from peers and interrupt their emerging life story. And there's been little research or support directed at this group. That's starting to change.
Health

'May love rest gently in your broken heart': What to say to a grieving friend

Malaka Gharib

When a good friend's loved one passes away, it can be hard to find the right thing to say. NPR readers share words of comfort they've shared with others — or wish they'd heard themselves.
International

I discovered one way to fight loneliness: The Germans call it a Stammtisch

Laurel Wamsley

Modern life can be lonely. Some are looking to an old German tradition – of drinking and conversation – to deepen connection through regular meetups.
Health

This Christmas I'll be grieving. Here's how I'll be finding joy.

Windsor Johnston

Since her husband's death, newscaster Windsor Johnston has been looking for ways to recapture joy and continue her healing journey — one that's taken her to a place she'd never expected.