Author Archive
The Washington Post By Allyson Chiu Dec. 1, 2020 The year 2020 has exacted a psychological toll on Americans. Levels of anxiety and depression have skyrocketed alongside increases in drug overdoses and alcohol consumption. Meanwhile, a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contained an alarming statistic: When young adults were asked if they had seriously considered suicide in... read more
Dementia may cause major financial problems long before diagnosis, making early detection critical
The Washington Post By Allyson Chiu November 30, 2020 The anecdotes Lauren Nicholas was hearing were all similarly alarming: People with dementia were experiencing “catastrophic financial events” — often before they or their loves ones knew there was anything wrong with them. “Once you miss a bunch of payments, the bank owns your house or... read more
The Washington Post By Allyson Chiu and Lizzy Raben For some people, the beginning of winter signals more than a change in weather. The shorter, darker days trigger a noticeable shift in their mood and behavior, causing what’s known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. And this winter, the onset of SAD may be exacerbated by... read more
What to do about Ahav?
The Washington Post By Hannah Dreier October 24, 2020 A mother’s fight to save a Black, mentally ill 11-year-old boy in a time of a pandemic and rising racial unrest DECATUR, Ga. — Her 11-year-old was on the floor drawing. Her 9-year-old was next to him, playing with plastic robots. It was a rare quiet... read more
Fatal police shootings of mentally ill people are 39 percent more likely to take place in small and midsized areas
The Washington Post By Kimberly Kindy, Julie Tate, Jennifer Jenkins and Ted Mellnik Oct. 17, 2020 The final moments of Stacy Kenny’s life are captured on a recorded 911 call. Kenny, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, begs an emergency operator to explain why she’s been pulled over. Amid screaming and rustling sounds, police... read more
Celebrities are being more candid about mental health. Here’s how it can help us all be more empathetic.
The New York Times/The Lily By Taylor Trudon October 13, 2020 Refusing to see celebrities as ‘real’ people is to risk dehumanizing them — and others — altogether Emily Ratajkowski has 26.8 million followers on Instagram. A cursory scroll of the supermodel’s account reveals a grid filled with bikini-clad photos on the beach, magazine covers bearing... read more
Gov. Newsom signs law to expand mental health coverage in California
Los Angeles Times By Associated Press, Adam Beam Sept 25, 2020 SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law on Friday that for the first time in California defines the term “medical necessity” in a move aimed at requiring private health insurance plans to pay for more mental health and drug addiction treatments. State and federal... read more
Chef David Chang Opens Up About Bipolar I Disorder in New Memoir: 'It Has Shaped Me In So Many Ways
People By Ana Calderone August 26, 2020 In his upcoming memoir, Eat a Peach, excerpted in this week's PEOPLE, David Chang reveals that he has bipolar disorder—and explains how it has affected him in sometimes surprising ways Recently, David Chang, founder of the Momofuku restaurant empire, was preparing a hot pot for his wife, Grace, and their son Hugo, 17 months,... read more
Uncertainty fuels anxiety, causing your mind to conjure up scary scenarios. The pandemic can magnify the angst.
The Washington Post By Christine Achwanden September 12, 2020 As it has become clear that the coronavirus pandemic is here for the foreseeable future, we’re all learning to live in a cloud of uncertainty: When can we venture out safely? Visit loved ones? Go to the doctor? Send children back to school? Return to the workplace? Pay our... read more
‘The volume has been turned up on everything’: Pandemic places alarming pressure on transgender mental health
The Washington Post By Alyssa Fowers August 18, 2020 The surgery was supposed to be a turning point. Brenda Emery spent a year preparing for the vaginoplasty. To save up for it, she took jobs in food service straight out of college and moved in with her mother. She talked at length to therapists and... read more