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![An illustration shows three outlines of people falling in a see of blotches filled with insurance notes for therapy](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/suicide-insurance-coverage_wide-290c2a5a57deab88fbf06695e010466acf925bc0-e1681749354236-900x422.jpg)
A teen with life-threatening depression finally found hope. Then insurance cut her off
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 9-8-8, or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME… Read More
![A flier for the 988 suicide hotline](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Suicide-hotline-graphic-e1673892121932-900x422.jpg)
988 Lifeline sees boost in use and funding in first months
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (NPR) — The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline received over 1.7 million calls, texts and chats in its first five months. That’s nearly half a million more than… Read More
![School children cross the street to get on a school bus](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/gettyimages-966578102-ebf0d70ef9b05ba19c9d1e533b0d8a4293580498-e1662141741493-900x422.jpg)
As school starts, teachers add a mental-health check-in to their lesson plans
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (NPR) — As the new school year begins, teachers at many schools across the country are adding a new component to their routines: a mental health check-in with… Read More
![A man uses a cell phone. It's just his hand.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ap21354448299400-74ec1d2fdd242f58e3ba05dc98fe08c63b08745b-e1657901649749-900x422.jpg)
The new 988 crisis number is about to launch. Here’s what to know
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (NPR) — Starting July 16, people in mental health crisis will have a new way to reach out for help. Instead of dialing the current 10-digit National Suicide… Read More
![Mental health advocates say 988, a simple three-digit number, will be easier for people to remember in the midst of a mental health emergency.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/gettyimages-1090916554-d24b25e83b127987fc819c44de50ce7f8dc281c9-scaled-e1603155368266-900x422.jpg)
New Law Creates 988 Hotline For Mental Health Emergencies
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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President Trump has signed a bipartisan bill creating a three-digit hotline for mental health emergencies. Mental health advocates say it’ll bring mental health crisis response into the 21st century.
![Dexamethasone is a low-cost, anti-inflammatory drug that has been shown to reduce the risk of death in patients with COVID-19.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/ap_20245700250729-5a67c58b525ae8b55b73f023612043537bb6e3ce-scaled-e1602207800467-900x422.jpg)
Trump Was Treated With Steroids: How These Drugs Are Used For COVID-19 Patients
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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The drug dexamethasone is a cheap, widely available steroid. But how long should COVID-19 patients take it, and what are the side effects?
![Surveys done since the 2016 election show that engaging with politics is stressing people out and harming their mental health and relationships.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/ripped_sign-1-b737468fbc605adb7fd8459eef5fefa6d5ee2007-e1569440379370-900x422.jpg)
Stressed Out By Politics? Here’s How To Keep Caring Without Losing Your Cool
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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Surveys show today’s political climate is affecting people’s mood, relationships and health. How do you stay engaged with democracy without letting the stress ruin your day?
![A survey of women ages 18 to 44 found that for an estimated 3.3 million women in that age group, were raped before they ever had a sexual encounter. Researchers say if the numbers included all women they'd be much higher.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/rape-health-effects-8933754357bb9dd24fee76d5e8154e779b06043f-e1568904641471-900x422.jpg)
‘Tip Of The Iceberg’ — 1 In 16 Women Reports First Sexual Encounter As Rape
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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The average age of those who were raped was around 15, and their assailants were typically older partners. Women who were raped had a greater likelihood of long-term health problems.
![With suicides on the rise, the government wants to make the national crisis hotline easier to use. A proposed three-digit number — 988 — could replace the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255).](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/calling-suicide-hotline-ec9283455d9c11b0941d9a645a60b90fd2bf5ab9-e1568389924102-900x422.jpg)
How A Proposed 3-Digit Suicide Hotline Could Help Prevention Efforts
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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The current suicide hotline — 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-273-8255 — has helped many people. But it’s long and tough to remember in a crisis. The FCC is proposing a new national, three-digit number.
![Mourners bring flowers to a makeshift memorial Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2019, for the slain and injured in the Oregon District after a mass shooting that occurred early Sunday morning, in Dayton.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/AP_19218610659782-e1565121795868-900x422.jpg)
Mass Shootings Can Be Contagious, Research Shows
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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Unfortunately it may not be a coincidence that several mass shooting incidents took place in one week. Research shows perpetrators are often inspired by media coverage of other shootings.
![Teen romance gone wrong can be dangerous for girls. Around 7 percent of teen homicides between 2003 and 2016 were committed by intimate partners, and girls were the victims in 90 percent of those deaths.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/teen-dating-violence-321f73448722e786d414800ac4e64c93a0b34459-e1555361620912-900x422.jpg)
Teen Dating Violence Can Lead To Homicide — And Girls Are The Most Common Victims
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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A study finds that about 7 percent of all teen homicides between 2003 and 2016 were committed by a romantic partner. The majority of victims were teen girls.
![There are a mix of factors that lead some kids to become school shooters, fueled in part by desperation, trauma and anger.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/anger-shooter-still-0557dc87479615f148f33cd9dabd6b96dd6a8203-e1549818872479-900x422.jpeg)
School Shooters: What’s Their Path To Violence?
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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Psychologists and the FBI say they are getting a better understanding of the mix of factors that lead some kids to open fire on a classroom. The shooting can be an act of desperation fueled by anger.
![The drugs clonazepam and diazepam are both benzodiazepines; they're better known by the brand names Klonopin and Valium. The drug class also includes Ativan, Librium and Halcion.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/gettyimages-598733724-2614040ab942744b447b8f7d1040267ce67ae8d6-e1548460642330-900x422.jpg)
Steep Climb In Benzodiazepine Prescribing By Primary Care Doctors
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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U.S. prescriptions for Valium, Ativan and other benzodiazepines have shot up since 2003, statistics show, especially for chronic pain. Roughly half those prescriptions are from primary care providers.
![Kristen Philman began using heroin and opioids when she tried methamphetamine in her early 20s. When she discovered she was pregnant, she says, it was a wake-up call, and she did what she needed to do to quit using those drugs.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/meth-1-b0ffc7e319762e432260b2e91ff101a50e126577-e1543527194668-900x422.jpg)
Another Drug Crisis: Methamphetamine Use By Pregnant Women
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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As illegal meth use has made a comeback across the U.S., pregnant women have not been spared, doctors say. New research shows rural areas in the South, Midwest and West have been hit hardest.
![When a teen's symptoms of depression improve as a result of treatment, it's more likely that their parent's mood lifts, too, new research shows.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/gettyimages-758294599_sq-f00881c6b59fda9eed99b30b5988b3a787ce91a2-e1534174237900-900x422.jpg)
Treating Teen Depression Might Improve Mental Health Of Parents, Too
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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Evidence shows there’s a link between depressed parents and their offspring. But a new study suggests that when teens benefit from treatment for their depression, there’s a ripple effect on parents.
![Paramedics taking patient on stretcher from ambulance to hospital.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/gettyimages-526239055-c5c9f862845138551169caeffc567f3cab29d324-e1531328667201-900x422.jpg)
A Simple Emergency Room Intervention Can Help Cut Future Suicide Risk
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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For people who end up in the emergency room after a suicide attempt, safety planning helps them map out coping tools and get help to prevent future attempts.
![Any amount of opioid use was associated with a higher risk of arrest, parole or probation according to a new study.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/gettyimages-952065796-f55b117d4ec798058b86a8645acc72e4248d18e4-e1530905868332-900x422.jpg)
With More Opioid Use, People Are More Likely To Get Caught Up In The Justice System
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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A new study shows Americans with opioid addiction are more likely to have been arrested or convicted of a crime, suggesting a need to involve police, courts and jails in treating addiction.
![Helping those who are suffering know they are not alone is one step toward suicide prevention, researchers say.](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/gender-depression-1-c396c6b070b1002bd68febe0f9805c93a75ea72a-e1529001762961-900x422.jpg)
U.S. Suicide Rates Are Rising Faster Among Women Than Men
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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You can help prevent suicide, researchers say, by knowing the signs and reaching out. More boys and men in the U.S. take their own lives than women and girls, but that difference has narrowed.
![](https://woub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/lonely-1-a99851fc1a7a11b0424a56110dbb672c00139836-e1525194448665-900x422.jpg)
Americans Are A Lonely Lot, And Young People Bear The Heaviest Burden
By: Rhitu Chatterjee | NPR
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A nationwide survey by health insurer Cigna finds that loneliness is widespread in America. Millennials and people in Generation Z tend to feel lonelier than retirees.