Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed House Bill 2717 which will provide the state's 911 operators unlimited mental health services.

A link between vision issues in older adults and an increased likelihood of dementia.

Tesla's autonomous vehicle tech has been perennially stuck at Level 2 self-driving, as BMW and other rivals try to leapfrog to Level 3.

Social media has redefined human connection, especially if you’re part of the millennial or Gen Z generation. It is so deeply interwoven into every aspect of our lives that it’s almost impossible for us to withdraw from our digital devices. Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and other such platforms are everywhere, allowing us to communicate and connect with people from all over the world.

A meta-analytic review of previous studies indicates that obese individuals have an increased risk of depression and that this relationship isn't just correlational -- obesity might be one of the causes of depression. The researchers argue that the increased occurrence of depression in the population in recent decades might be at least partly due to the increase in obesity. The study was published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. ...

A brief article published in Current Directions in Psychological Science discusses how relationships that become conflicted, unsatisfying or distressing can trigger a biological or psychological predisposition for mental illness.

From Australia to Canada, Big Tech has resisted lawmakers' efforts to force them to pay news publishers for carrying their articles. Now, that battle is playing out in California.

American lore is full of tales of the lone cowboy, the rugged individualist who will do what needs to be done. But, in reality, loneliness in the U.S. can be deadly: this month, the U.S. surgeon general declared it an epidemic

Original broadcast date: January 21, 2022. Fiction can serve as a window into multiple realities—to imagine different futures or understand our own past. This hour, author and TED speaker Dave Eggers talks technology, education, and the healing power of writing. TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) sponsor-free. Sign-up at: plus.npr.org/ted

People diagnosed with dementia are more likely to self-harm within the first six to 12 months after initial diagnosis, highlighting the need for health services to offer more follow-up support in this crucial period. In what is believed to be the largest study of its kind, researchers with expertise in medicine, psychiatry and psychology at UNSW Sydney looked at NSW hospital data captured for more than 180,000 people admitted to hospital between 2001 and 2015.

A striking decline in teen mental health has coincided with the rise of smartphones and social media. Is social media causing the mental health challenges? Finally, research can answer that question.

In people with advanced cancer, psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, LSD and MDMA may significantly reduce the severity of depression and anxiety symptoms. Roughly 10% of patients with cancer experience anxiety, while 20% report depression. However, current research suggests that available prescription antidepressants do not significantly decrease depressive symptoms in cancer patients compared with a placebo.

Even when we know they’re “fake,” placebos can tame our emotional distress.

More magnesium in our daily diet leads to better brain health as we age, according to scientists from the Neuroimaging and Brain Lab at The Australian National University (ANU).

Medical sleep treatment may reduce self-harm in young people with anxiety and depression, an observational study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden suggests. The risk of self-harm increased in the months preceding melatonin prescription and decreased thereafter, especially in girls. The study is published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Data generated by the Apple Watch for the Apple Heart and Movement Study indicates that most people don't get enough sleep at night, and that people in Idaho get more sleep than West Virginia.

Men tend to die earlier in life in countries where the belief that manhood is “hard won and easily lost” is more widespread, according to new research published in Psychology of Men & Masculinity. The findings provide evidence that a basic belief about of what it means to be a man could have significant consequences around the world. ...

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reviewed more than 1,000 research trials examining the effects of physical activity on depression, anxiety, and psychological distress. It showed exercise is an effective way to treat mental health issues – and can be even more effective than medication or counselling.

A study of low-income mothers showed that those with more attachment anxiety (i.e., mothers feeling unworthy of being loved) tended to show more unsupportive reactions to their children’s distress and to attribute child’s distress (e.g., crying) to the negative qualities of the child. The study was published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies. ...