Mental Health

WASHINGTON — The House on Monday unanimously passed the Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement Act, which would increase mental health resources available to caregivers of America’s veteran population. Alternately known as the COPE Act, the bipartisan legislation sponsored by Reps.... Read More

ALBANY, N.Y. — Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the iconic media personality who rocketed to fame as the nation’s sex therapist in the 1980s, now has a new title to add to her resume: She’s now New York’s — and by extension,... Read More

The nation’s top accident investigator said Thursday that a surge in close calls between planes at U.S. airports this year is a "clear warning sign” that the aviation system is under stress. “While these events are incredibly rare, our safety... Read More

WASHINGTON — Welcome to November. We’re well into autumn and it’s time to “fall back” — daylight saving time has ended, there’s plenty of beauty to see and holidays to look forward to. But as the weather gets colder and... Read More

WASHINGTON — A whistleblower former employee of Meta Platforms Inc. told a Senate panel Tuesday that top executives of the social media giant knew their Facebook platform harmed young people but covered it up to avoid interfering with their profits.... Read More

WASHINGTON — A new federal campaign aims to provide hospital leaders with the critical, evidence-based resources they need to improve workplace policies and reduce burnout among their staff of health care professionals. As previously reported in The Well News, physician... Read More

WASHINGTON — Attention fall enthusiasts: we’ve reached peak foliage season in Washington, D.C.! The end of October into November is the best time to see the brightest orange, yellow, and red leaves on trees. They’ll hang around a little longer,... Read More

WASHINGTON — In today’s world, we’re busier and more worried than ever. Work is demanding, new health crises are arising and we have a constant influx of information about everything on our phones.  Our brains are overloaded and we never... Read More

WASHINGTON — Judges from the Federal Circuit Court in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday suspended a 96-year-old fellow judge for one year after she refused to submit to a mental competency test. They accused Judge Pauline Newman of misconduct for not... Read More

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Senate Appropriations Committee’s decision to protect and actually grow funding for the National Institutes of Health in key areas in the Senate’s proposed 2024 budget has garnered praise from Research!America, a nonprofit advocacy group. The alliance... Read More

WASHINGTON — To those of a certain age, the music of Badfinger is an indelible part of their having grown up in the 1970s. From 1970 through 1972 their string of hits, almost all of them driving rock ballads written... Read More

RICHMOND, Va. — A ruling by a federal appeals court Monday means Maryland schools can develop support plans for transgender or gender-nonconforming students without the consent of their parents. The 4th Circuit said the children — not the parents —... Read More

WASHINGTON — “If I believe in just one thing, it is the ability of human beings to adapt, learn and get better,” Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., told attendees at a Brookings Institution event this week as he detailed his mental... Read More

LOS ANGELES — The actor Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila launched a new initiative Thursday intended to simplify the federal grant application process to support mental health programs and safe learning environments in schools. The couple’s goal in creating... Read More

WASHINGTON — The House Energy and Commerce Committee met Wednesday to markup 15 health-related bills, reviewing and reauthorizing programs dealing with everything from the future of telehealth to a registry for firefighters dealing with cancer to treatment services for sickle... Read More

WASHINGTON — The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Saturday that a Tennessee law banning doctors from providing gender-affirming care for minors could go into effect immediately. The 2-1 decision is considered groundbreaking because it marks the first time... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday gave its first approval to a drug that can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. In a press release the agency said its full approval of lecanemab, known by the brand... Read More

WASHINGTON — With one out of every five Americans expected to be age 65 or over by 2030, there has never been a more critical time to remind older adults of the substantial health benefits of engaging in regular physical... Read More

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — We Americans are a funny bunch when it comes to health. Despite widespread prosperity and the fact that our farmers feed most of the rest of the world, our life expectancy is plummeting and we suffer... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday published a new draft guidance on what researchers should consider when investigating the use of psychedelic drugs for potential treatment of medical conditions, including psychiatric or substance use disorders.  The first-of-its-kind... Read More

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday threw his support behind two bills currently in the state Legislature that would increase the number of treatment beds available to homeless people with mental illness and substance abuse issues and... Read More

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — A bill intended to help restore the competency of jailed individuals with mental health issues so they can stand trial has been vetoed by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt. Specifically, the legislation sponsored by Republican State Sen.... Read More

WASHINGTON — Student performance in reading and math has fallen significantly since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, with the nation’s current crop of 13-year-olds showing the largest declines ever recorded according to test scores released Wednesday by the National... Read More

WASHINGTON — Companion bills in the House and Senate represent a bipartisan effort to enhance rural child care by eradicating so-called “child care deserts.” The legislation, known as the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act, would create six new programs... Read More

WASHINGTON — Top officials at the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration are urging that more be done to advance the development of rapid drug-testing tools to stem the rising tide of overdose deaths in the... Read More

WASHINGTON — The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition will hold its first public meeting in three years on June 27, with members expected to revise old priorities and set new ones in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.... Read More

WASHINGTON — Following an unprecedented spike in anti-LGBTQ+ measures sweeping state houses this year, five transgender rights advocates gathered at a panel on Thursday afternoon to discuss the impact of anti-trans laws and rhetoric.  "It certainly feels like a state... Read More

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Transgender adults living in rural communities are far less likely to feel they get the familial support they need than those living in urban settings or so-called cisgender adults, those who identify with the sex registered for... Read More

WASHINGTON — While social media use may be beneficial to some people, the U.S. surgeon general warned Tuesday that not enough is being done to fully understand or address the likely harm it does to the mental health and well-being... Read More

NEW YORK — “Broken” home-based health care experiences are causing avoidable hospital readmissions, exacting worrisome financial and psychological tolls on patients and caregivers alike, a new survey by Tomorrow Health has found. According to the American Hospital Association, 35 million... Read More