Mental Health

shows an inmate in a orange jail jumpsuit and handcuffs behind a bottle labeled methadone, an opioid use disorder drug that can help reduce cravings.

For some opioid users in NC, jail doesn’t mean detox

February 25, 2020 by Taylor Knopf 3 Comments

For some opioid users in NC, jail doesn’t mean detox - North Carolina Health News

To prevent overdose deaths, some counties are allowing inmates to continue medication-assisted treatment.

Taylor Knopf For most people using substances, time in jail means forced detox. This is also true for those trying to improve their lives with opioid addiction programs, such as medication-assisted treatment (MAT). More and more North Carolinians are entering these MAT programs, where they receive daily doses of drugs, such as methadone or buprenorphine […]

woman asks questions about mental health policy to a panel of legislators

Mental health advocates use gathering to push for funding, priorities

February 5, 2020 by Rose Hoban

Mental health advocates use gathering to push for funding, priorities - North Carolina Health News

An annual event brings mental health advocates face-to-face with policymakers, but questions linger whether the encounters move the needle.

By Rose Hoban Hundreds of people concerned about North Carolina’s mental health system convened in Chapel Hill on Saturday morning for an annual event that’s become a prime forum for laying out the priorities and concerns of the mental health community. About 400 service providers, advocates and consumers of mental health services were joined by […]

A look inside the former Dorothea Dix Chapel, which features dark wooden pews and ornate panels.

Former chapel on NC’s Dorothea Dix campus to reopen, welcome visitors, events

January 27, 2020 by Thomas Goldsmith

Former chapel on NC’s Dorothea Dix campus to reopen, welcome visitors, events - North Carolina Health News

All Faiths Chapel of Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh will become a multi-purpose and welcome center after a $2 million renovation that’s just getting underway. Spiritual gatherings may still take place there, but it will also house concerts, meetings and educational events.

By Thomas Goldsmith The chapel that patients and staff at Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Hospital attended for almost 60 years is getting a $2 million facelift and will greet visitors to Dix Park as well as offer concerts, community meetings, educational programs, spiritual events and more. The All Faiths Chapel opened in 1955 as a brand […]

A woman's pregnant torso poses in the light. This photo is used to illustrate perinatal depression and maternal health and use of nitrous oxide in childbirth.

Perinatal depression affects one in seven women, including me

January 17, 2020 by Yen Duong

Perinatal depression affects one in seven women, including me - North Carolina Health News

Less well-known than postpartum depression, perinatal depression caused by hormone and life changes affects many pregnant women. I should know: I’m one of them.

By Yen Duong I knew going into my third pregnancy that it’s not a walk in the park: around two-thirds of pregnant women experience morning sickness, almost everyone experiences fatigue from building a placenta, the immune system changes, and sleep problems arise. But I never expected that it would be this bad. For months, I […]

Cannabis confusion pushes states to ban smokable hemp

January 15, 2020 by Pew Trusts

Cannabis confusion pushes states to ban smokable hemp - North Carolina Health News

Lawmakers came and left Raleigh this week to return in April, leaving many issues unresolved. One of the big questions is what to do about smokable hemp, which some law enforcement worry looks too much like marijuana.

By Sophie Quinton Stateline Hemp plants can be made into anything from rope and insulation to granola. But today, most U.S. hemp farmers are growing hemp to produce cannabinoids, such as CBD — which means they’re growing plants that look like marijuana, smell like marijuana and, increasingly, are rolled into joints and smoked like marijuana. […]

shows a soldier with his head in his hands, used to represent post traumatic stress disorder / PTSD

Latest NC research finds potential new treatment for PTSD

January 14, 2020 by Taylor Knopf

Latest NC research finds potential new treatment for PTSD - North Carolina Health News

Researchers are waiting on two more grants to further study the effects of stellate ganglion block treatment for PTSD patients.

By Taylor Knopf A procedure historically used to treat pain could also be used to help people with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a recent clinical study by Research Triangle Park-based RTI International. Researchers found that a treatment called stellate ganglion block (SGB) improved symptoms of PTSD in their study participants. The treatment involves an […]

Attorney general Josh Stein speaks at a podium to reporters about measures to fight the opioid crisis.

NC dentists join AG Josh Stein in effort to fight opioid epidemic

January 8, 2020 by Anne Blythe

NC dentists join AG Josh Stein in effort to fight opioid epidemic - North Carolina Health News

After pulling your wisdom teeth, your dentist might not prescribe opioids as the first line of attack against the surgical pain.

By Anne Blythe Holiday breaks for many teens and college students might often include a bit of bah humbug in a dentist’s office. Many young people schedule wisdom teeth extractions then so they can have a few days to recover at home without missing classes or work. The experience can be one of the more […]

shows white fireworks against a dark sky. 2019, 2020

NC health trends and policies to watch for in 2020

January 3, 2020 by Editor

NC health trends and policies to watch for in 2020 - North Carolina Health News

We asked our reporters to predict the biggest developments in health in the state this coming year. Today, we look ahead on Medicaid transformation, environmental policy, mental health and more.

By North Carolina Health News staff Our reporters explored some of the biggest topics in North Carolina’s health arena from Medicaid managed care to mental health in prisons, to the state’s opioid crisis. Here is a sampling of the topics they’ll be monitoring in the coming year: Medicaid battles continue with a January mini session […]

shows a group of people gathered on a graffiti covered bridge, they're working with equipment that's on the ground.

What stories grabbed you in 2019? NC Health News most-read stories of the year, continued.

December 31, 2019 by Editor

What stories grabbed you in 2019? NC Health News most-read stories of the year, continued. - North Carolina Health News

NC Health News published more than 300 stories in 2019. These are rest of the topics which were widely read, shared and commented on.

By NC Health News staff PFAS, 1,4 dioxane still troubling NC waters In the Wilmington area, the reaction was swift to news in 2017 that potentially unhealthy levels of GenX and other “forever chemicals” had been found in drinking water drawn from the Cape Fear River. There, officials had someone to blame. The state Department […]

Young man loads a medical needle from a bottle with a clear substance

What stories grabbed you in 2019? NC Health News most-read stories of the year

December 30, 2019 by Editor

What stories grabbed you in 2019? NC Health News most-read stories of the year - North Carolina Health News

What piqued your interest this year? We review which stories grabbed peoples' attention, got passed around and shared widely.

By NC Health News Staff Lessons from Abroad: How Europeans tackled opioid addiction and what the U.S. could learn from them. For years, NC Health News has reported on the drug-related deaths, diseases and losses that have resulted from the opioid crisis. Life expectancy in the United States has dropped for two years in a […]

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