Author

Don Sapatkin

Don Sapatkin is an independent journalist who reports on science and health care. His primary focus for nearly two decades has been public health, especially policy, access to care, health disparities and behavioral health, notably opioid addiction and treatment. Sapatkin previously was a staff editor for Politico and a reporter and editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer, and is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Haverford College and is based in Philadelphia. He can be reached at info@mindsitenews.org

Don's Latest Articles

In New York, moral outrage and human care

Two tales from one city: Outrage continues over the killing of Jordan Neely, a mentally ill man on a New York City subway. And a dedicated team of outreach workers works to help homeless people struggling with mental illness to get off the streets and to get supportive services.

Not My Grandmother’s Alzheimer’s

People people are trying new strategies to delay the progression of dementia. The Minneapolis Star Tribune examines why insurers do such a poor job covering mental health conditions (and finds lots of reasons).

A town that takes care of its own

A visit to a town in Belgium, where people with mental illness live with foster families. Apple’s new iPhone app will help people journal, a potential mental health tool.

Virtual Reality Meets Telehealth

Virtual reality and telehealth come together to treat PTSD. The mental health of home health aides is slipping. And the barbaric death of an incarcerated mentally ill man.

A healing place for Cambodian immigrants

A home-like program in Oakland supports Cambodian refugees. A psychedelics pioneer reflects on his impending death. And dementia caregivers weigh truthfulness and consequences.

“Depression is treatable and treatment works”

Narcan nasal spray may be coming to a convenience store near you. A study find neurodiversity common among entrepreneurs. Millions of people may start losing Medicaid – and access to mental health services. And more.  

A comeback for Dr. Freud

A Freudian revival is enticing creatives into psychoanalysis. Insurance disparities explain a lot about shortcomings in Minnesota’s mental health system. And a mental health startup bites the dust.

You say your Adderall isn’t Adderalling?

A chorus of Adderall users say their ADHD meds no longer work. In Florida, 100 children a day are being detained for psychiatric evaluations. And beware of genetic tests that are supposed to identify the best antidepressant for you.

Mental Health Parity: the Legal Battle Continues

Did the mental health of the U.S. population really decline during the pandemic? A critical legal battle in the quest for mental health parity plods along. And the trauma of never-ending war weighs on Ukrainian soldiers.

New York Mayor Broadens Mental Health Plan

Schizophrenia is best treated early but private insurance won’t cover the optimal care. New York is expanding its mental health plans. And three psychedelics walk into a bar.

A radical response to a historic crisis

The U.S. is losing the war on drugs. Can radical responses – like supervised injection sites – turn the tide? Plus the push to get coming out of prison onto Medicaid, and more evidence that exercise can ease depression and anxiety.

For Depression and Anxiety, Exercise Better Than Meds or Therapy: Study

Exercise of various sorts and durations was more effective than either medication or psychotherapy and “should be a mainstay approach in the management of depression, anxiety and psychological distress.”

Troubling fantasies from Bing’s chatbot

Microsoft's new AI chatbot obsesses about love -- and fantasizes about stealing nuclear codes. Sen. Fetterman's transparency about his depression signals a new openness. TikTok Tics are subsiding. And more.

It’s true: Air pollution is depressing

Study spots a link between air quality and mental health. Therapists at a mental health startup vote to unionize. The brutal police killing of Tyre Nichols is just the latest trauma for Memphis.

CA wins right to enroll incarcerated in Medicaid

California will become the first state in the country able to provide Medicaid coverage to incarcerated people. New York's mayor releases a plan for mental health services for the city's public schools. And country singer Chase Rice gets real – and powerful – about mental health.

How Matisse moved from anxiety to creativity

A new exhibit asks a provocative question: How did Matisse get out of an anxiety-fueled slump and create a whole new art form? Climate change’s effect on mental health goes beyond behavior – it may alter your brain. Can lithium in drinking water reduce the risk of suicide? And Canada’s new guidelines for alcohol say no amount is healthy.

On MLK Jr. Day, a self-care reminder

Martin Luther King Jr. was aware that his work for equal rights for Black Americans took a toll on him psychologically and emotionally. “I have been giving, giving, giving and not stopping to retreat and meditate like I should,” he wrote in 1959. Also: a college course preps students to look out for their own mental health. And the push for Medicaid to address behavioral health needs.

Insurers with Medicare contracts impede treatment access

News from around the web: The FDA has approved a new Alzheimer’s drug that few people will be able to afford. Insurers with Medicare Advantage contracts erect barriers to opioid treatment. And more.

ER Visits for Kids: Not a Good Way to Address Mental Health Crises

A new study points to the futility of using psychiatric ERs to address kids' mental health crises. Another links state abortion restrictions to higher suicide rates among women. Plus: the mental health of Marvel superheroes. And more.

Coping with suicides and myths

The myth that suicides rise during the holiday season just won’t go away. A social justice organization led by indigenous women provides vital support for indigenous immigrants in LA. A Washington Post investigation details how federal inaction enabled the fentanyl epidemic.

Selena Gomez, goblin mode and the gut-brain connection

Orange County declares racism a public health crisis. The strongest evidence yet links gut microbes to depression. Russian soldiers returning from Ukraine face critical (and ignored) mental health needs.

NY mayor’s plan to force mentally ill off streets

Mayor Adams wants to forcibly remove mentally ill from streets. Long-closed LA Hospital to become "Heathy Village." And are compulsive liars mentally ill?

Listening to bird songs reduces anxiety

A study finds that listening to birds singing reduces anxiety and paranoia. Harm reduction advocates in Texas operate on the sly. And protesting students demand better mental health resources at Colorado College. 

Honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Today’s Daily explores why culture and history is essential to the mental health of indigenous people. It also reports halting progress toward mental health parity and looks at the ways Georgia’s mental health system harms children and families. And more.

One hundred points of light

Life-size lanterns honoring people who've struggled with mental illness adorn the plaza next to Philadelphia City Hall. The New York Times continues its provocative series of essays on mental health. New findings on our national suicide rate. Plus, tips to protect your mental health during a hurricane.

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