skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rep. LaMonica McIver charged by DOJ over incident with ICE agents; WA to see more prescribed burns thanks to new liability fund; Medical copays lock out incarcerated people from health care in NC prisons; Slaughterhouse line speeds raise concerns in GA over worker safety.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Congress debates Medicaid cuts, FBI pledges to investigate missing Indigenous people, Illinois pushes back on federal autism data plan, and deadly bombing in California is investigated as domestic terrorism.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

New Mexico's acequia irrigation system is a model of democratic governance, buying a house in rural America will get harder under the Trump administration's draft 2026 budget, and physicians and medical clinics serving rural America are becoming a rarity.

Recalibrating the Fight Against Isolation During COVID

play audio
Play

Tuesday, December 15, 2020   

BISMARCK, N.D. -- North Dakotans are on the front end of a long winter during a pandemic. But a mental health expert says it doesn't have to mean months of unhealthy isolation. He says people can tap into some reminders, as well as new advice, on how to protect their mental well-being.

A Kaiser Family Foundation poll says 53% of U.S. adults feel their mental health has suffered during the crisis. That's up more than 20% from the beginning of the pandemic. Paul Nussbaum is a neuropsychologist at the University of Pittsburgh School of medicine. He said it shows the effect the situation is having on much of the population.

"When we have a sense of loss of control and we're not able to sort of express ourselves in ways and cope in ways that we need to cope, there's almost a learned helplessness that begins to emerge," Nussbaum said.

He said tips offered back in the spring, such as establishing a routine and staying active, are still helpful. But he also said expressing what you're going through to a friend or loved one can be therapeutic.

Nussbaum will be the featured guest at a wellness event hosted by AARP North Dakota at 3 p.m. Central time Wednesday afternoon. It will be streamed on the group's Facebook and YouTube pages.

Nussbaum said added financial stress for many residents is bringing even more anxiety. Be he said those who are struggling need to remind themselves that the crisis isn't their fault, and that showing some vulnerability by talking it out can work wonders.

"It's not rocket science, it's not fancy. But it's still foundational for how we can begin to heal," he said.

He said sharing these feelings can help people recognize they're not the only ones dealing with these problems. He added it might prompt others to suggest helpful solutions they have discovered during the crisis.

Disclosure: AARP North Dakota contributes to our fund for reporting on Health Issues, Senior Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Florida A&M University, a public historically Black land-grant institution in Tallahassee, was founded in 1887. It is one of the largest Historically Black Colleges and Universities by enrollment and the only public HBCU in Florida. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

The selection of Marva Johnson, a longtime corporate executive and ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis, as the next president of Florida A&M University has …


Environment

play sound

Congress is set to claw back $6.5 billion in climate-related Inflation Reduction Act investments to help pay for the Trump administration's priorities…

Social Issues

play sound

The FBI has said it will add resources in 10 states including New Mexico to tackle unresolved crimes, with a focus on those related to missing and …


Health and Wellness

play sound

Illinois is the first state to block the federal government from accessing state data on autism. The order, signed by Gov. JB Pritzker last week…

Oregon and California have created prescribed burn liability funds to help reduce the risk for landowners and contractors. (David Elkins/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Washington lawmakers have created a new Prescribed Burn Liability Fund to help make controlled burns less risky on public, private and tribal lands …

Social Issues

play sound

A recent scam using fake Indiana government email addresses is prompting a broader warning to Hoosiers. The messages claimed to involve unpaid tolls …

Social Issues

play sound

A guaranteed income pilot program in Oakland improved housing stability and employment among its recipients, according to a new report from the …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021