How prison affects Black men’s mental health long after they’ve been released

Mike returned home to Philadelphia after a 15-year prison sentence and suffered an emotional breakdown. “I just couldn’t stop crying … I don’t know. It was the anxiety. It was…

Children living near oil and gas wells face higher risk of rare leukemia, studies show

Acute lymphocytic leukemia is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in children, although it is rare. It begins in the bone marrow and rapidly progresses. Long-term survival rates exceed…

Philadelphians with mental illness want to work, pray, date and socialize just like everyone else – here’s how creating more inclusive communities is good for public health

Do you remember the COVID-19 shutdowns? Many Americans could no longer do the activities they enjoyed once businesses, schools, churches, gyms and community organizations shut their doors. Even spending time…

Philly psychology students map out local landmarks and hidden destinations where they feel happiest

What makes you happy? Perhaps a good night’s sleep, or a wonderful meal with friends? I am the director of the Happiness Lab at Drexel University, where I also teach…

Here are 3 marketing strategies I use to make Philadelphia healthier

In Philadelphia, the leading causes of death are heart disease, cancer and unintentional drug overdose. While some of these deaths are caused by things out of our control – like…

Pennsylvania may be short 20,000 nurses by 2026

Imagine nearly every seat in Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center − over 20,000 seats − are empty. That’s the scale of Pennsylvania’s projected shortfall of registered nurses by 2026, according to…

Medetomidine is replacing xylazine in Philly street fentanyl − creating new hurdles for health care providers and drug users

Philadelphia’s street opioid supply – or “dope” market – is constantly changing. As health care workers and researchers who care for people who use drugs in our community, we have…

Fewer deaths, new substances and evolving treatments in Philly’s opioid epidemic − 4 essential reads

In Philadelphia, fatal overdoses are the No. 3 cause of death after heart disease and cancer. That’s been the case each year since 2016, except in 2020 and 2021 when…

Philly’s street fentanyl contains an industrial chemical called BTMPS that’s an ingredient in plastic

As much as half of the fentanyl sold on Philly’s streets contains an industrial chemical used in plastics manufacturing. That’s according to our November 2024 testing of fentanyl samples collected…

How opioid deaths tripled in Philly over a decade − and what may be behind a recent downturn

After nearly a decade of almost year-over-year increases in overdose deaths, the tide may finally be turning in Philadelphia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in May 2024…