Ellen Barry
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Covering mental health for the New York Times, former Boston, Delhi, Moscow bureau chief. At home in New England. Retweet ≠ endorsement. ebarry@nytimes.com.
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Articles by Ellen Barry
“Pensamientos horribles”: el caso que cuestiona lo que se sabe sobre los cambios psiquiátricos en las mujeres posparto
NUEVA YORK.– Durante las semanas previas a que matara a sus hijos, mientras probaba un régimen de fármacos psiquiátricos tras otro, Lindsay Clancy mantuvo un registro cuidadoso de los síntomas que la perturbaban. “Pensamientos intrusivos”, escribió en su diario el 8 de diciembre de 2022. Al día siguiente, “pensamientos intrusivos horribles”. El 11, 12 y 13 registró más “pensamientos horribles”. Para el 14 algo había cambiado: la intensidad.
Los "pensamientos horribles" de Clancy y los misterios del cerebro posparto
The author Karen Kleiman holds a copy of her book ÒGood Moms Have Scary Thoughts,Ó at home near Philadelphia, Sept. 1, 2026. Lindsay Clancy turned to the book for advice around two months before she killed her children. (Rachel Wisniewski/The New York Times) En las semanas previas a matar a sus hijos, mientras probaba un tratamiento psiquiátrico tras otro, Lindsay Clancy llevó un registro minucioso de los síntomas que la aquejaban.
When Are ‘Horrible Thoughts’ a Danger Sign?
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. During the weeks before she killed her children, as she tried one psychiatric drug regimen after another, Lindsay Clancy kept a careful record of the symptoms that troubled her. “Intrusive thoughts,” she wrote in her diary on Dec. 8, 2022.
How a billionaire shaped Trump’s homelessness policy
A team from the Cicero Institute, an upstart think tank, flew to Indiana this year to help make it a crime for homeless people to sleep on the street. It was its third attempt. Even in the conservative state, previous efforts to ban street camping had failed. Catholic leaders said the measure would hurt the poor, and sheriffs had warned that arrests would crowd the jails. “We’re Hoosiers — we’re better than that,” a Republican state senator, Ron Alting, said last year, urging a more caring approach.
The DailySubscribe: Lindsay Clancy Is on Trial. So Is Postpartum Psychosis. She is being tried on murder charges in the deaths of her three children. The tragedy has resurrected debates over whether such women are criminals or victims. Back to The Daily Previous More episodes ofThe Daily August 25, 2026 • 37:02Canada Is Done With Trump August 24, 2026 • 24:28Natalie Harp’s Devotion to Trump August 19, 2026 • 25:11El Niño Is Back. And Worse Than Ever.
How a billionaire shaped Trump’s homelessness policy
By ELLEN BARRY and JASON DEPARLE NYTimes News Service A team from the Cicero Institute, an upstart think tank, flew to Indiana this year to help make it a crime for homeless people to sleep on the street. It was its third attempt. Even in the conservative state, previous efforts to ban street camping had failed. Catholic leaders said the measure would hurt the poor, and sheriffs had warned that arrests would crowd the jails.
How a Billionaire Shaped Trump’s Homelessness Policy
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. A team from the Cicero Institute, an upstart think tank, flew to Indiana this year to help make it a crime for the homeless to sleep on the street. It was their third attempt. Even in the conservative state, previous efforts to ban street camping had failed.
How a Billionaire Shaped Trump’s Homelessness Policy
Conservative View 21 hours ago How Palantir Co-Founder's Crusade Spread in U.S. realclearpolitics.com - Elizabeth Dwoskin • 21h Long before Silicon Valley embraced Trump, Joe Lonsdale wanted to remake government and shift the nation’s approach to homelessness.
Why Do Some Memories Survive Dementia?
July 26, 2026, 6:00 a.m. ET When Ellen Barry’s father developed dementia after a fall, her family spent years trying to manage his erratic behavior and confusion. They struggled to convince him that he was home, he was safe, and he shouldn’t try to leave. The experience was exasperating and impossible to understand.
Hero or Traitor? The Legacy of a Revolutionary-Era Cherokee Woman
(Revolutionary Journeys) In a Cherokee town overlooking the Little Tennessee River, a white woman is bound to a stake, surrounded by kindling. At 50, Lydia Bean is as tough as shoe leather, having given birth to the last of her children in a lean-to on the Appalachian frontier. But on this day, if we are to believe historical accounts, she had seen a fellow captive, a teenage boy, burned to death, and she is choking on her fear. Torture served a purpose for the Cherokee.
Hero or Traitor? The Legacy of a Revolutionary-Era Cherokee Woman.
This is the tenth and final article in a series about travel and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. In a Cherokee town overlooking the Little Tennessee River, a white woman is bound to a stake, surrounded by kindling. At 50, Lydia Bean is as tough as shoe leather, having given birth to the last of her children in a lean-to on the Appalachian frontier.
R.F.K. Jr.’s Newest Mission: Getting Us Off Antidepressants
The DailySubscribe: R.F.K. Jr.’s Newest Mission: Getting Us Off Antidepressants The process of “deprescribing,” in which a doctor helps a patient taper off a psychiatric medication, is now being considered in the development of federal health policy. Back to The Daily Previous More episodes ofThe Daily June 21, 2026 • 51:00Can a Bad Man Be a Good Father?
Kennedy's Push to Curb Antidepressants Has Shaken Psychiatry
(Science Times) SAN FRANCISCO -- Most years, when thousands of psychiatrists gather for the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, they walk past a scattering of protesters. There are Scientologists with megaphones; Falun Gong groups doing their exercises; and, often, former patients, saying they have been harmed by medications or electroconvulsive therapy. This year, though, the profession is facing criticism from the highest levels of the federal government.
Kennedy’s push to curb antidepressants has shaken psychiatry
SAN FRANCISCO — Most years, when thousands of psychiatrists gather for the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, they walk past a scattering of protesters. There are Scientologists with megaphones; Falun Gong groups doing their exercises; and, often, former patients, saying they have been harmed by medications or electroconvulsive therapy. This year, though, the profession is facing criticism from the highest levels of the federal government.
When My Father's Canary Flew Away
(Science Times) A couple of years ago, in the middle of the night, I crept downstairs to find my father sitting at the kitchen table, sobbing like a child. My mother was beside him, trying to comfort him, an activity that took up more and more of her time. He was 87 and had dementia. It wasn't unusual to find him upset or confused. But on this night, something seemed to be happening to him in real time -- in 1941.
Children's Mental Health Visits Have Shot Up, Research Shows
(Science Times) A study of insurance claims for 1.8 million children found that the number of families raising mental health issues at visits to general practitioners rose sharply over a decade, with anxiety by far the fastest-growing complaint. The study, which was published last week in the journal JAMA Network Open, found that the number of pediatric visits rose to 9.7% in 2023 from 5.7% in 2014.
Kennedy’s Push to Curb Antidepressants Has Shaken Psychiatry
Kennedy’s Push to Curb Antidepressants Has Shaken Psychiatry An annual psychiatric meeting was abuzz over Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s call to rein in the use of depression medications. Some fear it will drive patients away from care. Many psychiatrists said they worried that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s statements about antidepressants would cause patients to refuse or quit them.Credit...Tierney L.
Children’s mental health visits have shot up, research shows
A study of insurance claims for 1.8 million children found that the number of families raising mental health issues at visits to general practitioners rose sharply over a decade, with anxiety by far the fastest-growing complaint. The study, which was published Monday in the journal JAMA Network Open, found that the number of pediatric visits rose to 9.7% in 2023 from 5.7% in 2014.
Children’s Mental Health Visits Have Shot Up, Research Shows
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Children’s Mental Health Visits Have Shot Up, Research Shows Doctor’s visits for children’s anxiety rose by more than 250 percent over 10 years, according to a study of nearly two million children.
Kash Patel’s Personalized Bourbon Stash
This year's Pulitzer Prize winners were announced on Monday. Poynter has a complete list of the awarded work; it's a stunning reminder of all the fantastic journalism still being produced, despite the many challenges facing newsrooms around the country. One more exciting piece of news before we get to this week's stories: You can now buy Sunday Long Read merchandise.
La fragilidad de la memoria, o cuando el canario de mi padre voló
Hace un par de años, en mitad de la noche, bajé sigilosamente las escaleras y encontré a mi padre sentado a la mesa de la cocina, sollozando como un niño. Mi madre estaba a su lado e intentaba consolarlo, una tarea que le ocupaba cada vez más tiempo. Él tenía 87 años y padecía demencia. No era raro encontrarlo alterado o confundido. Pero esa noche parecía que algo le estaba ocurriendo en tiempo real
en 1941.
La fragilidad de la memoria, o cuando el canario de mi padre voló
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Hace un par de años, en mitad de la noche, bajé sigilosamente las escaleras y encontré a mi padre sentado a la mesa de la cocina, sollozando como un niño. Mi madre estaba a su lado e intentaba consolarlo, una tarea que le ocupaba cada vez más tiempo. Él tenía 87 años y padecía demencia. No era raro encontrarlo alterado o confundido.
When My Father's Canary Flew Away
A couple of years ago, in the middle of the night, I crept downstairs to find my father sitting at the kitchen table, sobbing like a child. My mother was beside him, trying to comfort him, an activity that took up more and more of her time. He was 87 and had dementia. It wasn't unusual to find him upset or confused. But on this night, something seemed to be happening to him in real time -- in 1941.
When My Father’s Canary Flew Away
A couple of years ago, in the middle of the night, I crept downstairs to find my father sitting at the kitchen table, sobbing like a child. My mother was beside him, trying to comfort him, an activity that took up more and more of her time. He was 87 and had dementia. It wasn’t unusual to find him upset or confused. But on this night, something seemed to be happening to him in real time — in 1941.
Kennedy Starts a Push to Help Americans Quit Antidepressants
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday announced several initiatives intended to rein in the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, the most widely prescribed class of antidepressants, which he has described as exceptionally difficult to quit. Kennedy has long signaled that reducing the use of psychiatric drugs would be an aim of his tenure, but Monday’s announcements were the first significant step in that direction.
Kennedy Starts a Push to Help Americans Quit Antidepressants
Kennedy Starts a Push to Help Americans Quit Antidepressants The health secretary has long complained that Americans overuse psychiatric medications. New policies he is introducing aim to change that. Monday’s announcements were Health Secretary Kennedy’s first significant step to reduce the use of antidepressants. Credit...Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times May 4, 2026, 7:58 p.m. ET Health Secretary Robert F.
Top Psychiatrists Call for a Greater Focus on Ceasing Medication
Top Psychiatrists Call for a Greater Focus on Ceasing Medication With Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. aiming to rein in the use of psychiatric drugs, psychiatrists are preemptively addressing how and when patients should quit taking them. Credit...Colin Temple/Alamy May 1, 2026, 5:00 a.m. ET As Health Secretary Robert F.
National Youth Suicides Declined After Creation of National Hotline By Ellen Barry NYT News Service/Syndicate Stories April 23, 2026 11:33 AM
Over the 2 1/2 years following the 2022 rollout of the 988 national suicide prevention hotline, the rate of suicides among young people in the United States dropped 11% below projections, decreasing most sharply in states with a higher volume of answered 988 calls, a new study has found. The findings, published Wednesday as a research letter in JAMA, compared suicide deaths from July 2022 to December 2024 with sophisticated mathematical projections that were based on historical trends.
Youth Suicides Declined After Creation of National Hotline
Youth Suicides Declined After Creation of National Hotline Suicides among young adults dropped most sharply in states that actively embraced the 988 crisis line, new research has found. A crisis line specialist working the phone at a mental health crisis center in Houston in 2022.
Youth Suicides Declined After Creation of National Hotline
Over the 2 1/2 years following the 2022 rollout of the 988 national suicide prevention hotline, the rate of suicides among young people in the United States dropped 11% below projections, decreasing most sharply in states with a higher volume of answered 988 calls, a new study has found. kAm%96 7:?5:?8D[ AF3=:D965 (65?6D52J 2D 2 C6D62C49 =6EE6C :? yp|p[ 4@>A2C65 DF:4:56 562E9D 7C@> yF=J a_aa E@ s646>36C a_ac H:E9 D@A9:DE:42E65 >2E96>2E:42= AC@;64E:@?D E92E H6C6 32D65 @?
Youth Suicides Declined After Creation of National Hotline
Over the 2 1/2 years following the 2022 rollout of the 988 national suicide prevention hotline, the rate of suicides among young people in the United States dropped 11% below projections, decreasing most sharply in states with a higher volume of answered 988 calls, a new study has found. kAm%96 7:?5:?8D[ AF3=:D965 (65?6D52J 2D 2 C6D62C49 =6EE6C :? yp|p[ 4@>A2C65 DF:4:56 562E9D 7C@> yF=J a_aa E@ s646>36C a_ac H:E9 D@A9:DE:42E65 >2E96>2E:42= AC@;64E:@?D E92E H6C6 32D65 @?
Edna Foa, who pioneered exposure therapy to treat PTSD, dies at 88
Edna Foa, an Israeli American psychologist who pressed her field -- and her patients -- to more directly confront fear and anxiety, revolutionizing the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, died March 24 at a hospital in Philadelphia. She was 88. Her death, from complications of pneumonia, was confirmed by her daughter Yael Foa. Foa completed her training in the late 1960s, when clinicians tended to treat people with severe anxiety disorders cautiously and gradually.
Edna Foa, Who Pioneered Exposure Therapy to Treat PTSD, Dies at 88
Edna Foa, an Israeli American psychologist who pressed her field -- and her patients -- to more directly confront fear and anxiety, revolutionizing the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, died March 24 at a hospital in Philadelphia. She was 88. kAmw6C 562E9[ 7C@> 4@>A=:42E:@?D @7 A?6F>@?:2[ H2D 4@?7:C>65 3J 96C 52F89E6C *26= u@2]k^Am kAmu@2 4@>A=6E65 96C EC2:?:?8 :? E96 =2E6 `he_D[ H96?
Edna Foa, Who Pioneered Exposure Therapy to Treat PTSD, Dies at 88 Original
Edna Foa, an Israeli American psychologist who pressed her field — and her patients — to more directly confront fear and anxiety, revolutionizing the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, died on March 24 at a hospital in Philadelphia. She was 88. Her death, from complications of pneumonia, was confirmed by her daughter Yael Foa. Dr. Foa completed her training in the late 1960s, when clinicians tended to treat people with severe anxiety disorders cautiously and gradually.
Idaho cut services for people with schizophrenia. Then the deaths began
The last time Lorenzo Pahvitse-Rodriguez saw his therapist, in mid-December, unsettling changes were around the corner. The state of Idaho had embarked on a risky cost-cutting experiment, eliminating a set of Medicaid-funded services that were designed to deliver medical care to people with the most disabling mental illnesses. Pahvitse-Rodriguez, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, had stabilized in the program.
Idaho Cut Services for People With Schizophrenia. Then the Deaths Began.
The last time Lorenzo Pahvitse-Rodriguez saw his therapist, in mid-December, unsettling changes were around the corner. The state of Idaho had embarked on a risky cost-cutting experiment, eliminating a set of Medicaid-funded services that were designed to deliver medical care to people with the most disabling mental illnesses. Mr. Pahvitse-Rodriguez, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, had stabilized in the program.
Idaho Cut Services for People With Schizophrenia. Then the Deaths Began.
The last time Lorenzo Pahvitse-Rodriguez saw his therapist, in mid-December, unsettling changes were around the corner. The state of Idaho had embarked on a risky cost-cutting experiment, eliminating a set of Medicaid-funded services that were designed to deliver medical care to people with the most disabling mental illnesses. kAm!29G:ED6\#@5C:8F6K[ 2 >6>36C @7 E96 $9@D9@?6\q2??@4< %C:36D[ 925 DE23:=:K65 :? E96 AC@8C2>] pE cd[ 96 925 368F? E2<:?8 =@?8\24E:?8 >65:42E:@?
Una historia secreta de la psicosis
Cuando Cohen Miles-Rath entra en casa de su padre, la historia de su psicosis está ahí, frente a él. Ahí está el lugar donde se encontraba cuando recibió un mensaje críptico en su teléfono: el diablo había invadido el cuerpo de su padre. Ahí está el cajón donde vio un cuchillo con mango blanco: ¡el color de Dios! Ahí está el suelo donde, al forcejear por el cuchillo, Cohen arrancó de un mordisco parte del lóbulo de la oreja de su padre, y la sangre salpicó a ambos.
A Secret History of Psychosis
When Cohen Miles-Rath walks into his father's house, the history of his psychosis is right there in front of him. kAm%96C6 :D E96 A=246 H96C6 96 H2D DE2?5:?8 H96? 96 C646:G65 2 4CJAE:4 >6DD286 @? 9:D A9@?6i %96 56G:= 925 6?E6C65 9:D 72E96CVD 3@5J] %96C6 :D E96 5C2H6C H96C6 96 DA@EE65 2 <?:76 H9@D6 92?5=6 H2D H9:E6 \\ E96 4@=@C @7 v@5Pk^Am kAm%96C6 :D E96 7=@@C H96C6[ 2D E96J 8C2AA=65 @G6C E96 <?:76[ r@96?
A Secret History of Psychosis Original
When Cohen Miles-Rath walks into his father’s house, the history of his psychosis is right there in front of him. There is the place where he was standing when he received a cryptic message on his phone: The devil had entered his father’s body. There is the drawer where he spotted a knife whose handle was white — the color of God! There is the floor where, as they grappled over the knife, Cohen bit off part of his father’s earlobe, and blood spattered over both of them.
VA Begins Drive to Put Some Homeless Veterans Into Guardianship
The Trump administration Wednesday announced a new effort to initiate legal guardianships for hundreds of veterans, including some who are homeless or "at risk of homelessness," that could be used to force more of them into involuntary or institutional care. kAm&?56C E96 ?6H 2CC2?86>6?E[ E96 yFDE:46 s6A2CE>6?E H@F=5 8:G6 @77:4:2=D 2E E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 '6E6C2?D p772:CD 2FE9@C:EJ E96J 4FCC6?E=J =24< E@ :?:E:2E6 8F2C5:2?D9:A AC@4665:?8D :?
V.A. Begins Drive to Put Homeless Veterans Into Guardianship
The Trump administration on Wednesday announced a new effort to initiate legal guardianships for homeless veterans, which could be used to force more of them into involuntary or institutional care.
V.A. Begins Drive to Put Homeless Veterans Into Guardianship
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. A joint effort with the Justice Department creates new authority to compel veterans into institutional or involuntary care.
VA Begins Drive to Put Homeless Veterans Into Guardianship
The Trump administration Wednesday announced a new effort to initiate legal guardianships for homeless veterans, which could be used to force more of them into involuntary or institutional care. kAm%96 ?6H DJDE6>[ 42CC:65 @FE :? A2CE?6CD9:A H:E9 E96 yFDE:46 s6A2CE>6?E[ H:== :?G6DE s6A2CE>6?E @7 '6E6C2?D p772:CD 2EE@C?6JD H:E9 6IA2?565 A@H6CD E92E H@F=5 2==@H E96> E@ :?:E:2E6 2?5 E2<6 A2CE :? 8F2C5:2?D9:A AC@4665:?8D 7@C G6E6C2?D H9@ 92G6 ?@ 72>:=J 2?5 2C6 QF?23=6 E@ >2<6 E96:C @H?
Despite Promises, Veterans Affairs Department Cut Thousands of Roles for Doctors and Nurses
Creep nurse had sex with patient — then falsely accused him of sexually assaulting her A Wisconsin nurse has been thrown behind bars after she repeatedly had sex with a drug-court patient — and then falsely claimed he sexually assaulted …
Veterans Affairs Department Cut Thousands of Roles for Doctors and Nurses
The head of the Veterans Affairs Department has repeatedly said that the agency needs to hire more doctors, nurses and other providers “taking care of people on the front line,” even as President Trump seeks to shrink the federal government. But the V.A. has eliminated thousands of medical positions that were left vacant after a wave of resignations and retirements last year, according to a New York Times analysis of internal agency records that have not previously been reported.
Psychiatrist Says Kennedy Was 'Not Accurate' in Discussing His Keto Studies
A Harvard University psychiatrist who studies the link between diet and mental health said Friday that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was "not accurate" in claiming he had "cured" schizophrenia using the keto diet, but that he hoped interest from Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" movement would expand access to the treatment.
Psychiatrist Says Kennedy Was ‘Not Accurate’ in Discussing His Keto Studies Original
Dr. Christopher M. Palmer said in an interview that the keto diet, while promising, did not “cure” schizophrenia as the health secretary had claimed. Listen to this article · 6:22 min Learn more On Wednesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that “we now know that the things that you eat are driving mental illness in this country,” and that a doctor at Harvard had “cured schizophrenia using keto diets.”Credit...Eric Lee for The New York Times Feb.
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