The invisible public health crisis

Health reporter William Wan examines one of the unseen effects of the pandemic on people’s lives — the emotional and psychological toll.

Monday, November 23, 2020

Almost a year into a pandemic, we’re all aware of what the coronavirus can do to our bodies. More than 250,000 Americans have died. Millions of people around the world are sick.

But there are other, non-physical effects, too — the emotional and psychological toll of isolation, constant fear and loss, especially on young adults. That’s what Ted Robbins wants you to understand:

“What they told me was: ‘You as a parent don’t realize how bad it is for the youth today. You don’t realize how many of Christian’s friends have contemplated suicide. You don’t realize how depressed we are. You don’t realize how hard this is.’ ”

Months after the loss of his son to suicide, Robbins spoke with health reporter William Wan and producer Rennie Svirnovskiy about the conversations we’re still not having about mental health — and about the changes we’ll need to make if we’re going to get through this pandemic.

“I can’t bring Christian back,” Robbins said. “No matter how much I want to or I try, I can’t bring him back. But what I can do is try to save other children.”

If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK, or 800-273-8255. You can also text a crisis counselor by messaging the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

Add to a podcast app

Listen to new episodes on your smartphone or other device.

Get episode via email

Receive each new episode in your inbox.

Amazon Echo

Enable the Flash Briefing in the Amazon Skill store or search for "The Washington Post" in the Skill section of your Alexa app. Then ask, "Alexa, what's my Flash Briefing?" or "Alexa, what's the news?"

Google Home

Send Post Reports to your Google Assistant device or say, "Okay Google, play the news from Post Reports."

The invisible public health crisis

Health reporter William Wan examines one of the unseen effects of the pandemic on people’s lives — the emotional and psychological toll.

Monday, November 23, 2020

Almost a year into a pandemic, we’re all aware of what the coronavirus can do to our bodies. More than 250,000 Americans have died. Millions of people around the world are sick.

“I can’t bring Christian back,” Robbins said. “No matter how much I want to or I try, I can’t bring him back. But what I can do is try to save other children.”

Previous Episode

The campaign to flip the election

Will anyone stop the president’s attempts to overturn the election? Revisiting the iconic album documenting John Lennon’s last years. And, where tourists go for fake coronavirus test results.

Friday, November 20, 2020

Next Episode

Working moms are not okay

Juggling careers and kids was already a struggle for millions of women in America. Then the pandemic hit. Ellen McCarthy reports on why working moms are leaving the labor force in droves – and what that could mean for the future of our country.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

More podcasts

A seven-part investigative series telling the stories of two women, separated by decades and united by a shared refusal to stay silent.

“Can He Do That?” is The Post’s politics podcast, exploring the powers and limitations of American government in an era of deep division.

Special episodes of "Presidential" highlight moments in American and presidential history that are worth revisiting today.

Columnist James Hohmann talks every Friday with the author of a thought-provoking op-ed in The Washington Post.

El pódcast en español de The Washington Post.

An investigation into no-knock warrants in the American justice system — and what happens when accountability is flawed at every level.