Rhitu Chatterjee
Rhitu Chatterjee is a health correspondent with NPR, with a focus on mental health. In addition to writing about the latest developments in psychology and psychiatry, she reports on the prevalence of different mental illnesses and new developments in treatments.
Chatterjee explores the underlying causes of mental health disorders – the complex web of biological, socio-economic, and cultural factors that influence how mental health problems manifest themselves in different groups – and how our society deals with the mentally ill. She has a particular interest in mental health problems faced by the most vulnerable, especially pregnant women and children, as well as racial minorities and undocumented immigrants.
Chatterjee has reported on how chronic stress from racism has a devastating impact on pregnancy outcomes in black women. She has reported on the factors that put adolescents and youth on a path to school shootings, and what some schools are doing keep them off that path. She has covered the rising rates of methamphetamine and opioid use by pregnant women, and how some cities are helping these women stay off the drugs, have healthy pregnancies, and raise their babies on their own. She has also written about the widespread levels of loneliness and lack of social connection in America and its consequences of people's physical health.
Before starting at NPR's health desk in 2018, Chatterjee was an editor for NPR's The Salt, where she edited stories about food, culture, nutrition, and agriculture. In that role, she also produced a short online food video series called "Hot Pot: A Dish, A Memory," which featured dishes from a particular country as made by a person who grew up with the dish. The series was produced in collaboration with NPR's Goats & Soda blog.
Prior to that, Chatterjee reported on current affairs from New Delhi for PRI's The World, and covered science and health news for Science Magazine. Before that, she was based in Boston as a science correspondent with PRI's The World.
Throughout her career, Chatterjee has reported on everything from basic scientific discoveries to issues at the intersection of science, society, and culture. She has covered the legacy of the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984, the world's largest industrial disaster. She has reported on a mysterious epidemic of chronic kidney disease in Sri Lanka and India. While in New Delhi, she also covered women's issues. Her reporting went beyond the breaking news headlines about sexual violence to document the underlying social pressures faced by Indian girls and women.
She has won two reporting grants from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and was awarded a certificate of merit by the Gabriel Awards in 2014.
Chatterjee has mentored student fellows by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, as well as young journalists for the Society of Environmental Journalists' mentorship program. She has also taught science writing at the Santa Fe Science Writing Workshop.
She did her undergraduate work in Darjeeling, India. She has two master's degrees—a Master of Science in biotechnology from Visva-Bharati in India, and a Master of Arts in journalism from the University of Missouri.
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People struggling with insomnia often turn to apps to help them fall asleep. But scientists say only some apps use proven methods that can help address the underlying causes of sleeplessness. -
Christine Blasey Ford presented her allegations against Brett Kavanaugh Thursday. He denied them. But how can either of them remember? Here's what science says about memory and trauma — and alcohol. -
The research suggests that the ongoing opioid crisis may be part of a larger epidemic going back decades. The study also shows more users take multiple drugs — many of which are more potent.
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Physicians are urged to identify which pregnant women and new mothers are at high risk of depression and refer them to talk therapy before they show worsening symptoms. -
There is a new study on the effect treating teens for depression has on their parents. It suggests just treating teens has benefits for parents.
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When researchers cleaned up vacant lots and planted grass and trees in poor neighborhoods in Philadelphia, residents' mental health improved. -
A new study finds that teens who engage in frequent texting, social media use and other online activities daily are more likely to develop symptoms of ADHD. -
A new study shows Americans with opioid addiction are more likely to have been arrested or convicted of a crime, suggesting a need to involve police, courts and jails in treating addiction.
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Psychologists say that for migrant kids already in government facilities, a short separation from parents may be enough to cause lasting damage.
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Infants do better with their parents, studies find, as long as parents have support to get and stay sober. This program starts during pregnancy, to rally and train a strong family support network.
