To the Editor of The New York Times: Re “Widow Cites Dementia in Suicide of Williams” (Arts pages, Nov. 4), in which Susan Schneider Williams discusses the various health challenges the comedian Robin Williams faced: The extraordinary Robin Williams has given us yet another extraordinary gift: an urgent invitation to discuss one of the most [...]
To the Editor of The New York Times: Re "Where's the Empathy" by Nicholas Kristof: The empathy gap depicted by Nicholas Kristof is an ugly attitude of blaming, projection and distortion, yet even more complex and malignant than we might easily recognize. This gap perversely intensifies, as does the inequality that fuels it. Many of us, [...]
To the Editor of The New York Times: Re “A Family Office for the Superrich, and Lessons for the Less Wealthy" by Paul Sullivan (Wealth Matters column, Feb. 15): It is not an easy time to be wealthy. On some level, a laughable problem. But in this era when everyone from the pope, to our president, [...]
To the Editor of The New York Times: James J. Heckman suggests that “unfounded doubt and fear of doing things differently” are the primary deterrents to radical change in our investment in early childhood education. The neuroscience of early childhood development, however, suggests another factor: old brains. It is far more difficult for a member [...]
To the Editor of The New York Times: Government is a social contract. It has been working brilliantly in this week of Hurricane Sandy. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's endorsement of President Obama's re-election based on his environmental stance is a powerful reminder that this contract must ultimately extend beyond city, state and even national borders. [...]
To the Sports Editor of The New York Times: Although the N.C.A.A. punishment is significant in terms of financial repercussions for Penn State, a critical question is whether such consequences serve the most constructive purpose. It would be heartening if some of the money were earmarked for education, prevention and clinical research in sexual abuse. [...]
To the Editor of The New York Times: Dr. Procci’s advice is for the depressed patient to identify the ethical caregiver. That is not so simple in a medical care system that denies access, limits complex consultation, and rewards technology and procedures. Questions about the efficacy of antidepressants are but one chapter in a larger [...]
To the Editor of The New York Times: Yesterday, returning from Vancouver, Canada, to Seattle, I sat in a 90-minute line of automobiles at United States Customs. Profiling is a primary mechanism for terrorism deterrence at such borders. Airline passengers concealing minute amounts of explosives present different challenges from drivers, who could be ferrying weapons [...]
To the Editor of The New York Times: ''Your Zoloft Might Prevent a Heart Attack,'' by Peter D. Kramer (Week in Review, June 23), and ''More Americans Seeking Help for Depression'' (front page, June 18) address an emerging understanding of the two-way relationship between heart disease and depression. We know that depression occurs as a [...]
To the Editor of The New York Times: After reading ''Furious Lobbying Is Set Off by Bill on Mental Health'' (front page, Nov. 6), I received an e-mail from a former patient, a kind and gentle young woman. She said her sister had received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, as has she, and was involuntarily [...]