Jessica Stern

2 months ago | self.com | Jessica Stern |Cassie Shortsleeve

Autism—a neurological and developmental disorder that impacts communication, learning, and behavior—is being discussed (on podcasts or via neurodivergent influencers or hashtags) and diagnosed more than ever before. Today, 1 in 36 children receive an autism diagnosis, and rates of diagnosis were up 175% between 2011 and 2022, specifically rising in girls and women, according to a recent JAMA study. Females are also more likely than males to be diagnosed at a later age.

Jan 14, 2025 | youthtoday.org | Jessica Stern |Joseph Allen

Empathy — the capacity to identify others’ needs and emotions, and to provide supportive care that meets those needs. Our recent research shows that parents who express empathy toward their teenagers may give teens a head start in developing the skill themselves. In addition, adolescents who show empathy and support toward their friends are more likely to become supportive parents, which may foster empathy in their own offspring.

Jan 11, 2025 | almendron.com | Jessica Stern

On New Year’s Day, a confused, disgruntled and indebted veteran drove into a crowd of joyful celebrants in New Orleans, killing 14 and injuring 35 more. The assailant said shortly before the attack that he had joined the Islamic State, the brutal terrorist movement that at one point controlled an area in the Middle East the size of Britain.

Jan 9, 2025 | nytimes.com | Jessica Stern

For 20 years, I've been studying Western recruits to domestic and transnational terrorist organizations. I've interviewed jihadis, white-nationalist terrorists and eco-terrorists to understand their motivations and to prevent future violence.

Sep 27, 2024 | self.com | Jessica Stern |Julia Ries

People often told Elona Washington, a publisher from the Nashville area, that she “acted like she had OCD.” She would panic if bobby pins in her hair faced different directions or would be so afraid that client calls might go poorly that she’d call out of work or cancel plans. So when Washington was finally diagnosed with actual obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, at 51, “it felt like everything finally made sense,” she tells SELF.