Matt Richtel is an author and reporter at The New York Times, who’s been pretty busy of late.

“The Inner Pandemic,” an examination of American teens' mental health spread across a series of articles reported with pathos and a stunning depth, has been rolling out during the past few months at the Times. It covers a range of social and physical changes this generation’s currently dealing with.

But Richtel’s also recently published a book called “Inspired: Understanding Creativity (A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul” where he interrogates the spark of creation.

Additional reading on teens' mental health

The numbers cited in “Hundreds of Suicidal Teens Sleep in Emergency Rooms. Every Night.” do a lot of work in explaining how unprepared doctors and professionals have been in navigating changes to teen mental health during the past decade.The story of a town in Kentucky's detailed in a piece by Richtel called “Teens in Distress Are Swamping Pediatricians.” It’s a snapshot of a doctor's life who has shifted their focus to better serve children in their area.

As a supplement to “The Inner Pandemic” series, Richtel put together “How to Help Teens Struggling With Mental Health,” which details resources around finding help, care and how to talk to teens who might need assistance.

If you or someone you know is or could be contemplating suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255; for Spanish speakers, call (888) 628-9454; and for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, call (800) 799-4889. The Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting "HOME" to 741741.

End notes

Follow the show on Twitter at @TBOOKnowledge and let us know what you think about our interviews by sending an email to [email protected] theme music, this and every week, is a track called “Musical Chairs” by Los Angeles producer Omid. Follow his latest work on Soundcloud.