January 16, 2026
(Washington Post via MSN) – A sweeping new study of psychiatric and genetic records has the potential to change treatment for millions of psychiatric patients, finding that many conditions involve similar genes and may not need to be treated as … Read More
January 15, 2026
(AP) – U.S. overdose deaths fell through most of last year, suggesting a lasting improvement in an epidemic that had been worsening for decades. Federal data released Wednesday showed that overdose deaths have been falling for more than two years … Read More
January 13, 2026
(ProPublica) – A new lawsuit alleges that an insurer’s ghost network hindered New York City employees from accessing the mental health care they sought — and harmed the reputation of psychiatrists wrongly listed as being in-network. Shimrony and Calderón are … Read More
January 8, 2026
(Aeon) – For people with chronic illnesses, the relief and recognition of online communities can set up a toxic psychological trap This is the paradox of chronic illness today. Never before have humans possessed such convenient access to abundant medical … Read More
January 8, 2026
(New York Times) – The settlement came in the case of a 14-year-old in Florida who had killed himself after developing a relationship with an A.I. chatbot. The agreement was one of five lawsuits that the companies agreed to settle … Read More
January 7, 2026
(Gizmodo) – More research is needed to understand the long-term benefits of exercise on depression, however. A dose of the gym might do wonders for both an ailing body and mind. A report out today finds that exercise can provide … Read More
January 5, 2026
(Jacobin) – In Canada, physician-assisted suicide is available even to people who aren’t suffering from terminal illnesses. In the context of austerity, this often means people are offered death rather than the material support that could alleviate their suffering. At … Read More
January 2, 2026
(LA Times) – After decades of public and self-imposed shame, Oprah credits a GLP-1 drug with silencing “food noise” — the constant mental obsession about food. She now views obesity as a disease that causes overeating, a realization that transformed … Read More
January 2, 2026
(Wired) – Research shows that people who sleep poorly tend to have brain age that is older than their actual age. Chronic inflammation in the body caused by poor sleep likely plays a part. While the link between poor sleep … Read More
January 2, 2026
(MIT Technology Review) – The real-world consequences of AI therapy came to a head in unexpected ways in 2025 as we waded through a critical mass of stories about human-chatbot relationships, the flimsiness of guardrails on many LLMs, and the … Read More
January 2, 2026
(WSJ) – More people are resolving to spend less time on their phones and social media, and research suggests there are health benefits A survey by the digital-wellness app Opal (granted, a bit of a biased audience) found that 33% … Read More
December 30, 2025
(The Guardian) – Young adults and teenagers prevalent in ‘skyrocketing’ admissions linked to class B drug, say doctors in northern England Few places have felt the effects of that increase more than urology departments. Chronic ketamine use can cause irreversible … Read More
December 30, 2025
(Gizmodo) – Pregnant women who reported opioid use disorder were more likely to face serious health complications, as were their children. Opioid abuse during pregnancy is on the rise, new research suggests—and that’s likely to endanger both expectant mothers and … Read More
December 30, 2025
(New York Times) – Ms. Brosseau says mental illness has made her life unbearable. She wants a medically assisted death. Even her psychiatrists are split over whether she should have one. The exclusion was to end on March 17, 2023, … Read More
December 24, 2025
(New York Times) – Sudden surges of anguish can accompany intense mourning. That’s not unusual, experts say, and sometimes even helpful. She would feel unexpectedly tense up, her heart racing as a wave of emotions washed over her. “Nobody could … Read More
December 23, 2025
(Washington Post via MSN) – In the days after H found her daughter’s Character AI chats, H projected an air of normalcy around her daughter, not wanting to do anything that would cause her distress or shame. H contacted her … Read More
December 22, 2025
(Wired) – People have always defaced New York subway ads in every way imaginable, but what happened with the Friend ads tapped into a deep angst about AI. Even as some celebrate its possibilities (drug discovery) and others decry its … Read More
December 19, 2025
(New York Times) – Moving cannabis to a category of drugs that includes some common medicines will have implications for research, businesses and patients. President Trump on Thursday ordered cannabis to be downgraded to a lower category of drugs, a … Read More
December 15, 2025
(Ars Technica) – OpenAI is facing increasing scrutiny over how it handles ChatGPT data after users die, only selectively sharing data in lawsuits over ChatGPT-linked suicides. Last week, OpenAI was accused of hiding key ChatGPT logs from the days before … Read More
December 15, 2025
(New York Times) – Medetomidine, a veterinary sedative, mixed into fentanyl has sent thousands to hospitals, not only for overdose but for life-threatening withdrawal. It is spreading to other cities. A new drug has been saturating the fentanyl supply in … Read More
December 15, 2025
(KFF Health News) – Now medical experts are concerned that a July panel discussion convened by the Food and Drug Administration could lead to more cases of untreated depression. Many of the 10 members of the panel expressed concern about … Read More
December 12, 2025
(New York Times) – Researchers found a chasm between the health reasons for which the public seeks out cannabis and what gold-standard science actually shows about its effectiveness. To treat their pain, anxiety and sleep problems, millions of Americans turn … Read More
December 10, 2025
(The Guardian) – Experts warn of dangers as England and Wales study shows 13- to 17-year-olds consulting AI amid long waiting lists for services It was after one friend was shot and another stabbed, both fatally, that Shan asked ChatGPT … Read More
December 10, 2025
(CNN) – A world-first ban on major social media platforms for children under the age of 16 goes into effect in Australia on Wednesday. And regulators, parents and teenagers around the globe are watching closely to see how it plays … Read More
December 9, 2025
(New York Times) – With the end of school shutdowns, children’s mental health appointments fell sharply, though other factors may have contributed. A study of nearly 200,000 California schoolchildren found that their mental health had improved significantly after schools reopened … Read More
