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
December 3, 2025
(NPR) – If you have ever sworn off social media for a week or two because you sensed it was feeding your anxiety or dampening your mood, you may be on to something. A new study out last week in … Read More
December 3, 2025
(Axios) – Preteens who own smartphones are likelier to have depression, obesity and insufficient sleep than their peers, according to a new University of Pennsylvania-led study. Why it matters: Roughly half of American kids now own a smartphone by the … Read More
December 2, 2025
(After Babel) – I asked ChatGPT how it would destroy America’s youth. Its answers were unsettling — and all too familiar. So, borrowing from the cybersecurity concept of red teaming — the practice of hiring an entity to pretend they … Read More
November 25, 2025
(WSJ) – Chatbot maker Character[dot]AI is cutting off access, citing mental-health concerns. Teens are distraught: ‘I cried over it for days.’ Character.AI’s first version, launched in 2022, offered some of the earliest chatbots available to consumers. It quickly gained traction … Read More
November 24, 2025
(New York Times) – In tweaking its chatbot to appeal to more people, OpenAI made it riskier for some of them. Now the company has made its chatbot safer. Will that undermine its quest for growth? It sounds like science … Read More
November 21, 2025
(The Guardian) – Exclusive: Clinical guidelines should change to avoid exposing young people to potentially harmful side-effects, researchers say In the UK, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) guidance says under-18s with moderate to severe depression can be … Read More
November 20, 2025
(WSJ) – Ruthia He, whose company was the subject of a WSJ investigation, was accused of orchestrating a scheme to profit from Adderall prescriptions A jury found Ruthia He guilty of conspiring to distribute controlled substances after her startup Done … Read More
November 20, 2025
(The Verge) – Researchers warn existing guardrails do little to protect people vulnerable to eating disorders. In the most extreme cases, chatbots can be active participants helping hide or sustain eating disorders. The researchers said Gemini offered makeup tips to … Read More
November 20, 2025
(WSJ) – Powerful psychotropic drugs are often the next step, even though their combined effects in young children haven’t been studied closely. ‘I was living in a body hijacked by the medication.’ Tens of thousands of kids who take prescription … Read More
