‘You don’t have space for joy:’ How Pennsylvania’s affordability crisis is hurting mental health; The Keystone, July 20, 2026

 Ashley Adams, The Keystone; ‘You don’t have space for joy:’ How Pennsylvania’s affordability crisis is hurting mental health

From juggling multiple jobs to worrying about losing health coverage, Pennsylvanians say financial stress is fueling anxiety, burnout, and depression—and mental health professionals are seeing the impact firsthand.

"Across Pennsylvania, rising housing costs, grocery bills, utility prices, and healthcare expenses are creating more than financial stress. Mental health professionals say they’re seeing growing numbers of people whose anxiety and depression stem from the relentless pressure of simply trying to afford everyday life."

New Mexico proposes $3.7bn fine for Meta and sweeping changes to its social platforms; The Guardian, May 6, 2026

 Katie McQue, The Guardian; New Mexico proposes $3.7bn fine for Meta and sweeping changes to its social platforms

"Meta has returned to court in the US this week for the second phase of a lawsuit brought by Raúl Torrez, New Mexico’s attorney general, following a March verdict that found the company liable for child safety failures and imposed a $375m fine. On Monday, the state petitioned for a legal sanction against the company, a monetary penalty 10 times the original amount, and a sweeping, drastic overhaul of Meta’s child safety protocols.

In the second part of the landmark case, known as the remedies phase, the state is asking for Meta to be declared a public nuisance and for the judge to order the company to pay $3.7bn in an abatement plan. The money would fund programs for law enforcement, mental health services and educators. The state is also requesting that the judge force a series of design changes to Meta’s platforms aimed at improving child safety, including universal age verification, de-encryption of children’s messages, a guardian account linked to every child’s account, and a child safety monitor tasked with holding Meta to account for five years.

The New Mexico department of justice argues that these changes would make Meta’s social networks safer for underage users in the state. Meta, however, says the proposed reforms are unfeasible and could ultimately force it to shutdown its platforms in the state altogether.

The second phase of the trial is expected to last three weeks. Before opening statements on 4 May, Judge ⁠Bryan Biedscheid, said he needed to remain cognizant of free speech protections when evaluating the state’s arguments for Meta to impose the design measures, which he said could amount to “overreach”."

Social Media Isn’t Just Speech. It’s Also a Defective, Hazardous Product.; The New York Times, March 14, 2026

 Tim Wu, The New York Times ; Social Media Isn’t Just Speech. It’s Also a Defective, Hazardous Product.

"For two decades now, social media companies have been virtually untouchable, profitably floating above accusations that they normalize propaganda, addict children and degrade our character. Legally and politically, platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube have been protected by an idea that they and others have promoted: that they are not just innovative technologies but also speech platforms, so that imposing any limits on them would amount to both censorship and a drag on technological progress.

That protection is finally starting to weaken, thanks to a growing realization that social media is also a matter of public health. Seen this way, social media appears as something less newfangled and more familiar: a defective, hazardous product. The current trial of Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube in Los Angeles Superior Court, in which a 20-year-old woman has accused the platforms of designing their products in ways that harmed her mental and physical health, is the clearest sign of this shift.

The case, in which closing arguments were made on Thursday, is the first of many lawsuits brought by thousands of young people, school districts and state attorneys general against companies like Meta, Google, Snap and TikTok. The plaintiffs in these cases do not accuse the companies merely of serving up bad content to young people; they argue that the very design of social media is intentionally engineered to create compulsions and habits of overuse, regardless of the content provided."

Her husband wanted to use ChatGPT to create sustainable housing. Then it took over his life.; The Guardian, February 28, 2026

 Varsha Bansal with photographs by Clayton Cotterell , The Guardian; Her husband wanted to use ChatGPT to create sustainable housing. Then it took over his life.

"Users, lawyers and mental health professionals all are raising concerns about the impact of using chatbots as confidantes. “We are kind of at this inflection point in a quest for accountability where people coming forward is forcing companies to reckon with specific use cases of how their technologies have harmed people,” said Meetali Jain, founding director of Tech Justice Law Project and co-counsel on the Ceccanti case. “In terms of the number of cases going up, there’s likely to be more coordinated efforts on parts of the court to try to deal with this influx of cases.”"

The Service Dogs Helping Veterans With PTSD; The New York Times, December 24, 2025

 Simar Bajaj , The New York Times; The Service Dogs Helping Veterans With PTSD

There’s research suggesting that these four-legged “battle buddies” can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. But shortages and long wait times pose barriers.

"Dr. Bahr is part of a growing cadre of veterans using service dogs for PTSD relief. In a 2024 study, veterans with service dogs were followed for three months and found to have less severe PTSD, depression and anxiety than those on the waiting list.

This research doesn’t say whether service dogs caused these mental health benefits or how long they might last.

Still, many veterans say these dogs make life more manageable. They are trained to catch subtle signs of distress, like thumping legs or a hitch in breathing, said Maggie O’Haire, a human-animal interaction expert at the University of Arizona. But researchers suspect that service dogs can also smell the chemical changes that accompany stress and anxiety.

Labrador retrievers are among the most common breed of service dogs, prized for their steadiness and eagerness to bond.

With a nuzzle or a tug of the leash, these dogs can interrupt the swell of panic in veterans, Dr. O’Haire said. “They know your environment is not filled with danger,” she explained, so they help veterans ground themselves."

7 Questions to Ask Yourself for a Happier New Year; The New York Times, December 26, 2025

 Jancee Dunn , The New York Times; 7 Questions to Ask Yourself for a Happier New Year

"At the end of every year, I like to reflect by asking myself a question. This year, I’m mulling one recommended by Kandi Wiens, the author of “Burnout Immunity.”

Dr. Wiens told me to ask myself: What is worth remembering from 2025?...

Now it’s your turn. I asked experts for other reflective questions that could provide a framework for thinking about the year ahead. Pick one or two that resonate, journal about them or discuss them with a friend.

When did you feel the most joyful and carefree?...

What gave you energy — and what drained it?...

What seemed impossible — but you did it anyway?...

What habit, if you did it more consistently, would have a positive effect on your life?...

What did you try to control that was actually outside your control?...

Is there anyone you need to forgive in 2026?

Hanging on to anger and resentment can take mental and emotional energy, said Anthony Chambers, a psychologist and the chief academic officer of the Family Institute at Northwestern University. Deciding to forgive, he added, doesn’t mean forgetting.

Instead, it’s a “choice to stop letting a past action control our present emotions,” he said, and it can be good for your mental health. To help his patients get started, Dr. Chambers frequently recommends the book “Forgiveness Is a Choice,” by Robert Enright.

“Forgiveness allows you to move forward feeling freer and fulfilled instead of filled with bitterness,” Dr. Chambers said. “And what better way to bring in 2026 than to have a sense of freedom?”"

'This is the end': Australian teens mourn loss of social media as ban begins; Reuters, December 10, 2025

 Christine Chen, Reuters ; 'This is the end': Australian teens mourn loss of social media as ban begins

"Australian teenagers have taken to social media for the last time to farewell their followers and mourn the loss of the platforms that shaped much of their lives before a world-first ban took effect on Wednesday.

In the hours leading up to the ban's midnight start (1300 GMT on Tuesday), a flurry of goodbye messages came from teenagers - as well as adults - on platforms including TikTok, Instagram and Reddit.

Australia has ordered 10 major platforms including TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube and Meta's nstagram and Facebook to block around one million users under the age of 16 or face massive fines.

Some 200,000 accounts have already been deactivated on TikTok alone, the government said, with "hundreds of thousands" to be blocked in the coming days.

Young Australians, who have grown up using social media, faced the prospect of losing access to their favourite apps with a mix of sadness, humour and disbelief."

Libraries become the last refuge for Washington’s homeless; EL PAÍS, November 28, 2025

CRISTÓBAL VÁSQUEZ,  EL PAÍS; Libraries become the last refuge for Washington’s homeless

"Librarians as social workers

Even before the destruction of encampments ordered by Trump, libraries were shelters for the homeless, but they are playing an even more central role. “Since day shelters can only accommodate less than 5% of the homeless population, libraries become the only indoor public space they can access without being evicted during the day,” explains Francesca Emanuele, a doctoral candidate in anthropology at American University and an urban researcher.

At the city’s 26 public libraries, people experiencing homelessness can use computers to apply for jobs, communicate, find entertainment, access training, and find resources to address homelessness. In fact, the library system offers a program called We Care that provides emotional support, housing referrals, assistance with obtaining identification documents, and clothing donations, among other services.

The homeless community’s growing reliance on libraries has led librarians to expand their roles, with many taking on social work tasks to better serve this population, explains researcher Emanuele. “The government treats them as if they were social service personnel, trying to hide the city’s structural problems and distortions, such as high rental costs, the limited number of public housing units, and inflation, among others.”

Several librarians anonymously told Emanuele that “there are so many fights, drug overdoses, and unusual behavior in libraries” that they need to call on the DC Library Police to handle these situations. “There are more and more opioid overdoses on the premises, and we’ve received invitations to be trained in the use of Narcan,” one librarian shared, referring to the medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. “I don’t see any problem with being trained, but I’m not sure if I want the library to become a safe place for drug use.”

Equipping libraries with overdose medication has been attempted elsewhere in the United States. In October, a New York City borough passed a law requiring public libraries to have naloxone [the generic name for Narcan] rescue kits mounted on the walls. “Libraries are more than book repositories — they’re community centers, classrooms, senior hubs, youth spaces, workforce training sites, and now, lifesaving access points,” said State Senator Steve Rhoads, who signed the legislation into law.

“We’ve been implementing what they have in New York for some time now. In fact, our Health Department has been providing Narcan for a while. Also, through the library, we have specialists who work specifically with homeless people,” says Reginald Black, who as a homeless person frequently visited libraries and now works as a housing liaison for the nonprofit organization Serve Your City/Ward 6 Mutual Aid, which connects homeless Washington residents with support and services.

The Washington, D.C. Department of Human Services maintains that a peer mentoring program operates in the city’s public libraries. Certified professionals, trained by the Department of Mental Health, connect homeless individuals and other citizens with services offered by the district.

For Emanuele, the new roles librarians are taking on are side effects and symptoms of a structural economic problem that, if not addressed by offering a decent housing option, will continue to push more people onto the streets and condemn the few public spaces and libraries to be the daytime refuge for those who are becoming homeless."

AI psychosis is a growing danger. ChatGPT is moving in the wrong direction; The Guardian, October 28, 2025

 Amandeep Jutla , The Guardian; AI psychosis is a growing danger. ChatGPT is moving in the wrong direction

[Kip Currier: Note this announcement that OpenAI's Sam Altman made on October 14. It's billionaire CEO-speak for "acceptable risk", i.e. "The level of potential losses a society or community considers acceptable given existing social, economic, political, cultural, technical, and environmental conditions." https://inee.org/eie-glossary/acceptable-risk 

Translation: Altman's conflict of interest-riven assessment that AI's benefits outweigh a corpus of evidence establishing increasingly documented risks and harms of AI to the mental health of young children, teens, and adults.]

[Excerpt]

"On 14 October 2025, the CEO of OpenAI made an extraordinary announcement.

“We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive,” it says, “to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues.”

As a psychiatrist who studies emerging psychosis in adolescents and young adults, this was news to me.

Researchers have identified 16 cases in the media this year of individuals developing symptoms of psychosis – losing touch with reality – in the context of ChatGPT use. My group has since identified four more. In addition to these is the now well-known case of a 16-year-old who died by suicide after discussing his plans extensively with ChatGPT – which encouraged them. If this is Sam Altman’s idea of “being careful with mental health issues”, that’s not good enough.

The plan, according to his announcement, is to be less careful soon. “We realize,” he continues, that ChatGPT’s restrictions “made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right. Now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases.”

“Mental health problems”, if we accept this framing, are independent of ChatGPT. They belong to users, who either have them or don’t. Fortunately, these problems have now been “mitigated”, though we are not told how (by “new tools” Altman presumably means the semi-functional and easily circumvented parental controls that OpenAI recently introduced)."

Teenage boys using ‘personalised’ AI for therapy and romance, survey finds; The Guardian, October 30, 2025

 Jessica Murray and Robert Booth, The Guardian; Teenage boys using ‘personalised’ AI for therapy and romance, survey finds

"“Young people are using it a lot more like an assistant in their pocket, a therapist when they’re struggling, a companion when they want to be validated, and even sometimes in a romantic way. It’s that personalisation aspect – they’re saying: it understands me, my parents don’t.”

The research, based on a survey of boys in secondary education across 37 schools in England, Scotland and Wales, also found that more than half (53%) of teenage boys said they found the online world more rewarding than the real world.

The Voice of the Boys report says: “Even where guardrails are meant to be in place, there’s a mountain of evidence that shows chatbots routinely lie about being a licensed therapist or a real person, with only a small disclaimer at the bottom saying the AI chatbot is not real."

Character.AI bans users under 18 after being sued over child’s suicide; The Guardian, October 29, 2025

 Johana Bhuiyan , The Guardian; Character.AI bans users under 18 after being sued over child’s suicide

"The chatbot company Character.AI will ban users 18 and under from conversing with its virtual companions beginning in late November after months of legal scrutiny.

The announced change comes after the company, which enables its users to create characters with which they can have open-ended conversations, faced tough questions over how these AI companions can affect teen and general mental health, including a lawsuit over a child’s suicide and a proposed bill that would ban minors from conversing with AI companions.

“We’re making these changes to our under-18 platform in light of the evolving landscape around AI and teens,” the company wrote in its announcement. “We have seen recent news reports raising questions, and have received questions from regulators, about the content teens may encounter when chatting with AI and about how open-ended AI chat in general might affect teens, even when content controls work perfectly.”

Last year, the company was sued by the family of 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III, who took his own life after allegedly developing an emotional attachment to a character he created on Character.AI. His family laid blame for his death at the feet of Character.AI and argued the technology was “dangerous and untested”. Since then, more families have sued Character.AI and made similar allegations. Earlier this month, the Social Media Law Center filed three new lawsuits against the company on behalf of children who have either died by suicide or otherwise allegedly formed dependent relationships with its chatbots."

Chatbot Psychosis: Data, Insights, and Practical Tips for Chatbot Developers and Users; Santa Clara University, Friday, November 7, 2025 12 Noon PST, 3 PM EST

  Santa Clara University ; Chatbot Psychosis: Data, Insights, and Practical Tips for Chatbot Developers and Users

"A number of recent articles, in The New York Times and elsewhere, have described the experience of “chatbot psychosis” that some people develop as they interact with services like ChatGPT. What do we know about chatbot psychosis? Is there a trend of such psychosis at scale? What do you learn if you sift through over one million words comprising one such experience? And what are some practical steps that companies can take to protect their users and reduce the risk of such episodes?

A computer scientist with a background in economics, Steven Adler started to focus on AI risk topics (and AI broadly) a little over a decade ago, and worked at OpenAI from late 2020 through 2024, leading various safety-related research projects and products there. He now writes about what’s happening in AI safety–and argues that safety and technological progress can very much complement each other, and in fact require each other, if the goal is to unlock the uses of AI that people want."

Following Trump cut to LGBTQ youth suicide hotline, California steps up to fill the gap; Governor Gavin Newsom, July 16, 2025

 Governor Gavin Newsom; Following Trump cut to LGBTQ youth suicide hotline, California steps up to fill the gap

"Just weeks after the Trump administration announced that they would eliminate specialized suicide prevention support for LGBTQ youth callers through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, California is taking action to improve behavioral health services and provide even more affirming and inclusive care. Through a new partnership with The Trevor Project, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) will provide the state’s 988 crisis counselors enhanced competency training from experts, ensuring better attunement to the needs of LGBTQ youth, on top of the specific training they already receive.

This partnership builds on existing collaborations, like those under California’s Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health, and reflects a shared commitment to evidence-based, LGBTQ+ affirming crisis care. Callers to 988 will continue to be met with the highest level of understanding, respect, and affirmation when they reach out for help.

“To every young person who identifies as LGBTQ+: You matter. You are not alone. California will continue to show up for you with care, with compassion, and with action,” said Kim Johnson, Secretary of CalHHS. “Through this partnership, California will continue to lead, providing enhanced support for these young people.”

“There could not be a more stark reminder of the moral bankruptcy of this Administration than cutting off suicide prevention resources for LGQBT youth. These are young people reaching out in their time of deepest crisis—andI’m proud of California’s work to partner with the Trevor Project to creatively address this need. No matter what this Administration throws at us, I know this state will always meet cruelty with kindness and stand up for what’s right,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

California’s crisis call centers

Across California, twelve 988 call centers remain staffed around the clock by trained crisis counselors, ready to support anyone in behavioral health crises, including LGBTQ youth.

f you, a friend, or a loved one are in crisis or thinking about suicide, you can call, chat, or text 988 and be immediately connected to skilled counselors at all times. Specialized services for LGBTQ youth are also available via The Trevor Project hotline at 1‑866‑488‑7386, which continues as a state-endorsed access point...

Why this matters

LGBTQ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers, and without affirming services, their risk increases dramatically. Since its launch in 2022, the 988 LGBTQ+ “Press 3” line connected more than 1.5 million in crisis.

How to get help 

Call, text or chat 988 at any time to be connected with trained crisis counselors.

Call 1-866-488-7386, text START to 678678, or chat at TheTrevorProject.org/GetHelp to reach Trevor Project specialists.

Visit CalHOPE for non-crisis peer and family support.

The D.E.I. Industry, Scorned by the White House, Turns to ‘Safer’ Topics; The New York Times, July 15, 2025

  Niko Gallogly, The New York Times; The D.E.I. Industry, Scorned by the White House, Turns to ‘Safer’ Topics

"When President Trump signed an executive order in January targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs in federal agencies, schools and the private sector, Arin Reeves, who has been a D.E.I. consultant for 26 years, said many in her field were in a panic.

“All the federal government stuff, I was watching it, and I genuinely didn’t even know where to go with it,” Ms. Reeves said. For those in the industry, she added, there was a feeling of: “What do we do?”

The answer for many D.E.I. professionals has been to adapt to what companies feel comfortable offering: employee trainings that maintain the principles of diversity and inclusion but without necessarily calling them that. That has meant fewer sessions that focus explicitly on race, gender, sexuality and unconscious bias, and more on subjects like neurodivergence, mental health and generational differences, a training that teaches about how age affects viewpoints in the workplace."

‘I quit my job as a content moderator. I can never go back to who I was before.’; The Washington Post, September 9, 2024

Beatrix Lockwood, The Washington Post;  ‘I quit my job as a content moderator. I can never go back to who I was before.’

"Alberto Cuadra worked as a content moderator at a video-streaming platform for just under a year, but he saw things he’ll never forget. He watched videos about murders and suicides, animal abuse and child abuse, sexual violence and teenage bullying — all so you didn’t have to. What shows up when you scroll through social media has been filtered through an army of tens of thousands of content moderators, who protect us at the risk of their own mental health.

Warning: The following illustrations contain references to disturbing content."

Three Libraries Work with Teens to Pilot VR Program for Mental Health; Library Journal, May 26, 2022

Matt Enis , Library Journal ; Three Libraries Work with Teens to Pilot VR Program for Mental Health

"The Seattle Public Library (SPL); District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL); and Fayette Public Library, Museum & Archives (FPLMA), La Grange, TX, in partnership with the University of Washington (UW), have launched VRtality.org, a website that provides libraries and other institutions with a roadmap for co-designing virtual reality (VR) apps to support the mental health of teens. The roadmap and website were informed by three separate VR pilot programs developed by the three libraries. Librarians worked directly with teen patrons to create the VR programs, treating them as equal partners in the projects...

Harris noted that “co-design really allowed them to feel comfortable sharing their ideas with us, as opposed to ‘we’re instructing, and there’s a right answer.’ The fact that we’re all learning together and building this together, I think that A: It helps us establish relationships with them. And B: It allows them…to suggest some crazy stuff and see where it goes.”"

The Trauma of Library Work; American Libraries, January 22, 2022

Carrie Smith , American Libraries;  The Trauma of Library Work

Study looks at how to better support mental health on the job

"Fisher is now the principal investigator for “Trauma in the Library: Symptoms of PTSD Among Staff and Methods for Ensuring Trauma-Informed Care,” an Institute of Museum and Library Services–funded study of the effects of workplace trauma exposure on library workers. She and Lauren Alexa Gambrill, research manager of the study, presented their preliminary findings during the Ideas Xchange session...

As the study moves into later phases, Fisher and Gambrill are looking to identify where people are most vulnerable. “We definitely need more representation from survey participants,” said Fisher. The study is particularly looking to identify how those who have corresponding or overlapping identities, such as LGBTQIA+ or minority status, are impacted by their experience of trauma and their rate of trauma, Gambrill added.

More information on the study and a link to the survey can be found on the Trauma in the Library website."

What to do if you're struggling with your mental health at work; NPR, March 10, 2022

Jordan-Marie Smith, NPR; What to do if you're struggling with your mental health at work

"When you're not in the right headspace, being at work can be difficult. 

Whether it's depression, burnout, anxiety or something else, struggling with your mental health while you're waiting tables or sitting behind a desk can disrupt your life and your job. 

But there's a stigma to taking time off to care for your mental health that's not present with physical health. The mindset is, "Just work, work, work, push through it and get to the other end and deal with it," says Jody Adewale, a Los Angeles-based psychologist and medical advisor for the mental health advocacy foundation, Made of Millions. 

Addressing your mental health needs is important — and human. "It's not a character flaw or a character defect or a sign of weakness," says Adewale. "It's something that everyone I think on this planet will experience at one point or another in their life."

Life Kit asked mental health professionals how to spot an issue and what the options are when you do. 

While we know there's no such thing as the perfect job, there are tools for both employees and managers to make work a better place to be...

Resources

Here's a non-exhaustive list of resources for workplace mental health:

• The CDC offers a wealth of resources, including a glossary of terms and suggestions for managers.
• Did you know you can train in mental health first aid? Here's where to find training and mental health aid resources. 
• Made of Millions is a global mental health advocacy group that offers lots of training and resources. Here's their letter to your manager, and here's their global directory of resources.
• Not 9 to 5 is a global non-profit focusing on mental health advocacy in the foodservice and hospitality sectors. Their website offers a lot of great workplace mental health resources.
• Here's a breakdown of how to implement psychological safety in the workplace, from ShiftCollab, a therapy collective