General Mental Health
- Online posts can not only reveal a person’s illness but also lead to feelings of intense shame, making recovery harder, psychiatrists and people with the disorder say. Read more here.
- Six specific midlife depression symptoms were linked with higher dementia risk, according to prospective data. These symptoms included loss of confidence and problem-solving difficulties. Associations were independent of common dementia risk factors. Read more here.
- Most psychologists are "using AI to help write emails, to help develop homework assignments, to help maybe with some report writing or using AI scribes to assist with documentation," says psychologist Vaile Wright, senior director of the Office of Health Care Innovation at the APA. Read more here.
The Opioid Crisis and Addiction Issues
- President Trump signed an executive order to designate fentanyl as a “weapon of mass destruction,” dramatically escalating his fight against the drug. Trump hosted an event in the Oval Office to award the Mexican Border Defense Medal to members of the military who were dispatched to assist with efforts to crackdown on crossings at the southern border. As part of the event, he signed the order as he warned against the “scourge” of fentanyl. Read more here.
- Teen use of alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana remains at record lows, according to national survey results released. They consume a lot of energy drinks, though. There are also slight, but concerning, increases in heroin and cocaine use. Overall, the findings indicate teens are drinking, smoking, and using substances at much lower rates than in the past. Read more here.
Research Studies
- This cross-sectional study conducted during the first and second phases of the Russian invasion found that adolescents exposed to the second phase of the invasion had high levels of PTSD symptoms and depressive symptoms that were higher among those living in high–war exposure areas during the first phase. All war exposures were associated with suicidality. These findings suggest that the Russian invasions have had a cumulative psychological toll on Ukrainian adolescents, with adverse outcomes in their mental health, resilience, and development. Read more here.
- In this study, a care bundle designed to improve mental health care was not associated with improved caregiver satisfaction with family life one month after an ED visit. While the study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of worsened family functioning, that higher baseline FQOL was not even maintained after the ED visit suggests the bundle should be refined to include care components designed to immediately improve FQOL. Read more here.
Transgender Issues
- The state of Texas has continued collecting information on transgender drivers seeking to change the sex listed on their licenses, creating a list of more than 100 people in one year. According to internal documents The Texas Newsroom obtained through records requests, the Texas Department of Public Safety has amassed a list of 110 people who tried to update their gender between August 2024 and August 2025. Read more here.
- A federal appeals court blocked Michigan’s ban on conversion therapy for minors who are LGBTQ+, declaring it violates the First Amendment rights of therapists and counselors. In a 2-1 opinion, the court said the law illegally restricts speech that reflects the moral beliefs of therapists. It set aside a lower court’s ruling and granted a preliminary injunction sought by Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee, and Hillsdale Counties. Read more here.
Health Insurance Subsidies
- The House is teeing up a series of health care votes as Democrats face a choice on their willingness to back anything but a straight extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. The question is whether Democrats will ally with a handful of vulnerable Republicans and force a vote on a compromise subsidy plan that GOP leaders have no intention of letting become law. Read more here.
- With key Obamacare tax credits set to expire, Democrats have unified behind a simple message: extend the subsidies and keep health insurance premiums from spiking for more than 20 million Americans. Republicans, meanwhile, have engaged in a wide-ranging blame game while scrambling to coalesce behind an easily digestible plan to lower health care costs. That struggle comes to a head as House leaders move to put what they hope will be a consensus GOP plan up for a vote. Read more here.
- The House of Representatives passed a Republican-led package that seeks to address the affordability of healthcare without an extension of the soon-to-expire Affordable Care Act subsidies. The 216-211 vote averted a last-ditch effort from Democrats and several moderate Republicans to force a vote on a subsidy extension. All Democrats voted against the measure, as did one Republican representative, Thomas Massey of Kentucky, The Hill reported. Read more here.
Federal and State Policy
- President Trump signed an executive order that launches a pilot program authorizing Medicare to cover cannabis products for seniors. Trump's embrace of marijuana could be a game-changer for older people who are seeking alternative treatments for common ailments. Marijuana use among older adults in the U.S. is growing fast. Read more here.
- Three years ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom called for a court with real power both to force a government agency to treat a mentally ill patient, and to compel that patient to stick to the program. Read more here.
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