Rhitu Chatterjee
Stories
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As more teens use AI chatbots, parents and lawmakers sound the alarm about dangers
Nearly 1/3 of teens say they use chatbots for roleplaying romantic and sexual relationships. But some parents and digital safety experts warn that these apps can put teens at risk of suicide.
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Their teenage sons died by suicide. Now, they are sounding an alarm about AI chatbots
Grieving parents and online safety advocates at a congressional hearing called for new laws to regulate AI companion apps to protect the mental health of minors.
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RFK Jr. wants to end mental health screenings in schools. Experts say it's a bad idea
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and Education Secretary Linda McMahon are against schools giving kids standardized questionnaires about their mental well-being. But experts say they are wrong.
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RFK Jr. wants mental health screening out of schools. Here's what experts say
RFK Jr. thinks kids are stigmatized by mental health screenings. The experts say this is not the case.
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Surprising lessons from studies about post-Katrina trauma
Hurricane Katrina caused widespread trauma and dislocation. Researchers who followed survivors to track the mental health impacts of the storm found that while the trauma of Katrina caused elevated levels of mental health symptoms, many of the survivors reported personally growing from those losses.
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State Department halts 'medical-humanitarian' visas for people from Gaza
The U.S. State Department says it's halting visas for visitors from Gaza as it reviews its process for granting visas for medical evacuees.
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Children in a mental health crisis can spend days languishing in the ER
A new study finds that nearly 1 in 10 kids on Medicaid visiting an emergency department for mental health care remain stuck there for days waiting for follow up psychiatric care.
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Teen suicide is on the decline, new federal data shows
The 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health report found that in recent years, depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors in teens have declined.
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An FDA panel spread misinformation about SSRI use in pregnancy, alarming doctors
A panel organized by the FDA cast doubts on the safety of antidepressants during pregnancy — drawing ire from doctors who say SSRIs are a crucial treatment option for women with perinatal depression.
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New federal data show a decline in teen suicide
A new report of an annual federal survey shows that depression episodes and suicidality among teens went down between 2021 and 2024. But one in ten teens still thought seriously about suicide in the past year.
