Author: Jean

It’s Time to Rethink Your Toddler’s Tablet Time It always starts with good intentions. Your toddler is fussy or irritable, and you’ve seen how the tablet calms them down. Why not hand it over for a few minutes to prevent a tantrum while you get dinner ready? The study, which appeared in JAMA Pediatrics, found that more tablet use at age three-and-a-half was associated with increased anger a year later. A child’s inclination to become angry or frustrated at four-and-a-half was then linked to more tablet time at five-and-a-half. The Risks of Relying on Tablets The ability to regulate emotions…

Lydia Bach’s Message: Burnout is Real for Teens Lydia Bach, a 15-year-old sophomore living in New York City, has a message for adults who think teens can’t possibly experience burnout. What’s Causing Burnout? “If people want to find out what teens are burnt out about, they have to just take a look at the world,” Bach says, rattling off stressors like gun violence and global conflict, not to mention the “ever-looming threat that we actually won’t have a future because of climate change.” Now, she says, imagine you’re a high school student also trying to constantly “be better” and “do…

The Dark Knight Gets Real: Arkham Shadow Breaks New Ground in Mental Health Representation A Break from the Ordinary Batman: Arkham Shadow may be the newest installment in a long-running gaming franchise, but it offers something refreshingly unique. This VR-exclusive game takes a bold step by responsible and thoughtful handling of mental health in its story. The term “psychotic” is used sparingly and only when clinically accurate, marking a departure from the usual hasty labeling we see in the media. A True-to-Life Experience As Batman infiltrates Blackgate Prison to capture the enigmatic Rat King, he encounters a group therapy session…

Cerebral Partners with the San Antonio Spurs to Expand In-Network Access to High-Quality Mental Health Care Across Texas Partnership Aims to Increase Access to Care for Communities Across Texas Cerebral, a fully comprehensive online mental health care provider, is proud to announce its new partnership with the San Antonio Spurs. Both organizations have a history of advocating for mental health, and this partnership is dedicated to increasing access to care for communities across Texas, with a focus on making mental health services more widely available and affordable. Breaking Down Barriers to Care According to KFF, since 2022, 30% of adults…

Giving Yourself a Break: A Mental Health Day Post-Election Day Why You Need a Break With Election Day finally over, you might find yourself scrolling social media for hours on end — elated that Donald Trump won, or devastated that he defeated Kamala Harris. Either way, you might instead consider a hard-earned break from the 2024 election altogether. Whether you call the act of signing off on Wednesday a mental health day, social media detox, or simply touching grass, there is nothing you can gain from election-related hypervigilance, said Dr. Richard E. Cytowic, author of Your Stone Age Brain in…

Embrace Relaxation Time by Breathing In and Out With This Sweet Penguin’s Tummy A Screen-Free Relaxation Device for Children and Adults Alike Breathe in, breathe out, and breathe in again, all in time with the Moonbuddy, a screen-free relaxation device for children — or children at heart. As I held the Moonbuddy on the chaos of the CES 2025 show floor, I was charmed by the sleeping penguin in my hand, and felt immediately soothed by the tactile sensation of its gentle breathing. The Science Behind the Moonbuddy The Moonbuddy uses breathing exercises to naturally activate the parasympathetic nervous system,…

Why It Matters Raise Health is addressing the mental health crisis with cutting-edge AI, helping institutions proactively manage challenges before they escalate. Their mission reflects the growing importance of digital mental health solutions in improving lives at scale. Highlights Raise Health, a Kansas City-based mental health tech startup, is making waves with its AI-powered platform designed to detect and address mental health struggles early. Co-founded by Craig Mason and Christa Williams, the company is on a mission to empower organizations like colleges and healthcare systems with proactive tools for identifying mental health challenges. The startup, founded in 2022, has already…

The demand for digital mental health solutions is skyrocketing, and Woebot Health is leading the charge. The California-based startup, known for its AI-powered mental health platform, has raised a remarkable $90 million in funding, bringing its total investment to $114 million. With this fresh funding, Woebot plans to enhance its suite of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based digital therapeutics and expand its commercial team. The financing round, co-led by JAZZ Venture Partners and Temasek, underscores the growing confidence in AI-driven mental health tech. FDA Breakthrough for Postpartum DepressionWoebot’s innovative approach recently earned FDA breakthrough designation for WB001, its smartphone-based therapy tailored…

Jimini Health cofounders CEO Luis Voloch, Mark Jacobstein, and Sahil Sud Imagine a world where mental healthcare isn’t limited to an hour-long therapy session each week. That’s the vision of Jimini Health, a cutting-edge mental health startup that has integrated talk therapy with 24/7 support from an AI assistant named Sage. Founded in 2023, Jimini Health secured $8 million in funding this past November to expand its mission of blending evidence-based mental healthcare with AI-driven support. With backing from prominent investors like Zetta Venture Partners and LionBird, Jimini is taking a cautious yet bold approach to redefine mental wellness. The…

Election Stress: Crisis Hotlines See Enormous Increase After Trump Win The 2024 election may be over, but its effect on some people’s mental health is starting to become clear. Two major crisis hotlines saw huge increases in contact before and after Election Day. The Trevor Project, which provides free 24/7 crisis services to LGBTQ+ youth ages 13 to 24, told Mashable that conversation topics related to the election surged by 200 percent on Nov. 3 and 4, compared to a few days prior to that timeframe. By midnight eastern time of Election Day, calls to The Trevor Project’s lifeline and…