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🗞 Nearly 2 out of 3 teens and tweens use AI chatbots, new research shows. Two new surveys show nearly two-thirds of tweens and teens use AI chatbots, mostly for schoolwork but also for companionship and emotional support. Common Sense Media found that AI use starts years before the minimum age of 13 on most popular chatbots, with nearly half of 9-to-12-year-olds having used one. JED researchers found that kids who use AI while in emotional distress report poorer mental health and more suicidal thoughts and attempts, though the data doesn’t show AI causes those problems. Read more at NPR

🗞 Rutgers Researchers Find Gambling Risks Among Teens as Young as 13. A new national survey from Rutgers’ Center for Gambling Studies found that 43% of teens ages 13 to 17 gambled in the past year, which is a real wake-up call. It’s the first national study of U.S. teens and young adults in nearly 20 years, and it looked at 21 gambling-like activities, from sports betting and esports betting to prediction markets and social casino games, many of them online. About 11% of teen gamblers were classified as high-risk problem gamblers, and among high-risk teens, 75.5% had a family member who gambled. Read more at Rutgers Today

🗞 Meta settles with teen during trial testing claims social media caused depression, eating disorders.  Meta has settled with an 18-year-old who says Instagram and Facebook were designed to be addictive and contributed to her mental health problems and disordered eating, just after jury selection began. Because Meta had already settled with the other teen days earlier, the trial is expected to proceed only against Snap. Both teens had already settled with TikTok and YouTube, and since this is a test case among thousands of lawsuits, the jury’s verdict could influence how similar cases are resolved. Read more at Reuters

🗞 Peptides could soon be easier to get in the United States. Here’s what to know. The US Department of Health and Human Services has posted a draft policy that would make six injectable peptides easier to get through licensed compounding pharmacies, but people would need a doctor’s prescription. These peptides are popular with wellness influencers and athletes, but the FDA hasn’t approved them, and HHS says the policy doesn’t establish that they’re safe or effective. FDA advisers narrowly supported easing access in July, though some members questioned the evidence. Read more at CNN

Mental Health: In Crisis? Call or Text 988

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press ‘1’ or Text 838255

Youth Helpline: 2NDFLOOR - (888) 222-2228

National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-SAFE (7233)

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: (800) 273-TALK (8255)

Addiction: Start Your Recovery - (800) 662-4357

🗞 Mediaplanet Launches Men's Mental Health Campaign in USA TODAY, Featuring Jake Shane, Howie Mandel, Kevin Love, Dr. Mark Hyman and Yung Pueblo. Mediaplanet has launched a national Men’s Mental Health campaign running in USA TODAY and its Future of Personal Health digital hub, aimed at getting more men talking openly about their mental health. Podcaster Jake Shane is the cover story, with contributions from Howie Mandel, Kevin Love, Dr. Mark Hyman and Yung Pueblo. The campaign’s core message is that men don’t have to handle mental health struggles alone, and that care works best as everyday maintenance rather than a crisis response. Read More at PR Newswire

MYTH: I don’t need to see a therapist if I have friends.

FACT: Sometimes, people assume that therapy is for the lonely or those who don’t have a support system. They might think it is just easier to talk to their friends when they’re having a rough day. While having a support system is very important, there is a big difference between having a conversation with a professional and speaking informally with friends.

Therapists can use their expertise and training to address issues that not everyone can help with. It can also be difficult sometimes for people to fully open up with their close friends.

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