Columbia researchers fed AI chatbots prompts mimicking delusional thinking. About half the time, ChatGPT and Gemini affirmed the delusions instead of redirecting users to help, early evidence that AI's agreeableness may fuel "AI psychosis." magazine.columbia.edu/article/ai-c...

Your Chatbot Is a Terrible Therapist. Here’s Why.

Columbia clinicians are studying how ChatGPT and other AI tools may reinforce harmful beliefs and endanger vulnerable users.

magazine.columbia.edu

Featured on the cover of Biological Psychiatry: Research from Dr. Briana Chen in @drchristineannd.bsky.social's lab shows that a single combined dose of (R,S)-ketamine and prucalopride outperforms single-drug treatments against stress. Read more: www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S000...

Congrats to our Shaffer Scholars! Irem Sonmez, Monica Castillo & Daniel Laor each earned an AACAP Pilot Research Award, and Fadi Hamati received a Weill Cornell Alumni Council grant. Four awards in one month for our child psychiatry research fellows! 🎉

We are hiring 2 new research assistants for the @auerbachlab.bsky.social! Come join us at @columbiapsych.bsky.social to work on new research on #depression and #suicide in children and teens examining MRI, social media, and digital smartphone tools 🧠 t.co/BlZw3bpS5d

How can you best support someone who's grieving? Reach out casually, listen without advising, offer specific help, and keep checking in. Grief follows no fixed timeline, says Columbia's Dr. Erin Engle in @everydayhealth.bsky.social. www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-he...

11 Expert Tips on How to Support Someone Who’s Grieving

Death is a complicated topic, and many worry about saying the wrong thing to someone who's grieving. These expert tips can help you provide support with empathy.

everydayhealth.com

Can GLP-1 drugs help or harm people with eating disorders? Columbia's Dr. Allegra Broft explained on @npr.org why these medications quiet "food noise" for some but risk triggering restrictive behaviors in others.

GLP-1s & eating disorders have a complicated relationship : It's Been a Minute

What happens when GLP-1s interact with eating disorders?About 1 in 8 US adults are currently taking a GLP-1. They’ve been described by a lot of people as a miracle drug – they treat high blood sugar a...

npr.org

In @newscientist.com, Drs. Joanna Steinglass and Timothy Walsh describe how anorexia nervosa's restrictive eating takes hold, shifting from an initially rewarding choice into an automatic, deeply ingrained habit. www.newscientist.com/article/2528...

Understanding anorexia’s grip on the brain could unlock new therapies

One-third of people with anorexia nervosa don’t recover and treatment has remained stagnant for years. Now we’re beginning to understand how the condition takes over the mind

newscientist.com

Happy Pride! 🌈 In 1973, gay rights activist Ron Gold and Columbia's Dr. Robert Spitzer attended a secret meeting of gay psychiatrists at a Honolulu tiki bar, leading to the historic resolution removing homosexuality from the DSM. magazine.columbia.edu/article/robe...

A Shrink Walks into a Gay Tiki Bar…

How Columbia psychiatry professor Robert Spitzer got homosexuality removed from the DSM’s list of mental disorders and became an unlikely hero in the battle for gay rights.

magazine.columbia.edu

Tick season is here. 🏕️ Dr. Brian Fallon, director of the Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center, spoke with @washingtonpost about what to do after a bite, including the symptoms that can surface months later. www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/202...

So, you got bit by a tick. Here’s exactly what to do next.

Experts explained what to do if you find a tick attached to your skin, including how to remove it and document it, and when to seek medical advice.

washingtonpost.com

Today marks the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Month! Do you need tips on speaking to a loved one about their mental health? Drs. Blumkin and DeAngelis shared their recommendations: www.nyp.org/healthmatter...

"We can’t find a level of cannabis use in a teenager that we don’t see a negative effect," said Dr. Ryan Sultan. Even monthly use was linked to lower GPA and fewer extracurriculars, according to a recent study by Sultan & colleagues. www.wsj.com/health/welln...

Teenagers Have Easy Access to Cannabis. Science Says It’s Bad for Them.

New research shows even infrequent cannabis use during adolescence is linked to increased risk of mental-health disorders and poor academic performance.

wsj.com

"It's a looming public health crisis." Nasir Naqvi, MD, PhD, Director of Columbia's Gambling Disorder Clinic, spoke with ABC about the impacts of youth gambling amid the rise of sports betting. abcnews.com/US/public-he... #sportsbetting #publichealth

'Public health crisis': Experts weigh the stakes of youth gambling in America

An ABC News examination of the rise in youth gambling, fueled by a new form of online wagering, indicates a troubling trend of gambling addictions among young people.

abcnews.com

How can clinicians, families, and educators help young people safely navigate a digital world? Join experts from our department next Wednesday as they discuss evidence-based strategies aimed at reducing risk. RSVP today: events.columbia.edu/go/hopeoverh...

Recent research findings suggest that social anxiety can have biological roots. Dr. Franklin Schneier highlights how those with the disorder are often extremely aware of their internal physiological states. www.sciencefocus.com/wellbeing/we...

We may finally know what really causes social anxiety – and how to reverse it | BBC Science Focus Magazine

Social anxiety isn’t only psychological. New research is revealing its biological roots – and how to reset them

sciencefocus.com

Join CHOSEN on February 19 for Beyond Abstinence: Measuring What Matters in Cannabis Use Disorder. In this webinar, Dr. Margaret Haney and Dr. Christina Brezing will share new developments in medication for and treatment of cannabis use disorder.

Join us March 4 for a timely conversation on how the digital world is shaping emotional well-being for youth and adolescents. Columbia experts will explore the risks and opportunities that technology presents for youth mental health. RSVP today: events.columbia.edu/go/hopeoverh...

Clinicians: Join a FREE webinar on school avoidance assessment & treatment for youth on Feb 26 (12–1 PM ET)! Featuring experts Dr. Stephanie Rohrig and Dr. Anthony Puliafico. CE credit available! Register today: nyph.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

The German practice of lüften (airing out your home daily) has the potential to improve sleep, cut indoor pollutants, and boost mood, experts say. Dr. Laurence Chan notes it’s an ideal mindfulness break to help you stay present. time.com/7358285/open...

The Case for Opening Your Windows Daily—Even in Winter

Your house could use a good burping.

time.com

Dr. Evelyn Attia told @self.com that individuals with a history of disordered eating or restrictive dieting should avoid GLP-1s like Ozempic. "They can get themselves into a very dangerous set of behaviors,” she said. www.self.com/story/why-im...

Why I’m Choosing Not to Take GLP-1s, Even Though Everyone Expects Me To

I’m a candidate for the meds, but they’re not for me—at least for now.

self.com

A wave of new treatments, including vaccines and brain stimulation, could transform how we approach substance use disorders. Dr. Meg Haney told @sciam.bsky.social that our benchmarks for success also need to be reconsidered. www.scientificamerican.com/article/coul...

Could Next-Generation Medicines Help Solve the Opioid Crisis?

New medications are in the pipeline that could help people win their battles against addictive substances, including opioids

scientificamerican.com

NPR spoke with Dr. Ryan Sultan about his new study showing that even occasional cannabis use in teens is linked to lower GPAs and higher rates of anxiety and depression. www.npr.org/2025/12/26/n...

Cannabis use among teens tied to poor school performance

A new study of more than 160,000 teens finds that even occasional cannabis use among 8th, 10th and 12th graders is tied to worse outcomes at school and more emotional distress.

npr.org

Dr. Ragy Girgis, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, will be participating in this upcoming panel discussion on AI & mental health on the 14th. Register today for free.

National Academy of Medicine@nam.edu · 8mo ago

What role should AI chatbots play in mental health support? Join us on January 14 for an expert conversation:

Research suggests acts of kindness can boost mood, lower stress, and strengthen social connection. Kelli Harding, MD, MPH, discusses how giving benefits both body and mind: www.columbiadoctors.org/news/generos...

A new frontline report by Dr. Omar F. Mirza proposes a shift in inpatient psychiatry: start treatment planning with what patients say they want, not just their diagnoses. Centering care on personal goals can help restore dignity, agency, and trust. psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/...

Goals First: Centering Inpatient Psychiatric Care on the Person, Not the Problem | Psychiatric Services

PsychiatryOnline.org is the platform for all American Psychiatric Association Publishing journals, DSM, and bestselling textbooks, as well as APA Practice Guidelines, and continuing medical education.

psychiatryonline.org

“Your body is in overdrive and you can’t turn it off.” Dr. Helen Blair Simpson spoke with @usatoday.com about how anxiety takes hold — and how CBT and first-line medications can bring relief. www.usatoday.com/story/life/2...

Tomorrow's Grand Rounds will feature Dr. Katherine E. Burdick, our new Vice Chair of Research, discussing neurocognition in #bipolar disorder. Watch live via Zoom beginning at 11am ET: ColumbiaPsychiatry.org/Grand-Rounds

Widely prescribed SSRIs may affect sexual development, raising concerns about long-term impacts. Dr. Amir Levine underscores the potential issue, warning that “we are failing to ask something very important.” www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/m...

More Teens Are Taking Antidepressants. It Could Disrupt Their Sex Lives for Years.

nytimes.com

Thank you to Dr. Kathleen T. Brady, @medunivsc.bsky.social, who presented at our annual Hadar Lecture Grand Rounds on 11/12! Watch the entire presentation, "Gender Difference in Substance Use Disorders: Findings From the MUSC Center of Excellence," on our YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P2k...

Dr. Ragy Girgis spoke with @wired.com about how “AI psychosis” stems not from chatbots themselves but from their ability to reinforce existing delusions in vulnerable individuals. Read more: www.wired.com/story/ftc-co...

People Who Say They’re Experiencing AI Psychosis Beg the FTC for Help

The Federal Trade Commission received 200 complaints mentioning ChatGPT between November 2022 and August 2025. Several attributed delusions, paranoia, and spiritual crises to the chatbot.

wired.com

Tomorrow at Grand Rounds: Erin Schuman, PhD, @mpibrain.bsky.social, discusses how brain synapses get the proteins they need. Watch it LIVE via Zoom beginning at 11am ET: ColumbiaPsychiatry.org/Grand-Rounds