MedPage Today (11/13, George) reports a study found that “children whose dads took valproate up to 3 months before conception were more likely to have neurodevelopmental disorders.” Researchers observed that “compared with children whose fathers took lamotrigine or levetiracetam, kids with fathers exposed to valproate had a higher risk of a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosis up to age 12 years.” They noted that “congenital malformation risk did not differ between exposure groups.” The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (11/13) reports a new survey of 1,000 men ages 16 to 28 found that “young men who are online much of the day and have little or no social interaction outside of online activities are most likely to self-report dissatisfaction with their life and poor mental health.” According to the results, “about half of young men said they spend five or more hours a day online streaming, gaming, browsing, and/or using social media.” The results also indicated that “young men were split on whether their life is going the way they expected or envisioned it would go: 50% said yes, while 46% said no. Forty percent said they did not have a male mentor or role model. Seventeen percent rated mental health as their top priority – the second most popular answer behind financial stability (27%).” In addition, “young men were more likely to rate their own mental health as fair (33%) or poor/very poor (24%) rather than good (26%) or excellent (14%).”

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— “Survey Looks at Young Men’s Online Habits, Satisfaction, and Mental Health, Psychiatric News, November 13, 2025

The AP (11/12, Wells) reports that surveys from the American Psychiatric Association “have repeatedly shown that a significant number of Americans experience climate anxiety.” A study published earlier this year in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences found that “while Generalized Anxiety Disorder often involves the part of the brain that handles fear, threat and emotion, climate anxiety activates parts of the brain that help with high cognition, willpower and tenacity.” Because the threat is indefinite, “it’s largely out of each person’s control and addressing it requires repeated and variable action.” Because climate anxiety is “such a big part of climate action,” the COP30 conference “has increased the number of mental health programs offered during the event, including several that focus on boosting mental health, building psychological resilience in the face of climate change and integrating mental health discussions in education.”

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— “Climate change is in the news during COP30. We’ve got tips to tackle your climate anxiety,”Caleigh Wells, AP, November 12, 2025

Neurology Advisor (11/12, Khaja) reports a study found that “exposure to common infectious agents is associated with domain-specific cognitive impairment among community-dwelling older adults.” The researchers examined “whether serologic evidence of infection with 5 common pathogens (herpes simplex virus [HSV]-1, HSV-2, cytomegalovirus [CMV], Helicobacter pylori, and Chlamydia pneumoniae) was associated with cognitive performance and risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia.” They found that “after adjusting for demographic, vascular, and psychosocial confounders, CMV and HSV-2 seropositivity were significantly associated with poorer executive function, while C pneumoniae seropositivity was linked to reduced language performance. In unadjusted models, CMV seropositivity was associated with increased risk for incident MCI and dementia. However, these associations were no longer significant after adjustment.” The study was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

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— “Common Infections Linked to Cognitive Decline in Older Adults,”Hibah Khaja, Neurology Advisor, November 12, 2025

The Los Angeles Times (11/10, Flores) says that a nationwide survey conducted by Equip, a virtual eating disorder treatment program, found that “more than 70% of Latino respondents reported experiencing at least one disordered eating behavior in the past, with the most common behaviors being restrictive (52%) and binge eating (37%). However, only 12% reported having been formally diagnosed with an eating disorder.” Although a majority of survey respondents “identified food as being both positive and central to their life, 55% reported that they had experienced teasing or discrimination related to weight. Family was identified as having the top influence on body image, more than peers or social media.”

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— “Binge eating disorder is prevalent among Latinos but underdiagnosed, Los Angeles Times , November 10, 2025

The American Journal of Managed Care (11/11, Steinzor) reports a study found that “although relationship quality between children and carers improved over 2.5 years, it did not directly predict later emotional or behavioral outcomes.” Researchers observed that over a 2.5-year period, mean (SD) Parent-Infant Relationship Global Assessment Scale (PIR-GAS) “scores increased from 66.12 (17.09) at baseline to 79.67 (16.52) at follow-up, indicating a shift toward more positive and secure relationships.” The findings “highlight the need for targeted interventions to support care-experienced children’s long-term mental health, as early caregiver-child relationships play a crucial role in shaping emotional and behavioral development.” The study was published in European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

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— “Stronger Carer-Child Bonds Don’t Predict Later Mental Health,”Pearl Steinzor, The American Journal of Managed Care , November 11, 2025

Psychiatric News (11/10) reports, “As drones’ use in surveillance and combat rises, so does a new type of posttraumatic illness: ‘dronophobia.’” Joseph L. Bonvie, of Massachusetts General Hospital, and colleagues wrote in the Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders, “Individuals who have experienced a drone strike, particularly those injured by one, are at heightened risk for developing persistent psychological symptoms, a vulnerability intensified by the ongoing threat of repeated attacks.” The authors said, “Addressing the psychological and societal consequences of drone warfare necessitates a comprehensive, integrated, multidisciplinary strategy. … Managing drone-related trauma requires ongoing mental health support that should include family involvement, sustained surveillance, and community-based programs.”

Related Links:

— “Drone-Induced Anxiety: An Emerging Form of Combat Trauma, Psychiatric News, November 10, 2025

CNN (11/10, Christensen) reports that in the US, “homicide is the No. 1 way pregnant women die, research has showed, but a new study finds that they are even more vulnerable than other women of childbearing age when there’s a gun involved.” The research “looked at more than 7,000 homicides of women of childbearing age between 2018 and 2021.” Investigators found that pregnant women “have a 37% higher firearm homicide rate than women who weren’t pregnant, and more than two-thirds of pregnancy-associated homicides involved firearms.” The study also “showed that every 1% increase in state-level firearm ownership was associated with a 6% increase in all-cause homicide and an 8% increase in the firearm-specific homicide rate in pregnant women, even after adjusting for other factors.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

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— “Women face a much higher risk of homicide, especially from guns, during pregnancy,”Jen Christensen, CNN, November 10, 2025

The Washington Post (11/6, Wu) reports that “AI-powered chatbots have been blamed for upending the mental health of vulnerable users,” but some “licensed therapists who have tested the technology think it’s a helpful emotional tool in limited cases, and they also sometimes turn to chatbots to help with their own mental health needs.” These therapists “said they were wary of treating mental health challenges with chatbots, and most agreed that it should only be used as a supplement to professional therapy, with a therapist’s guidance – and that perhaps having training as therapists themselves is what allowed them to use AI in this way safely.” Nevertheless, “the adoption of AI by some therapists and many of their clients shows that the appeal of chatbots as therapeutic conversation partners continues to stick.”

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (11/7) reported, “More than 5 million adolescents and young adults in the United States have sought mental health advice from generative artificial intelligence (AI), according to a study.” The researchers said, “[These] high use rates likely reflect the low cost, immediacy, and perceived privacy of AI-based advice, particularly for youths unlikely to receive traditional counseling. … However, engagement with generative AI raises concerns, especially for users with intensive clinical needs.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “More Than One in Eight U.S. Youth Use AI Chatbots for Mental Health Advice, Psychiatric News , November 7, 2025