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These new resources can help you vet digital mental health tools
If you’re a journalist covering mental health, you’re bound to come across some new digital tool claiming to combat anxiety or encourage healthier self-talk. But reporting on them — whether as a news article about a buzzy new product or in a roundup of resources in a service piece — can be tricky. As I…
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Journalists at HJ26 discuss the toll of reporting on trauma
The toll of reporting on trauma: A workshop with yoga Margo Snipe, Founder, The Stories Within By Nicole Villalpando, Texas Health Journalism Fellow Reporting on trauma can take a toll on journalists, but mindfulness can go a long way to support you throughout your careers. That was one of the takeaways from a workshop led…
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Children face increased mental health risks after a parent is shot, study finds
A new study identified yet another link between mental health and gun violence. Researchers at Harvard and Mass General Brigham found that children whose parents were injured by firearms experienced higher rates of psychiatric diagnoses and mental health visits in the year following the injury. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine,…
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Why the rise of online sports betting is a public health story
Americans are betting on sports at unprecedented levels. Since the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision allowing states to legalize sports gambling, online sportsbooks have spread rapidly. Most states now allow some form of sports betting and billions of dollars are wagered each year — much of it through mobile apps. The growth of this industry has…
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Signs you’re dangerously overwhelmed as a freelancer — and what to do about it
Being a journalist inherently comes with stress. Sometimes it’s good stress, like the short-term kind that can drive you to meet a deadline or ask an uncomfortable question. But when it’s prolonged stress, like a constant low-level dread about the state of the industry or world, it’s not often productive — and can even be…
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Death, crime and care: What research says about harm reduction centers
When President Donald Trump returned to office in 2025, one of the earliest signals on drug policy echoed a familiar stance from his first term: strong skepticism toward harm-reduction strategies, including harm reduction centers. During his previous administration, the Department of Justice fought Philadelphia’s attempt to open the Safehouse overdose prevention center, arguing that such…
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5 avenues to continue reporting on AI chatbots and mental health
One of the biggest health IT stories from the past few months has been the fallout of people using artificial intelligence-driven chatbots for companionship and mental health services. Several families across the country have filed lawsuits against AI developers, arguing that the chatbots are designed to be addictive and drove some to suicide. In September,…
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