But AI systems are not neutral. They are introducing new, large-scale risks to youth mental health — often without transparency, safeguards, or accountability. AI is already affecting youth development and how young people experience identity, relationships, community, stress, and help-seeking. 

At The Jed Foundation (JED), we work to promote emotional well-being and reduce suicide risk for teens and young adults. We believe AI must be developed and deployed in ways that enhance youth mental health, not undermine it. Young people must not be left to navigate these systems without the appropriate tools, support, and developmental readiness. We are committed to ensuring that AI does not deepen isolation, distort reality, or cause harm, but instead serves as a tool to strengthen connection, care, and resilience. 

Our nation has long recognized that children require special protections as they grow and mature. Over the past century, we have enacted robust safeguards against child labor, tobacco and alcohol marketing and sales, advertising and media, and how companies collect and use young people’s data. These protections reflect a simple truth: Children are not miniature adults. 

Adolescence is a critical period of brain development — second only to infancy — shaping how young people regulate emotions, form identity, and assess risk. Emerging research from the American Psychological Association (APA) underscores that this stage of life brings heightened sensitivity to social feedback and emotionally engaging environments, which can be exploited by AI systems designed to maximize attention or simulate care.

Age alone is not a reliable marker of readiness for these tools. Young people deserve thoughtful, proactive, and protective regulatory safeguards, especially when powerful technologies and profit-driven systems are involved and shaping their development.

We therefore call on lawmakers, regulators, and technology companies to adopt comprehensive, enforceable safeguards that govern the deployment and commercialization of AI technologies to minors, particularly those designed to capture, maintain, or monetize their attention or emotional states.

The Risks of AI

The risks of AI are not speculative. Researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine’s Brainstorm Lab for Mental Health Innovation and Common Sense Media found that social AI companions — which are intended to build human-like relationships (rather than just convey information or complete tasks) — routinely claimed to be real, have feelings, and engage in human behaviors, despite legal disclaimers otherwise. In tests, researchers noted dangerous and misleading advice, including promoting cyberbullying and offering positive messaging about self-harm. And they found AI companions exacerbated mental health conditions in already vulnerable teens and created compulsive attachments and relationships.

These are just some of the very real risks our youth are already facing. Findings from the APA further emphasize the developmental risks of AI-mediated interactions, particularly those that mimic peer or therapeutic relationships without real care or accountability. The research community should continue to study the potential harms to inform policy and practice. Critical areas of concern include: 

• Distorted reality and harmed trust. Generative AI (the type designed to complete tasks or convey information) and algorithmic amplification can spread misinformation, worsen body image issues, and enable realistic deepfakes, undermining young people’s sense of self, safety, and truth.
• Invisible manipulation. AI curates feeds, monitors behavior, and influences emotions in ways young people often cannot detect or fully understand, leaving them vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation. This includes algorithmic nudging and emotionally manipulative design.
• Content that can escalate crises. Reliance on chatbot therapy alone can be detrimental due to inadequate support and guidance. Due to the absence of clinical safeguards, chatbots and AI-generated search summaries may serve harmful content or fail to alert appropriate human support when someone is in distress, particularly for youth experiencing suicidal thoughts.
• Simulated support without care. Chatbots posing as friends or therapists may feel emotionally supportive, but they can reinforce emotional dependency, delay help-seeking, disrupt or replace real friendships, undermine relational growth, and simulate connection without care. This is particularly concerning for isolated or vulnerable youth who may not recognize the limits of artificial relationships.
• Deepening inequities. Many AI systems do not reflect the full variety of youth experience. As a result, they risk reinforcing stereotypes, misidentifying emotional states, or excluding segments of youth, particularly LGBTQIA+ youth, youth of color, and those with disabilities.

These AI-specific risks come on top of those already present for youth in digital platforms: compulsive use, increased body image concerns, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and behavioral manipulation.

JED does not oppose AI innovation, nor are we seeking to turn back the clock on a popular technology that could have positive impacts in many areas of life, including youth health and well-being. Early research on the use of therapy chatbots programmed to use cognitive behavioral therapy to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression shows promising results. And JED is actively exploring ways that AI can increase access to evidence-based resources and help young people navigate stress and emotional challenges. 

However, the promise of AI must not justify an approach that exposes young people to untested, emotionally manipulative, or harmful systems, and prioritizes innovation and commercialization at any cost. We believe: 

• AI must be youth-informed, ethically designed, and protective of mental health. 
• Youth mental health, harm reduction, and suicide prevention must be core to the design, safety, and governance priorities of all AI, not an afterthought. 
• Safeguards for minors and other populations with increased risks must be robust, enforced, and regularly evaluated for efficacy. 

These principles must apply not just to AI products labeled as “health” or “wellness” tools, but also to emotionally responsive systems embedded in entertainment, education, or daily interaction platforms. They must also apply across the entire AI lifecycle, from data sourcing and product design to deployment and evaluation.

AI is being positioned as a scalable solution for emotional needs. But, without safeguards, it may simulate care without delivering it, creating systems that fail when youth need them most. 

Regulatory and Industry Action Are Required 

We do not believe that protecting youth and AI innovation and growth are mutually exclusive. But AI developers, tech platforms, policymakers, and educators must prioritize the emotional health and safety of young people in every phase of AI development, deployment, and oversight. 

We recommend:

• Design with youth development and emotional well-being at the core. AI systems must be grounded in child development and mental health science. They must support emotional regulation, identity formation, and human connection. Systems should avoid automating emotional care or oversimplifying complex psychological needs. Emotional safety should be tested before deployment and continuously evaluated.
• Ban emotionally manipulative and dependency-forming design. Prohibit features that simulate friendship, intimacy, or therapeutic care for youth. This includes emotionally responsive AI companions, chatbots that mimic caring adults or peers, gamified nudges, and systems designed to elicit emotional dependency. These tools must never be positioned as substitutes for trusted relationships or professional supports. AI companions should be banned outright for use by minors, except under strict clinical supervision and regulatory oversight.
• Ensure transparency, accountability, and meaningful oversight. Young people and caregivers must always know when they’re interacting with AI, what data is being collected, and how it shapes decisions, content, and outcomes. Platforms must implement robust, privacy-respecting age verification and provide clear disclosures to youth and caregivers. Human oversight should be required for any system affecting youth health, safety, or emotional well-being.
• Prevent emotional exploitation and commercial harm. AI tools that influence how youth seek help, process emotions, or engage with mental health content must meet clinical standards, avoid reinforcing despair or risk through algorithmic loops, and always prioritize connection to trusted, human support, especially for those in distress or who are emotionally vulnerable. Companies must not collect or infer sensitive emotional data, or personalize content based on behavioral vulnerabilities, especially for commercial gain. And, AI systems must be audited for bias and harm for youth across different backgrounds, experiences, and mental health statuses.
• Center youth in design and governance. Young people must help shape the tools that influence their lives. This includes participatory design processes, feedback mechanisms, and representation in governance frameworks, policy development, and oversight mechanisms.
• Integrate AI literacy into platforms and partnerships. Tech companies must invest in helping youth, caregivers, and other caring adults like educators understand and safely navigate AI. This includes clear educational content within products as well as partnerships to deliver AI and media literacy. 

Protective Policies Are Needed

Tech companies play a critical role in shaping the digital experiences and, therefore, the lives of young people — but they cannot be expected to prioritize youth safety and mental health without clear standards and accountability. To ensure that innovation truly serves the next generation, it is time to establish enforceable guardrails that align AI development with long-standing child protection principles.

To accomplish this, JED calls for the following policy actions:

1. Codify age-appropriate design and safety standards by establishing enforceable federal and state laws that require privacy-by-default, age-appropriate interfaces, and strict limits on deceptive design patterns, autoplay features, algorithmic amplification of harmful content, and addictive mechanics.
   
2. Prohibit the use of emotionally manipulative or synthetic relational AI by minors without strict oversight and testing, particularly in contexts that mimic therapy, friendship, or emotional dependency.
   
3. Implement universal, privacy-preserving age-verification systems to restrict AI-powered platforms from engaging minors without appropriate consent or oversight, with penalties for circumvention and noncompliance.
   
4. Enforce transparency and accountability for any AI technology accessible to minors, including mandatory impact assessments, disclosures, and independent oversight.
   • Foster collaboration among lawmakers, regulators, technology companies, child advocates, and mental health experts to develop effective safeguards.
   • Require public disclosure by AI companies of any and all studies or other safety information about the risks of their products.
   • Mandate public disclosure of any financial relationships between AI and tech companies and scientific and medical researchers or experts.
   • Invest in public awareness campaigns to inform parents, educators, and children about the potential risks of AI chatbots.
5. Prohibit behavioral targeting of minors through algorithms designed for engagement maximization or commercial gain.
   
6. Protect youth data and likenesses. Use of biometric and emotional data to personalize experiences, drive recommendations, or train models must be strictly limited. The creation or dissemination of AI-generated likenesses of youth, including deepfakes, synthetic voices, and non-consensual images, should be explicitly prohibited. Platforms must implement detection, removal, and accountability mechanisms to prevent misuse and respond rapidly to harms.
   
7. Require robust research to support stated interventions to ensure that claims made about the potential benefits of usage align with user experience.
   
8. Strengthen federal enforcement powers, including Federal Trade Commission rulemaking authority, private rights of action, and meaningful penalties for noncompliance, and update laws to address the unique risks posed by AI chatbots used by minors.
   
9. Establish a National Center for Youth and AI Ethics to oversee and coordinate research, standard-setting, and ethical guardrails, especially in high-risk domains such as education, mental health, and child development at both the federal and state level.

JED believes that safeguarding youth mental health demands regulation of the technologies shaping their emotional, cognitive, and social development. Young people, and their healthy development, must be protected from being leveraged and exploited as a commercial market for financial gain and profiteering by any entity. Their time, attention, and emotional well-being should never be considered fair game for corporations seeking to maximize profit.

This is not a call to halt innovation. It is a call to ensure innovation serves, rather than harms, the next generation and always puts young people’s safety and well-being ahead of profits. Policymakers, technology leaders, and child advocates must act with urgency. The mental health of millions of young people — and the ethical foundation of our digital future — depends on it.

More From JED About AI and Mental Health

• When AI Hurts the Youth It Claims to Help
• Why Your Teen Shouldn’t Be Using AI Companions – and What to Do If They Are
• Why AI Companions Are Risky – and What to Know If You Already Use Them

The post Tech Companies and Policymakers Must Safeguard Youth Mental Health in AI Technologies appeared first on The Jed Foundation.

Social media can provide a source of connection and support to young people, which can be particularly impactful for LGBTQIA+ youth, young people from rural communities, youth of color, those with disabilities, and others whose life situations may make it difficult for them to find support elsewhere. However, social media can also cause significant harm to the well-being of children and adolescents, and may have a lasting impact on the developing brain. Insufficient access to data and a lack of transparency from technology companies have prevented the research community from understanding the magnitude of social media’s impact on the mental health and well-being of youth. 

With these data in mind, The Jed Foundation (JED) advocates for a safety-first approach, in alignment with the surgeon general’s advisory Social Media and Youth Mental Health.

JED is also closely watching the lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, which presents an opportunity for the community and government to learn more about the practices used with young people. The case will highlight the effects of social media on young people, enabling us to better advocate for the implementation of more protective regulations and measures for young social media users. The case also emphasizes that we cannot rely on industry regulation, particularly when it comes to protecting children. Government regulation is necessary to develop safeguards that ensure online safety for young people.

JED issues the following recommendations: 

• Support federal regulation designed to limit the harmful aspects of social media, such as preventing online platforms from employing technologies that drive nonstop engagement, including:
  • Video autoplay
  • Platform-generated messages or alerts (e.g., push notifications)
  • Engagement-based rewards
  • Enticements and algorithmic preferences to share personal information or maximize money spent on platforms
    
• Support federal regulation designed to maximize protective factors, including: 
  • Leveraging algorithms to surface supportive mental health content
  • Regulating advertising around individuals under the age of 18 
  • Building in time limits and digital breaks to support youth in putting their devices down and connecting to other people in person
  • Implementing content blocks instead of easily dismissed pop-ups 
  • Using expertise to discover, downgrade, and ban content that encourages harmful behaviors, including suicide, self-injury, disordered eating, and cyberbullying
  • Using expertise to uplift and advance content that is supportive of help-seeking, as well as positive solutions to the challenges youth are facing
  • Promoting transparency in algorithms across social media platforms, ensuring that young social media users gain insight into the factors shaping their online experiences 
  • Giving young people clearer ways to choose the type of content that appears in their feeds
    
• Require social media companies to establish data transparency policies that include:
  • Promptly reporting all data to researchers so the information can be interpreted and further disseminated
  • Publishing ongoing studies in a publicly available registry so that the field knows what studies are underway at social media companies
  • Disclosing grants or payments to researchers so it is clear what studies were supported with funding from these companies
    
• Require social media companies to include experts such as psychologists, ethicists, and medical and public health professionals on industry advisory bodies to advocate for youth well-being. To anticipate and mitigate possible harms, companies should involve those professionals before and during the design and deployment of features and algorithms to robustly and fairly evaluate their developmental and mental health impacts. 
• Invest in high-quality, large-scale research into interventions, protective policies, and the short- and long-term effects of social media on mental health. Researchers must be able to conduct longitudinal and real-time studies to understand and map the user by technology interactions that affect mental health vulnerability. This requires an added level of collaboration between technology companies and independent research groups.
• Establish a regulatory agency exclusively dedicated to safeguarding digital and online safety. The agency would ensure that industry complies with regulations and centers the well-being of users in practice and policy.
  
• Support the creation of a commission and advisory council, with regular reporting. The commission, comprised of mental health experts, should center child well-being over profit by limiting disclosure and data-sharing to third parties and designating users between age 13 (the youngest age people are technically allowed on social media) and 17 (the end of legal childhood, last day of age 17) as a special class.
• Mandate development and deployment of software that accurately detects user age and governs graduated affordances by age on platforms. Companies must do a better job of guaranteeing that users below the designated age of access (typically age 13) are barred from accessing the platform.
• Involve young people in decision-making and idea generation processes, inviting them to:
  • Partner with government agencies to contribute to the creation of legislation and policies that will offer them substantive protection online and enhance the positive benefits of social media
  • Collaborate with social media companies to design, create, and implement improvements intended to minimize harm and support their well-being

The post The Jed Foundation (JED) Recommendations for Safeguarding Youth Well-Being on Social Media Platforms appeared first on The Jed Foundation.

The U.S. Surgeon General has called on the country to take a ‘safety first’ approach to the online lives of youth. This report answers that call to action. 

As the time young people spend in these immersive spaces and augmented/virtual reality environments increases, there is greater urgency to understand the interactions between these spaces and their mental health.

Grounded in a robust literature review and the deep engagement of an interdisciplinary Advisory Board of experts and a diverse cross-section of young people, the report provides actionable guidance for stakeholders in fostering a metaverse ecosystem that centers the rights and well-being of youth.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the deep collaboration and partnership among so many remarkable groups and individuals that made this project possible. First, we are thankful to the members of the project team, including the JED team and our partners at Raising Good Gamers. 

We appreciate Katie Salen Tekinbaş and the Connected Learning Lab for the extensive literature review and findings that provided the critical underpinning to this work. The literature review was conducted by Katie Salen Tekinbaş, Madison E. Taylor, and Andre Adame, with contributions by Stephen Schueller and F. Ria Khan.

We are grateful for the time and energy of each of the members of our Advisory Board, who spent careful time and attention in community with each other, providing guidance and expert advice that carefully shaped each of the recommendations. 

Our deepest thanks to the Youth Advisory Group participants whose voice, feedback, and recommendations were critical to our ability to center the rights of youth.

This report was generously funded by the Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health.

About The Jed Foundation (JED)

JED is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We’re encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.
Connect with JED! Email |Twitter |Facebook |Instagram |YouTube |LinkedIn |Snapchat | Pinterest |TikTok

About Raising Good Gamers (RGG)

RGG was founded by Games for Change and the Connected Learning Lab at the University of California, Irvine in 2020. Now, in partnership between Take This and Games for Change, the initiative aims to create a sustainable movement that can change the culture of online gaming for everyone. Working with a cross-sector community including designers, technologists, activists, researchers, funders, academics, parents, educators, and youth, RGG focuses on how we can develop and support gaming communities that cultivate empathetic, compassionate, and civically engaged kids.

About Connected Learning Labs at the University of California, Irvine

The Connected Learning Lab at the University of California, Irvine, is an interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to studying, designing, and mobilizing digital technology in youth-centered and equitable ways.

Metaverse Interdisciplinary Advisory Board Participants

• Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn, PhD, Founding Director of the Games and Virtual Environments Lab of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia
• Monica Ann Arrambide, CEO and Founder, Maven Youth
• Jeremy Bailenson, PhD, Courtesy Professor of Education and Program in Symbolic Systems, Stanford Graduate School of Education
• Jakki Bailey, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Texas, Austin
• Rebecca Benghiat, JD, President and Chief Operating Officer, The Jed Foundation
• Eve Crevoshay, Executive Director, Take This
• Mark DeLoura, Games and Education Technology Consultant, Level Up Games
• Tanya DePass, Founder and Director, I Need Diverse Games
• Ashley Elliott, PsyD, Owner and Lead Consultant, Vivid Innovations Consulting, LLC 
• Laura Erickson-Schroth, MD, MA, Chief Medical Officer, The Jed Foundation
• Carlos Figueiredo, Director of Player Safety, Minecraft; Executive Director and Co-founder, Fair Play Alliance
• Kishonna L. Gray, PhD, Associate Professor in Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies, University of Kentucky
• Weszt Hart, Head of Player Dynamics, Riot Games
• Celia Hodent, PhD, Founder, Ethical Games
• Jennie Ito, PhD, Senior Product Policy Manager, Roblox
• Jay Justice, editor, game developer, consultant, and cosplayer from New York City
• Daniel Kelley, MFA, Director of Strategy and Operations, Center for Technology and Society at the Anti-Defamation League
• David Kleeman, Senior Vice President of Global Trends, Dubit
• Raph Koster, MFA, CEO, Playable Worlds
• Rachel Kowert, PhD, Research Director, Take This
• Amanda Lenhart, Head of Research, Common Sense Media
• Remy Malan, Vice President of Public Affairs and Chief Privacy Officer, Roblox
• Michael P. Milham, MD, PhD, Vice President and Director of Research, Child Mind Institute
• Alex Newhouse, MA, MS, Senior Research Fellow of the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism; Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
• Brian Nowak, Managing Director, U.S. Internet Research, Morgan Stanley
• Mike Pappas, CEO and Co-founder, Modulate
• Susanna Pollack, President, Games for Change
• Michael Preston, PhD, Senior Vice President and Executive Director, Joan Ganz Cooney Center, Sesame Workshop
• Stephen Schueller, PhD, Executive Director, One Mind PsyberGuide
• Petr Slovak, PhD, Senior Lecturer in Human Computer Interaction and UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the Department of Informatics, King’s College, London
• Jessica Stone, PhD, RPT-S, clinical psychologist and mental health virtual reality specialist; Co-creator, CEO, and CPO, Virtual Sandtray, LLC
• Tiera Tanksley, PhD, Assistant Professor of Diversity, Equity, and Justice in Education, University of Colorado, Boulder
• Katie Salen Tekinbaş, Professor of Informatics, University of California, Irvine, Connected Learning Lab; Organizer, Raising Good Gamers
• Dawn Thomsen, Senior Vice President of Youth Strategies and Chief Engagement Officer, The Jed Foundation 
• Rachelle Vallon, Middle School Guidance Counselor and Wellness Coordinator, Quest to Learn
• Janis Whitlock, PhD, MPH, psychologist, Emerita Research Scientist, Cornell University; Senior Advisor, The Jed Foundation

The post Can the Metaverse Be Good for Youth Mental Health? Youth-Centered Strategies for Ensuring and Enhancing the Mental Health and Safety of Young People in the Metaverse appeared first on The Jed Foundation.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called loneliness a threat to the nation’s health, saying that its mortality impact is “similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.” This epidemic affects all ages, socioeconomic levels, and racial and ethnic groups in the United States. 

To address the issue, Dr. Murthy proposed a national framework to rebuild connection and community in America.

The Jed Foundation (JED) endorses the Surgeon General’s efforts to curb this “epidemic of loneliness and isolation” by facilitating social connectedness. JED’s mission is to protect the mental health of teens and young adults and prevent suicide. Loneliness and isolation, including experiences of being bullied or marginalized, are significant risk factors for mental health problems and suicidal behavior; conversely, the scientific link between social connectedness and mental health-promoting behaviors is powerful and longstanding. 

One of the pillars of JED’s evidence-based Comprehensive Approach is promoting social connectedness in schools and communities. Adolescents and young adults who feel connected to and cared for by others are less likely to experience emotional distress or suicidal ideation, and they are less likely to engage in substance misuse or attempt suicide.

The Jed Foundation is pleased that the Surgeon General’s framework aligns with the work that the organization has been undertaking for over two decades. Emphasizing the need to proactively nurture human connection as a national health imperative, his plan outlines measures to rebuild our social infrastructure. It recommends actionable steps for various entities, including schools, community organizations, and media and technology companies. JED expands upon those recommendations below.

Creating Inclusive School Climates

Schools are one of the most powerful places for young people to experience social connectedness. For example, schools that demonstrate inclusivity toward the most marginalized groups, on a day-to-day basis, and incorporate social acceptance into their value systems, make all students feel more connected and protected.

Recommendations for schools include:

• Modeling inclusivity
• Facilitating equitable classroom management
• Creating mentoring programs
• Hosting peer-led programs
• Encouraging peer support groups
• Addressing isolation in health classes
• Building partnerships with key community organizations

Strengthening Community Connections

By strengthening community connections, we develop the instinct to trust one another and look out for our neighbors. For young people, participating in meaningful activities like civic engagement can help counter a growing sense of frustration, anxiety, powerlessness, or even fear about the future. 

The Surgeon General’s framework calls on all of us to create a “culture of connection” that is not only advanced through formal programs and policies, but also through “the informal practices of everyday life—the norms and culture of how we engage one another.” 

While acknowledging that efforts must look different to meet the needs of diverse groups, JED seeks to build this “culture of connection” with young people in all of the places they spend their time–and not just face to face. That involves engaging with them on social media and informing entertainment entities, like screenwriters and production companies, on how best to tell stories that reflect the experiences of young people today, while promoting connectedness, belonging, and a message that no one is alone. 

Promoting Safety Online

As JED has acknowledged, in alignment with a subsequent advisory from the Surgeon General, it is hard to fully gauge the impact that digital spaces are having on youth mental health. There are some indicators that social media can detrimentally affect self-confidence, body image, and feelings of isolation; however, virtual spaces can also offer young people a chance to come together, find acceptance, and connect with their communities (which is especially important for certain demographics, including AAPI, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ youth). 

One way to best encourage the positive aspects of social connectedness through technology while minimizing harm is by taking a pro-safety approach, enacted collectively by researchers, educators, policymakers, and tech companies.

But any plan to strengthen communities for young people must ask for, and then incorporate, their input. The Jed Foundation believes in harnessing digital spaces for social good, while encouraging young people to turn away from the negative feedback loops that can exacerbate feelings of isolation and loneliness. Young people can provide the most authentic insights about promoting healthy engagement online–and building meaningful relationships beyond the screen, as well.

Scaling Efforts to Promote Social Connectedness, Together

The Jed Foundation is committed to continuing growing efforts in high schools, colleges, and universities nationwide, while sharing resources with young people–and their families–that help them to choose positive support systems, to advocate for equity and against bullying in communal spaces, and to grow comfortable with the help-seeking and help-giving behavior that is the cornerstone of a connected, flourishing society. 

JED offers its partnership and guidance to tech industry leaders, community organizers, educators, legislators, and others dedicated to enacting policies that will create stronger communities in real-world and digital spaces, which young people can safely explore and inhabit, so that they can build rewarding relationships, protect their mental health, and thrive.

The post The Power of Social Connectedness: Endorsing the Surgeon General’s Approach to Resolving America’s “Epidemic of Loneliness” appeared first on The Jed Foundation.

Teens and adolescents have lower suicide rates than adults, but much higher rates of seriously considering suicide (at 22% for high school students versus 4% for those over 18). Youth suicide rates have persistently increased since 2008. The good news is that the vast majority of people who become suicidal recover. 

The Jed Foundation (JED) is dedicated to protecting mental health and preventing suicide for teens and young adults. Because firearms are the most lethal method of suicide attempt (approximately 90% fatal), JED believes that promoting gun safety is integral to protecting the nation’s youth. 

Here’s what the numbers tell us:

• Firearms are used in approximately half of suicides for young people ages 15-24.
• States with higher rates of gun ownership have higher rates of suicide because of elevated numbers of firearm suicides. 
• High school students in rural areas report access to a handgun at twice the rate of their urban peers.
• Nearly 80% of the firearms used in youth suicides were owned by parents or other family members.

Importantly: Over 90% of those who make serious attempts and survive do not go on to die by suicide. This means that limiting access to the most lethal form of suicide attempt method will save lives. 

When someone is in a moment of acute distress, simply buying them time allows them to find support or treatment, sustain recovery, and go on to enjoy a fulfilling life. That’s why JED’s work involves collaborating with schools, communities, firearm owners, and others to reduce the chances of a young person accessing a gun during a suicidal crisis.

Saving young people’s lives is the common ground upon which caring leaders and community members can meet to initiate meaningful discussions and advance substantial change. Greater gun safety is possible through a collective effort between families, schools, gun owner groups, clinicians, and legislators.

The Jed Foundation recommends the following:

• Families must take an active role in preventing youth firearm suicides. Approximately three-quarters of suicides occur at home. It is not recommended that gun owners hide their firearms, because determined young people will find them. But the safe storage of guns will protect the young people who live in—or visit—their homes. 

Universal safe storage practices should include:

• Locking all firearms, ideally unloaded, inside a gun safe or another well-made lockbox and ensuring youth have no independent access to the keys or combination;
• Storing ammunition separately and securely; 
• Using cable or trigger locks when a safe is not available or as an added layer of protection when a safe is available;
• Securing self-defense firearms in a manner that provides rapid access for authorized users (such as a biometric safe) but limits access for all others (including those determined to be at heightened risk for suicide); and 
• Storing firearms away from home voluntarily and temporarily, if a young person at home is suicidal or clearly struggling until they have recovered.

JED endorses the establishment of coalitions that bring together thought leaders with diverse backgrounds, including epidemiologists, health care providers, gun owners, shooting sports organizations, educators, and policymakers. Successful examples include Virginia’s Lock and Talk program, Washington’s Forefront Safer Homes, and Utah’s Live On Campaign. Through shared information, pooled resources, and a common mission, these coalitions can develop and advocate for sustained policies, practices, and systems to improve firearm safety and save lives.

The post Preventing Youth Suicide Requires a Collaborative Effort to Promote Gun Safety appeared first on The Jed Foundation.

JED’s mission is to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults and fully supports the Surgeon General’s recommendations as well as additional steps policymakers, technology leaders, and youth-serving institutions can take right now to safeguard young people.

Social media offers powerful ways for youth to find connection; the advisory includes research showing that these platforms can help groups with less access to resources, including LGBTQ youth and girls of color, find identity-affirming support. The report states that “there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents” and “may be associated with distinct changes in the developing brain.” 

Although the report calls for continued research, data reveals that:

• Almost all teenagers are on social media, spending an average of 3.5 hours online daily, and nearly half of 8- to 12-year-olds use social media platforms.
• Increased social media use is associated with increased risk of mental health challenges including depression and anxiety, and adolescent girls may face a greater risk of harm that includes poor self-esteem, negative body image, and disordered eating.
• Excessive social media use interferes with activities that support mental health and well-being, such as sleep.
• Reduced social media use has been linked to fewer symptoms of depression, as well as increases in happiness and life satisfaction. 

Until now, the burden of protecting adolescents and teens online has fallen almost entirely on young people and their caregivers. It is time now, says the Surgeon General, for policymakers and technology companies to assume that burden.

The Jed Foundation supports the Surgeon General’s recommendations, which include asking:

• Policymakers to
  • Develop age-appropriate safety standards
  • Strengthen and enforce age minimums
  • Protect the privacy of children and youth online
  • Support digital and media literacy and fund additional research

• Technology companies to 
  • Assess the potential risks of products and be proactive in preventing the potential for misuse
  • Be transparent and share assessment data with independent researchers
  • Establish an independent scientific safety and advisory committee to inform approaches and policies to protect users
  • Prioritize user health and safety in the development of social media products and services

• Researchers to 
  • Make the impact of social media on youth mental health a priority

JED also urges:

• Policymakers to 
  • Encourage algorithmic transparency from all social media platforms, so that all stakeholders, but, especially end users, understand how their experience is being influenced   
  • Enact policies that require technology companies to design their algorithms to protect youth from harmful content and drive them to supportive content
  • Prohibit — or strictly control — advertising to anyone under 18
  • Involve young people in the creation of policies that will offer them substantive protection online and enhance the positive benefits of social media   
  • Create a regulatory agency dedicated to ensuring digital and online safety 

• Technology companies to
  • Disable algorithms that serve harmful content and are intended to keep children, teens, and young adults engaged with screens 
  • Leverage algorithms to surface supportive mental health content
  • Build in time limits and digital breaks to support youth in putting their devices down and connecting IRL
  • Implement content blocks instead of easily dismissed pop-ups 
  • Use their expertise to discover, downgrade, and ban content that encourages harmful behaviors including suicide, self-injury, disordered eating, and cyberbullying
  • Use their expertise to uplift and advance content that is supportive of help-seeking, as well as positive solutions to the challenges youth are facing 
  • Involve young people in the design, creation, and implementation of improvements intended to minimize harm and support their well-being

• Funders and philanthropic organizations to 
  • Invest in high-quality, large-scale research into interventions, protective policies, and the short- and long-term effects of social media on mental health  
  • Partner with and support community-based organizations offering young people alternative, balanced opportunities for meaningful offline connection

JED is dedicated to supporting teens and young adults to create lives that feel balanced and healthy on– and off-line and working with high schools and preK-12 school districts to help them educate and empower students to make social media work for — and not against — them. JED will continue to offer expertise and resources to leaders in the technology industry and policymakers committed to decisively responding to the Surgeon General’s advisory. 

Additional resources for creating a healthy relationship with social media are available in JED’s Mental Health Resource Center.

The post JED’s Response to the Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health appeared first on The Jed Foundation.

What can be done to halt and begin to reverse the harm that is being done? There is no simple, one-size-fits-all solution. A broad, coordinated approach is necessary. The Jed Foundation (JED) advocates eliminating barriers to mental health care and addressing broader issues that affect the mental health of Black youths. 

But in order to get started, it’s essential to understand the issues at play⁠ — and our options for resolving them.

The Status of Black Youth Mental Health 

Black youths are at a higher risk for depression, anxiety, and other mental health struggles than their non-Black peers. The CDC reported that suicide is increasing at a faster rate for Black youths than it is for any other racial or ethnic group (36.6%). 

The reasons for this cannot be traced back to one specific cause. Studies have shown that experiences with racial discrimination, financial and institutional barriers to care, and police killings of Black Americans are just some of the many contributing factors. 

Similarly, there is not one specific solution. Getting mental health care may seem like a good place to start, but it’s not always feasible. Cost is often a prohibitive factor. Unfortunately, even those who can handle the cost may not have access. The United States is struggling with a shortage of therapists. And then it comes down to the quality of care provided: Most clinicians are white, which can make it difficult for Black Americans to find care from someone who understands their background. Speaking with a culturally sensitive therapist is often key when youths are healing from racial trauma.  

But Black youths may never be encouraged to seek help in the first place; caregivers and educators often fail to recognize their struggles due to a lack of understanding on how mental health issues present in teens and young adults of different races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Black youths may demonstrate warning signs in different ways than other young people ⁠ —ways that are often interpreted as behavioral problems rather than trauma, anxiety, or depression. As a result, a punitive approach is taken: Black youths exhibiting symptoms of mental health challenges are more likely to be suspended from school, expelled, or sent into the juvenile justice system.

It’s also important to recognize how the combination of different identities can present additional challenges. The phenomenon — sometimes called  intersectionality ⁠— helps us understand the way multiple forms of inequality interact and compound to affect youth mental health. For example, Black youths who are also transgender or nonbinary face a higher risk of suicide than those with only one marginalized identity. The youths’ multiple identities need to be considered when seeking solutions. 

The Need for Large-Scale, Community-Based Solutions 

Many of the hurdles outlined above can only be removed through large-scale reform. The responsibility should not rest solely on parents and caretakers, much less young people themselves. Evidence-based solutions must respond to the different and unique experiences among people of all races. Therefore, we must turn to community-based solutions that reach individuals where they are and when they need it most. 

An important first step is improving access to culturally competent mental health care that addresses the needs of people of all backgrounds. This is easier said than done, especially given the therapist shortage, but it can be facilitated through a number of avenues. Schools, for one, must become safe havens for students, with suicide intervention programs and strong support systems for Black students. Schools are one of the most effective environments for early intervention, because that is where young people spend a majority of their time. 

More work must also be done to help ease the shortage of mental health care experts trained in culturally responsive care. Advocating for scholarship programs that give Black youth the chance to study medicine, psychiatry, psychology, and social work is a step in the right direction. The field of medicine must also evolve as well. Historically, most psychiatric research has been done by and for white people, leaving a profound knowledge gap that continues to endanger Black Americans. Additionally, research topics proposed by Black scientists are less likely to be funded than topics proposed by their white counterparts⁠ — a loss to the scientific community as a whole. Research that looks at risk factors, as well as protective factors, stressors, and disparities unique to Black youths, can improve understanding of the obstacles they face and how to address them. 

Finally, funding social programs and resources that reach all young people, especially Black youth, can foster a sense of belonging and support. Community-building is a strong, well-established method for suicide prevention and improving youth mental health. 

JED’s Commitment and Call to Action

The Jed Foundation recognizes that Black teens and young adults face unique mental health challenges. JED is committed to doing the work that needs to be done to support and protect them so that they are equipped to thrive. But coordinated reform is needed in all aspects of care. It’s past time for society to pay attention and prioritize mental health care and suicide prevention for Black youths. 

The post To Support Black Youth Mental Health, We Must Look to Community-Based Solutions appeared first on The Jed Foundation.

Young people in particular feel that “political involvement rarely has tangible results” (36%) and “politics today are no longer able to meet the challenges our country is facing” (56%). This can inspire feelings of fear, anger, or hopelessness, in addition to election stress. However, while 42% of young people feel that their vote “doesn’t make a difference,” 18- to 29-year-olds are expected to make a record-breaking turnout at this year’s midterm elections on November 8.

The Jed Foundation (JED) wants to spread awareness that civic engagement is good for youth mental health. Volunteering and voting has been associated with positive mental health outcomes. Getting involved with school, peer, and community groups working to effect change creates a sense of social connectedness that can counteract feelings of hopelessness or resignation. By taking part in this year’s electoral process—voting, helping others register to vote or locate their polling places, and otherwise volunteering—young people can combat some of their anxiety and frustration caused by or associated with this election season. 

There are many polarizing, important issues on the ballot this fall, including abortion access, LGBTQ protections, and immigrants’ rights. Voting enables young people to proactively engage in the systems that can effect change and protect their communities and loved ones. It also informs lawmakers about what matters the most to their youngest constituents and points toward what will be important at the local, state, and federal levels in the future.

Parents, caregivers, and other caring adults can encourage the young people in their lives to counteract election day trepidation with a few proactive steps: Encourage early voting if the option is available locally; this can help them avoid crowds. Encourage them to do research to refresh on the issues and candidates that will be presented at the ballots, clarifying any answers that might give them confidence in their participation. They can preview a sample ballot and speak to trusted friends and mentors about the issues that concern them most. They should also reconfirm their local polling place and what they need to bring or do in order to vote.

If young people are worried about how to discuss political issues with family members, caring adults can share tips about how to engage calmly and keep the conversation productive. It’s also important to relay that it’s OK to step away if the conversation gets overwhelming. 

Then, it is also important to take time to separate from the news and prioritize self-care. This can be done by unplugging from social media, connecting with friends, journaling, and acknowledging the complexity of the emotions they are feeling. Getting enough sleep, exercising, and drinking water is equally essential. For more tips on managing stress, direct teens and young adults to the JED Mental Health Resource Center. 

This year’s midterm elections might have a profound impact on young people’s lives for a number of years to come. Currently, the uncertainty of what will happen at the polls is contributing toward heightened stress and anxiety. Civic engagement is one way for young people to alleviate those feelings both before and after November 8. And regardless of the results of this election, it is important for caring adults to support young people by advocating for state- and federal-level protections of youth mental health. In particular, JED calls on elected leaders to continue supporting this bipartisan priority and looks forward to working with them to sponsor legislation and put into effect policies that allow young Americans to thrive.

The post Elections Are Stressful, But Civic Engagement Is Good for Youth Mental Health appeared first on The Jed Foundation.

What is Substance Abuse/Misuse, and How Does It Affect Youth? 

Substance abuse refers to the use of substances, including alcohol, prescription medications, and drugs, in an improper or unhealthy manner. However, experts have started to move away from this term because of the shame it can perpetuate, and instead prefer to use substance misuse or the diagnostic term: substance use disorder (SUD). Regardless of the name, substance misuse has become increasingly common in the United States: Drug overdose deaths have tripled since 1990; among high school students, 15% report using illicit drugs and 14% report misusing prescription opioids as of 2022. Alcohol consumption has also become a source of concern, as more than 90% of all alcoholic beverages consumed by youth are used when binge-drinking. 

Unfortunately, even as the number of young adults with substance use disorders rises, few receive treatment. In 2018, 9 in 10 of the 5.1 million young adults living with substance use disorders went untreated. 

Substance misuse can be especially harmful to young people. Teenage brains are not yet fully developed, so the effects from drugs of abuse are magnified, leading teens to become dependent more quickly than adults. This, coupled with the fact that many young people turn to alcohol and drug use to cope with intense emotions that they are not yet otherwise equipped to manage, makes them more susceptible to developing substance use disorders. Even though substance misuse may seem like an “adult” problem, it poses a unique threat to younger populations. Today, that threat is growing at an alarming rate. 

Mental Health Issues Exacerbate Substance Misuse 

There are any number of reasons that a teenager or young adult may turn to drugs of abuse, but one of the most common relates to mental health. If left untreated, almost half of all teenagers with mental health issues will develop a substance use disorder, as teens with intense negative emotions may turn to drugs and alcohol to numb that pain or fear. Additionally, substance use can make teens who are already struggling with their mental health more prone to suicidal behavior. 

To best address substance misuse in young adults, it must be treated at the root: mental health. One study found that two-thirds of adolescents who develop substance use disorders also experienced at least one mental health problem. That’s why substance misuse services are one of the pillars of JED’s Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention for Colleges and Universities. Substance use is a risk factor for suicide, particularly in teenagers with depression. Ignoring the role of substance misuse in mental health means ignoring a key element in suicide prevention. 

Of course, mental health is not the only avenue of treatment. Substance dependency is both physical and mental, and requires a more concentrated effort in many areas of a person’s life. But by increasing the quality and availability of mental health care, it may be possible to forge a future where struggling young people don’t feel the need to turn to substance misuse as a coping mechanism. 

There’s Still More to Be Done 

Improving access to mental health care is just one pillar of substance use disorder care, but despite the array of effective treatments, only 10% of people struggling with SUD receive treatment. The most cited barriers to care are lack of insurance coverage and cost of treatment, but there are also government restrictions around who can access care (particularly opioid treatment) and how long patients can use medication-assisted treatment (MAT). 

Regardless of insurance coverage and financial status, all treatment options should be made available to anyone seeking support. Evidence-based treatments such as broad-based screening, peer support, and MAT are proven effective, and can better prevent relapses in the future. Another key aspect of support requires everyone to address the stigma surrounding substance misuse. Much of the current language for substance use disorder places fault and shame on the victim, making it harder for people to reach out. Even more worrisome is the fact that this stigma may affect how physicians act toward people with substance use disorders. It is vital to approach substance misuse with sympathy and understanding. 

It is important that teenagers and young adults know they do not have to battle substance use disorder alone. Therefore, it’s important that those around them develop a deeper understanding of substance misuse. Taking the time to learn about the warning signs, causes, and treatments  of substance misuse can make all the difference. Opening lines of communication is an essential first step. We hope that these JED resources can help young people and their loved ones connect and determine effective next steps toward protecting their health, while encouraging experts in education, health care, and government to further work to support young adults with substance use disorders. 

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As a nation, and as a society, we need to do better. And we can.

As the leading nonprofit addressing youth mental health and suicide prevention, The Jed Foundation (JED) knows that suicide is a complex problem–but there are ways to prevent it. 

In light of the new data from CDC, JED urges a proactive response, at a national scale, in order to protect youth mental health and save lives. That involves understanding some of the factors that are impacting youth wellbeing and that might have contributed to the latest rate increase and, with an informed and interdisciplinary lens, further establishing the supports that have been proven to reduce risks for suicide.

Factors that may have contributed to this uptick include:

• Pandemic stressors: Many people experienced mental health burdens during the pandemic, whether or not they directly experienced COVID-19. Young people were hit especially hard by school closures, social isolation, loss of family members, and overall uncertainty during a time in life when people are already coping with big emotions. In particular, the pandemic removed essential supports, like community gatherings and school networks. It should be noted that 61% of individuals ages 18 to 25 state that the pandemic remains a “daily stressor.”
• Financial challenges: Following steep inflation across the country and across commerce sectors, young people ages 18-25 reported money, the economy, and housing to be top sources of stress. Money stress levels are at the highest recorded level for all adults since 2015, according to the poll.
• Workforce instability: Similar to the effects of school closures, young professionals experienced a sense of uncertainty and isolation as their workplaces converted to virtual or hybrid settings and issued furloughs or layoffs. This led to feelings of impermanence and widespread burnout. Many young people considered changing jobs or career paths in light of the shifting labor landscape. 
• Racial and social injustice: In 2020, there was a national reckoning in terms of racial inequality and social injustice. The murder of George Floyd and other high-profile incidents brought long-standing issues of racism and discrimination into focus and sparked widespread demonstrations. By 2021 there was a growing sense of fatigue even though it remained clear that there was a lot of work left to be done. One study from this period shows that young people are especially sensitive to social and racial injustice. Research has also found that young adults who frequently experience discrimination based on race, sex, or physical appearance are at greater risk of mental health issues than those who don’t. During the pandemic, disparities became even more visible, as immigrant families were unfairly detained, separated, and deported, hate crimes against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities increased, and incidents of antisemitism and racism continued to rise.
• Climate change: Young people have grown up hearing only dismal news about the likely outcomes for our planet, if not experiencing the ramifications of climate change. They may feel helpless to do anything about it or like the burden to save the world is entirely on them, leading to anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. 
• Barriers to care: Teenagers and young adults may not feel comfortable asking for help, whether due to the stigma surrounding mental illness or fear of a caregiver reacting negatively. Those who do ask for help may not be able to find it, as the high cost of therapy and varied insurance coverage for mental health care are often prohibitive. With mental health treatment in high demand and a shortage of behavioral healthcare providers, it’s becoming even harder to find a provider with availability. Even if individuals can afford therapy, they might still have difficulty finding a provider who is culturally competent. 

Rates of suicide tend to respond to economic cycles and natural disasters. The CDC report correlates with those previously observed trends, which show that rates often don’t rise immediately during the peak of the crisis, but during its ebb.

Unfortunately, the rate of suicide in our country was on the rise for two decades preceding the pandemic. We know that this surge is especially affecting teens and young adults. And we know that suicide continues to disproportionately affect American Indian/Alaska Native youth, those in rural areas, and those who identify as LGBTQ. Suicide rates for Black youth are also rapidly worsening. We do not need to sit back and wait for another annual report to confirm this; we can start doing more to change the numbers on future reports right now. 

The only way to change this trajectory is if the nation, collectively and with support at the federal and state levels, makes mental health a top priority. The Biden administration has already taken steps to prioritize youth mental health by issuing an advisory, allocating funds, and modeling a framework upon which we need to build. Now, we must address this national crisis on all fronts: urgently, cooperatively, and holistically. Health care experts, policymakers, corporate, education and community leaders, and those who have been directly affected by suicidal ideation or the loss of a loved one to suicide must come together with those in areas like technology, finance, environmentalism, journalism, sociology, and education to pursue proactive, enactable solutions. 

Those solutions must include:

• Strategic planning:  The first step must always be for community and organizational leaders to seek to implement a comprehensive approach to mental health promotion and suicide prevention, with guidance and support from experts like JED.  The unique structures, problems, needs, and resources of each community or organization l needs to be examined and thoughtful decisions should be made around prioritizing and choosing specific tactics. Strategic planning–which the CDC also recommends–must take place at every level of society, including the state and community levels, and within companies, schools, and community-based organizations.
• Creating connectedness and community: Research has shown that loneliness and isolation are significant risk factors for mental health problems and/or suicidal behavior. Supportive social relationships and feeling connected to school communities, family, and friends are protective factors that can help lower risk of suicide in young people.
• Means safety: Promoting means safety is a proven way to reduce the rate of suicides; in a moment of acute distress, removing a path to suicide can often create enough distance from the immediate impulse as to quell it altogether, and often for good. Youth firearm suicides are the highest they’ve been in 20 years, and firearms are the leading method of suicide in the United States. With better practices in place and improved firearm safety measures (better screening and storage, for example), we can save lives. Other examples of means safety include putting barriers on bridges, disposing of expired medications, and putting locks on upper-story windows. Means safety can be practiced in all settings, including at the community level, within institutions and employers, and at home.
• Access to care: It is currently difficult to find, and pay for, adequate providers, services, and medications. We must work to reform the health care system so that mental health is as much of a priority as physical health. This would include increasing the numbers of behavioral healthcare providers who are in insurance networks, in addition to implementing mental and physical health benefits with parity. To further ensure that treatment is accessible, we must pursue innovative approaches to leveraging our current mental health capacity such as collaborative care, recruitment, training, and retention of providers, as well as new ways to connect individuals with the resources they need. The Path Forward is an example of a coalition working to address these issues.
• Reducing stigma: The first step to destigmatization is encouraging people to talk openly about mental health challenges (including peer-to-peer help-giving behavior) and have conversations about suicide. It also entails giving the media the correct tools and guidelines to report on suicide deaths and mental illness. Today, we know that 1 in 5 adults live with a mental illness, and 1 in 3 young adults ages 18 to 25 experienced a mental, behavioral, or emotional health issue as of 2020. These experiences should be normalized, discussed, and fully addressed.
• Supporting essential needs:  It’s essential for community engagement to be paired with a strengthening of basic, essential supports like stable housing, food security, childcare, and other social determinants of mental health.

While a collective approach at the highest level is pivotal, youth suicide prevention is something that can and should be addressed within communities, employers, schools, and households. Community and organizational leaders should work to implement a comprehensive plan. Parents and caregivers can learn about how they can support the mental health of the young people in their lives, including knowing how to identify signs that a youth may need help. Caring communities have been shown to cultivate a sense of well-being and positivity in young people and correlate with a decreased incidence of high-risk behavior.

There is no shortage of research to show that risks for suicide can be reduced. But there are still actions that need to be taken in order to achieve this goal. First, we must make suicide prevention a national priority; then, our approach must draw on expertise from diverse knowledge areas to address the complex sources feeding into this crisis. With commitment and diligence, it is possible to reverse this upward trend. At JED, we know that it is possible to prevent the loss of young lives to suicide, but we know that it will require commitment and substantial reforms: We implore the nation to take action, together, now. 

The post New CDC Findings Show Suicide Is on the Rise–But It Doesn’t Need to Be appeared first on The Jed Foundation.