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Ocelots, Monkeys, and Anteaters Captured by Camera Traps at the Smithsonian's Tropical Research Institute in Panama Inspire a New Generation of Tropical Scientists
PANAMA CITY, Panama, May 14 -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Mammal Monitoring
Ocelots, monkeys, and anteaters captured by camera traps at the Smithsonian's Tropical Research Institute in Panama inspire a new generation of tropical scientists
By Rosannette Quesada-Hidalgo
The long-term mammal monitoring project on Smithsonian's Barro Colorado Island (BCI) is one of the most unique camera trap systems in the tropics and the first one of its kind.
Glitter was a female ocelot living on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) with her three-month old kitten,
... Show Full Article
PANAMA CITY, Panama, May 14 -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Mammal Monitoring
Ocelots, monkeys, and anteaters captured by camera traps at the Smithsonian's Tropical Research Institute in Panama inspire a new generation of tropical scientists
By Rosannette Quesada-Hidalgo
The long-term mammal monitoring project on Smithsonian's Barro Colorado Island (BCI) is one of the most unique camera trap systems in the tropics and the first one of its kind.
Glitter was a female ocelot living on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) with her three-month old kitten,Globug, when they were first photographed by a camera trap in 2017. Three months later, Globug and her mother were photographed again. By then Globug had grown considerably. This valuable information is just one example of the data collected during 44 years of a long-term mammal monitoring project that will be soon led by Claudio Monteza, a postdoctoral researcher at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), the Instituto de Investigaciones Cientificas y Servicios de Alta Tecnologia (INDICASAT) in Panama, and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior.
The project was established in 1982 by Jacalyn Giacalone, and Gregory Willis, her husband and partner in research. Giacalone came to BCI to study red-tailed squirrels at the end of the 1970's. There, she met William E. Glanz, a STRI postdoctoral fellow who was also studying mammals on the island and started using trail transect methodology to monitor mammals in 1978. His work inspired Giacalone to broaden her observations to include other mammals and to continue his long-term mammal monitoring project.
The first census conducted by Giacalone and Willis consisted of visually recording mammals along 100 km of trail transects. They repeated this census once a year during the dry season and used the data to create a list of animals on the island and to record species abundance and activity. Even though the censuses were performed during both day and night, Giacalone and Willis noticed ocelots and other nocturnal species were not well represented in the data. This motivated Willis to complement their visual monitoring with the establishment of a trail camera trap system he set in 1994.
Ocelots are important predators in Neotropical ecosystems, but they are very elusive and hard to study. As BCI has been a STRI research station for over 100 years, it provides an ideal environment for monitoring ocelots and other mammals in a hunting-free environment, and quickly, the researchers obtained their first black and white photo, on film, of a female ocelot, who they named Oreja because she had a torn ear. They noticed Oreja also had a particular spot pattern that allowed them to individually identify her and other ocelots. They later created the Cat-A-Log to identify ocelot individuals and their relationships, and especially to trace mom-kitten generations, as they usually appeared together in the pictures. Giacalone identifies individual ocelots using her remarkable recognition skills, a task AI has failed to perform correctly so far, but the project is working on training it for future use.
Previous
Not only is BCI one of the most studied tropical forests in the world and the home to many other long-term monitoring projects including pollen, arthropod and the tree censuses at the 50-hectare Forest Dynamic Plot as part of the Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO) initiative, but this camera-trapping project is the first of its kind ever maintained over the long-term. It has since been followed by many others and has become a standard technique used in numerous locations beyond BCI.
Moreover, the use of camera traps opened up the opportunity to explore the life history, home ranges, and interactions of many mammal species. And as technology evolved, the project evolved with it -- moving from film and tape-based cameras to digital still cameras and digital camcorders in 2002. In 2008, digital camera traps with infrared imaging and long-life batteries made it possible to create a network of 24 trail cameras recording almost 24 hours a day all year round.
Since its establishment in 1982, mammal censuses have been performed every year except for 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Giacalone and Willis from travelling to Panama. Back then, Monteza jumped in to help with camera maintenance in the field, as he had been helping with data curation from early years. During the pandemic, Monteza also spent many days digitizing non-digital images from the 90's and early 2000's.
After 44 years of almost continuous monitoring, Giacalone and Willis, who also produced the first, long-distance science education program at STRI to share their project with schoolchildren in New Jersey and Panama, decided it was time for Monteza to start taking the lead on the project. It will be a gradual process, where Giacalone and Willis will pass the baton but will still be part of the project.
2026 was Monteza's first year performing the visual monitoring by himself. "During my very first day, I saw a Northern Tamandua using lianas to move from one tree to another. It felt magical, especially because I am working on a proposal to study how mammals use lianas as pathways." Monteza plans to continue with the project until he retires, when another researcher can take his place, with the ultimate goal of completing 100 years of mammal monitoring on BCI.
The project generated vital insights into the 47 non-flying mammal species that live or have visited the island, including monkeys, sloths, anteaters, armadillos, opossums, rodents, kinkajous, cats and many more. Furthermore, the camera-trap system revealed jaguars and pumas visiting the island in 2009, which probably stayed for several months and then swam to other adjacent areas. Other uncommon sightings have been Panamanian night monkeys in 1980 and 2003, manatees in 2018, a coyote in 2023, neotropical river otters on several occasions, among others.
The project goes beyond recording the abundance of mammals on BCI. It provides key information on the ecological roles of different mammal species as seed dispersers, predators, herbivores and the effects of variable annual fruiting on mammal populations. The project has generated insights into ocelot ecology, including their longevity, reproduction, diet, predation, social interactions, home ranges, population, latrine use for communication, which Giacalone likes to call pee-mail, and more.
Now the study of mammal monitoring on BCI has expanded to include camera traps in the forest canopy, allowing researchers to explore the connection between the forest floor and the treetops. This work is being done by STRI and Max Plank Institute of Animal Behavior fellow, Lester Fox Rosales, in collaboration with Claudio Monteza.
The continuity of this long-term mammal monitoring project is crucial to estimate population densities and community dynamics in a natural, protected habitat, which is essential for creating effective conservation and management strategies for threatened species, both on and beyond BCI. With more than four decades of continuous data and a new generation of researchers carrying the work forward, the long term mammal monitoring project on BCI stands out as a unique scientific legacy -- one that may reach its 100 year mark by 2082 and will continue to contribute to tropical conservation science.
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About the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Headquartered in Panama City, Panama, STRI is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. Our mission is to understand tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare, to train students to conduct research in the tropics and to promote conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Watch our video, and visit our website, Facebook, X and Instagram for updates.
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Original text here: https://stri.si.edu/story/mammal-monitoring
Commission on International Religious Freedom: State Restrictions on Religious Freedom in Saudi Arabia
WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSrpt) -- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following news release:
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State Restrictions on Religious Freedom in Saudi Arabia
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia Country Update - This report assesses the current situation of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in Saudi Arabia.
The government of Saudi Arabia continues to impose severe limitations on religious freedom, which includes enforcing laws and policies--rooted in a singular, state-sanctioned
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSrpt) -- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following news release:
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State Restrictions on Religious Freedom in Saudi Arabia
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia Country Update - This report assesses the current situation of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in Saudi Arabia.
The government of Saudi Arabia continues to impose severe limitations on religious freedom, which includes enforcing laws and policies--rooted in a singular, state-sanctionedinterpretation of Sunni Islam--that severely impacts Shi'a Muslims, Christians, and religious dissenters.
Despite gradual efforts to ease certain FoRB restrictions over the last decade Saudi authorities have yet to bring the country into full compliance with its obligations under international law and allow Saudi citizens to fully manifest FoRB.
In its 2026 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Saudi Arabia as a "Country of Particular Concern," or CPC, for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov.
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REPORT: https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2026-03/USCIRF%202026%20Annual%20Report%20Saudi%20Arabia.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/releases-statements/state-restrictions-religious-freedom-saudi-arabia
Social Security I.G.: Audit Finds Social Security Processed Small Overpayments It Could Not Cost-Effectively Recover
WOODLAWN, Maryland, May 13 -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release:
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Audit Finds Social Security Processed Small Overpayments It Could Not Cost-Effectively Recover
The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has issued an audit report finding SSA spent more to recover certain low-dollar Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) overpayments than the amounts it ultimately recovered.
The audit, Follow-up on Cost-benefit Analysis of Processing Low-dollar Overpayments, reviewed SSA's
... Show Full Article
WOODLAWN, Maryland, May 13 -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release:
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Audit Finds Social Security Processed Small Overpayments It Could Not Cost-Effectively Recover
The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has issued an audit report finding SSA spent more to recover certain low-dollar Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) overpayments than the amounts it ultimately recovered.
The audit, Follow-up on Cost-benefit Analysis of Processing Low-dollar Overpayments, reviewed SSA'sefforts to implement prior recommendations related to capturing the average cost of collecting overpayments and determining whether additional actions could improve the processing of low-dollar overpayments.
SSA previously agreed to update its methodology for calculating the average cost to collect overpayments and to reevaluate its process for pursuing overpayments when collection costs exceed the amount owed. However, as of the date of the review, SSA had not implemented those recommendations. According to SSA, establishing a new workload tracking system to address the prior recommendations would require additional resources the Agency did not currently have available.
For the current audit, OIG reviewed a sample of 250 low-dollar OASDI overpayments and found SSA took collection actions on 50 cases that auditors determined were not cost-beneficial because collection efforts likely exceeded the overpayment amounts. Auditors estimated SSA spent approximately $14,492 attempting to recover these 50 overpayments, which totaled $8,129.
Projected across the broader population, OIG estimated SSA spent approximately $4.6 million to recover nearly 16,000 low-dollar OASDI overpayments totaling about $2.6 million--roughly $2 million more than the Agency could recover.
The report also found SSA policy does not clearly specify the criteria Agency employees should use to determine when collection costs are likely to exceed recovery amounts and should therefore be suspended or terminated.
"Effective stewardship of taxpayer funds requires agencies to ensure collection efforts are cost beneficial and consistently applied," said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant. "This audit highlights the need for clearer guidance and more consistent methodologies to help SSA make informed decisions regarding low-dollar overpayments."
The audit makes recommendations for SSA to:
* Ensure consistency in methodologies used to calculate the average cost of processing overpayments;
* Take appropriate actions on identified low-dollar overpayments that are not cost-beneficial to pursue; and
* Update Agency policy to establish criteria employees should use to determine when collection actions are not cost-beneficial.
SSA agreed to implement the recommendations.
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Original text here: https://oig.ssa.gov/news-releases/2026-05-11-audit-finds-social-security-processed-small-overpayments-it-could-not-cost-effectively-recover/
National Academy of Medicine Announces 10 Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine
WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The National Academy of Medicine issued the following news:
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National Academy of Medicine Announces 10 Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine
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The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has selected the 2026 class of Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Scholars, a group of early- to mid-career professionals spanning a wide range of disciplines, including artificial intelligence in medicine, nanomedicine, maternal-fetal health, health economics, and carceral health. The NAM's Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine (ELHM) program provides a platform for a new generation
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The National Academy of Medicine issued the following news:
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National Academy of Medicine Announces 10 Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine
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The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has selected the 2026 class of Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Scholars, a group of early- to mid-career professionals spanning a wide range of disciplines, including artificial intelligence in medicine, nanomedicine, maternal-fetal health, health economics, and carceral health. The NAM's Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine (ELHM) program provides a platform for a new generationof leaders to collaborate with the NAM and its members to advance science, address persistent challenges in health and medicine, and spark transformative change to improve health for all.
The scholars will engage in a variety of activities throughout the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine over a three-year term. Activities include meetings in Washington, D.C., with NAM leadership and members; planning an annual forum; participating in National Academies convening activities; publishing NAM Perspectives; and attending the NAM's annual meeting each October.
"Congratulations to this remarkable new class of Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine," said NAM President Victor J. Dzau. "At a time of rapid change across science and health, their breadth of perspectives and willingness to work across disciplines will be essential to driving progress, strengthening systems, and improving health and well-being for people and communities everywhere."
The 2026 ELHM Scholars are:
* Nicholas Arpaia, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Microbiology & Immunology, Director of Graduate Studies, Immunobiology and Microbial Sciences, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
* Kareem Azab, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Texas Southwestern
* Lauren Brinkley-Rubenstein, Ph.D., M.S., M.A., Associate Professor, Duke University Department of Population Health Sciences
* Jane Chung, Ph.D., RN, Associate Professor, Emory University
* Ruogu Fang, Ph.D., Associate Professor & J. Crayton Pruitt Family Endowed Faculty Fellow, University of Florida
* Lindsey A. George, M.D., Director of Clinical In Vivo Gene Therapy, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
* Dhruv Khullar, M.D., MPP, Associate Professor of Population Health Sciences and of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine
* Aaron Schwartz, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine; Staff Physician, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center
* Katrin Svenson, M.S., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Stanford University
* Kartik K. Venkatash, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor with tenure, The Ohio State University
The ELHM program facilitates opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, and innovation among the participants, NAM members, and experts across sectors. The next annual Emerging Leaders Forum, to be held in Washington, D.C., in April 2026, will allow the new group of scholars and invited participants to share their activities and insights on cutting-edge developments through collaborative work and interdisciplinary discussions among the nation's rising leaders in health and medicine.
The National Academy of Medicine, established in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, is an independent organization of eminent professionals from diverse fields including health and medicine; the natural, social, and behavioral sciences; and beyond. It serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering as an adviser to the nation and the international community. Through its domestic and global initiatives, the NAM works to address critical issues in health, medicine, and related policy and inspire positive action across sectors. The NAM collaborates closely with its peer academies and other divisions within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
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Original text here: https://nam.edu/news-and-insights/2026-2029-emerging-leaders-in-health-and-medicine/
NASA's Perseverance Rover Snaps Selfie in Mars' Western Frontier
PASADENA, California, May 13 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA's Perseverance Rover Snaps Selfie in Mars' Western Frontier
The agency's six-wheeled geologist took a self-portrait during its survey of an ancient landscape that may predate the formation of Jezero Crater itself.
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NASA's Perseverance Mars rover recently took a self-portrait against a sweeping backdrop of ancient Martian terrain at a location the science team calls "Lac de Charmes." Assembled from 61 individual images, the selfie shows Perseverance training its mast on a rocky outcrop
... Show Full Article
PASADENA, California, May 13 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA's Perseverance Rover Snaps Selfie in Mars' Western Frontier
The agency's six-wheeled geologist took a self-portrait during its survey of an ancient landscape that may predate the formation of Jezero Crater itself.
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NASA's Perseverance Mars rover recently took a self-portrait against a sweeping backdrop of ancient Martian terrain at a location the science team calls "Lac de Charmes." Assembled from 61 individual images, the selfie shows Perseverance training its mast on a rocky outcropon which it had just made a circular abrasion patch, with the western rim of Jezero Crater stretching into the background. The selfie was captured on March 11, the 1,797th Martian day, or sol, of the mission, during the rover's deepest push west beyond the crater.
Perseverance is in its fifth science campaign, known as the Northern Rim Campaign, of its mission on the Red Planet. The Lac de Charmes region represents some of the most scientifically compelling terrain the rover has visited.
"We took this image when the rover was in the 'Wild West' beyond the Jezero Crater rim -- the farthest west we have been since we landed at Jezero a little over five years ago," said Katie Stack Morgan, Perseverance's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "We had just abraded and analyzed the 'Arethusa' outcrop, and the rover was sitting in a spot that provided a great view of both the Jezero Rim and the local terrain outside of the crater."
During abrading, the rover grinds down a portion of the rock's surface, allowing the science team to analyze what's inside. The technique enabled the team to determine that the Arethusa outcrop is composed of igneous minerals that likely predate the formation of Jezero Crater. Igneous rocks with large mineral crystals form underground as molten rock cools and solidifies.
Perseverance acquired the selfie -- its sixth since landing on Mars in 2021 -- using the WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering) camera mounted at the end of its robotic arm, which made 62 precision movements over approximately one hour to build the composite image (learn more about how selfies are made).
Significant science
Along with the selfie, Perseverance used Mastcam-Z, located on its mast, to capture a mosaic of the "Arbot" area in Lac de Charmes on April 5, or Sol 1882. Made of 46 images, the panorama offers one of the richest geological vistas of the mission, revealing a windswept landscape of diverse rock textures.
The image provides the team a clear road map for investigating the ridgeline and the area's ancient rock variety, including what appear to be megabreccia -- large fragments (some the size of skyscrapers) hurled by a massive meteorite impact that occurred on the plain called Isidis Planitia about 3.9 billion years ago.
"What I see in this image is excellent exposure of likely the oldest rocks we are going to investigate during this mission," said Ken Farley, Perseverance's deputy project scientist at Caltech in Pasadena. "There is a sharp ridgeline visible in the mosaic whose jagged, angular texture contrasts starkly with the rounded boulders in the foreground. We also see a feature that may be a volcanic dike, a vertical intrusion of magma that hardened in place and was left standing as the softer surrounding material eroded away over billions of years."
The rock color in the mosaic offers less information to the science team than the distinctive textures, which help them differentiate the rock types. Unlike Jezero Crater's river delta, which is composed of sedimentary rock, some rocks here appear to be extrusive igneous rocks (molten rock that reached the surface as lava flows) and impactites (rocks created or modified by a meteorite impact) believed to have formed before the crater about 4 billion years ago, offering a window into the planet's deep early crust.
New ballgame, near-marathon distance
"The rover's study of these really ancient rocks is a whole new ballgame," said Stack Morgan. "These rocks -- especially if they're from deep in the crust -- could give us insights applicable to the entire planet, like whether there was a magma ocean on Mars and what initial conditions eventually made it a habitable planet."
After studying Arethusa, Perseverance drove northwest to the Arbot area, where it has been analyzing other rocky outcrops. When the team is satisfied with the work accomplished there, the rover will drive south to "Gardevarri," a site with a notably clear exposure of olivine-bearing rocks. Formed in cooling magma, these types of rocks contain information that can help scientists better understand Mars' volcanic history and provide context for large-scale geological processes. From there, the rover is expected to head southeast toward a region the team is calling "Singing Canyon" for more insights into the planet's early crust.
After more than five years of surface operations, Perseverance has abraded 62 rocks, collected 27 rock cores in its sample tubes (25 sealed, 2 unsealed), and traveled almost 26 miles (42 kilometers) -- in other words, just shy of a marathon (26.2 miles, or 42.195 kilometers).
"Having the benefit of four previous rover missions, the Perseverance team has always known our mission was a marathon and not a sprint," said acting Perseverance project manager Steve Lee at JPL. "We've almost reached marathon distance. Our selfie may show that the rover is a bit dusty, but its beauty is more than skin deep. Perseverance is in great shape as we continue our explorations and extend into ultramarathon drive distances."
More about Perseverance
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover on behalf of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program portfolio. The WATSON imaging system was built by, and is operated by, Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego.
For more information on NASA's Perseverance, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-rover-snaps-selfie-in-mars-western-frontier/
AI Chatbots For Mental Health - What Works, What Harms, and What's Next
WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The National Academy of Medicine issued the following news:
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AI Chatbots For Mental Health - What Works, What Harms, and What's Next
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Experts from The Jed Foundation, Columbia University, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the American Psychological Association discuss how effective AI chatbots are at responding to users' mental health needs; how to ensure appropriate use of these tools; and how clinicians and technology companies could collaborate to ensure chatbots can address mental health requests quickly and safely.
More than half of all Americans have
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The National Academy of Medicine issued the following news:
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AI Chatbots For Mental Health - What Works, What Harms, and What's Next
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Experts from The Jed Foundation, Columbia University, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the American Psychological Association discuss how effective AI chatbots are at responding to users' mental health needs; how to ensure appropriate use of these tools; and how clinicians and technology companies could collaborate to ensure chatbots can address mental health requests quickly and safely.
More than half of all Americans haveused an AI chatbot like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Copilot, and one in three teenagers use one daily. AI chatbots, which are the user-facing access point into large language models, are skilled at information retrieval, like finding a recipe that matches the food in your pantry, and assisting with writing, like providing feedback on a resume. However, 13 percent of people under 18 and 22 percent of those over 18 have also used chatbots to access mental health advice. These tools are not clinically validated, have in some cases represented themselves to users as licensed nurses and therapists, and may have caused "AI psychosis" in a small number of cases-but people continue to request advice from them.
On January 14, 2026, the National Academy of Medicine's Health in the Headlines series brought together experts in artificial intelligence, mental health, and health policy for a discussion, moderated by Munmun De Choudhury, Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and expert in how novel forms of social interaction online shape health and well-being, about the current state and future potential of AI chatbots to assist with providing mental health care.
This article outlines five key takeaways about how well AI chatbots are handling mental health requests, steps individuals can take to use these tools appropriately, and priorities for future AI development to ensure that these tools can be used safely and effectively.
The Current State of Users Utilizing AI For Mental Health
Many People are Already Using AI Chatbots to Access Health Information and Support
AI chatbots can help look up questions, plan meals, or brainstorm problems, but one in three people have also used an AI chatbot for "emotional support, " shared John Torous, Director of the Digital Psychiatry Division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, who focuses on investigating the potential of AI and mobile mental health technologies to advance psychiatry. A quarter of individuals under age 30 also use chatbots at least once a month to find health information or advice. However, Laura Erickson-Schroth, Chief Medical Officer at The Jed Foundation and nationally recognized educator and commentator on mental health, suicide prevention, and crisis care, noted that many more young people are using these tools for issues that impact their emotional and mental health but may not label their questions as such-so the user base may be even broader.
Therefore, the question isn't whether to address this issue-it's how. Ragy Girgis, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University and expert in psychosis and violence in mental illness, shared that he tells his fellow clinicians that they should assume any patient, especially if they are an adolescent or young adult, is engaging with a chatbot.
"If we look at a broad definition of emotional support, 1 in 3 people have used an AI chatbot for this purpose. It's bigger than people think."
- John Torous
AI Chatbots Can Provide Resources, but Cannot Replace Therapy or Crisis Intervention Services
Understanding what AI chatbots can and cannot do is critical for understanding their potential, Girgis noted, and what they do is mirror the data or emotions shared with them. C. Vaile Wright, Senior Director of the Office of Healthcare Innovation at the American Psychological Association and a thought leader in modernizing how care is delivered in an increasingly digital landscape, agreed, describing the job of a therapist as helping to understand harmful thoughts and patterns and identifying alternative ways of thinking, feeling, and ac ting. AI ch atbots, meanwhile, unconditionally validate what you are already doing -" which feels very goo d," Wrig ht noted, "but is not thera py." There will likely be a clinically validated and evidence-based chatb ot in the future, which will lik ely be helpful for a subset of individuals, Wright sai d, but fi rmly underscored that those chatbots do not exist yet.
However, AI chatbots can point people in distress to mental health resources, and ChatGPT and Gemini- two of the most used AI chatbots -do this well, responding quickly to disclosures of distress and sharing reliable resources. Erickson-Schroth noted that this function could be a strength of chatbots moving forward but underscored that their job must be to establish a relationship between the person in distress and another human being-not to replace that connection.
"There is absolutely no consensus in the field that AI chatbots can serve in any way as a replacement for therapy."
- C. Vaile Wright
Concerns About AI For Mental Health
Chatbots are Likely Harming People, But We Can't Measure How Much
AI chatbots, the panelists agreed, may be uniquely able to cause harm when compared to harms caused by other digital platforms because they simulate an actual relationship and its associated emotions rather than just providing ideas to consume, like happens with internet articles or videos.
AI and Mental Health Issues in Teenagers
Erickson-Schroth shared that adolescents are especially vulnerable to the "pseudo-relationship" AI chatbots provide because they are in such a sensitive period of brain development. The most prominent aspects of chatbot behavior-being highly affirming, giving excessive praise, and providing one-sided advice-are especially addictive to teenagers and obstruct the development of skills they need to succeed as adults, like having difficult conversations, interacting with other people, and thinking critically. AI chatbots have also engaged in harmful behaviors like sharing instructions on lethal means of suicide, simulating sexual acts with minors, and coaching young people on how to hide their mental health symptoms.
Despite the potential for harm, Torous noted that researchers do not have a list of AI-inflicted harms or methods to measure them. Since there are no standardized protocols to follow, the harms simply haven't been measured yet. He noted that many researchers are focusing on death by suicide, which is an extreme example of harm, but there is a great need to also focus on issues that are less severe but still significant. He encouraged the field to rapidly classify these harms so they can be rigorously studied and then comprehensively addressed.
"It's very concerning, because the nature of chatbots means that anyone who enters any sort of unusual or depressive material into a large language model is at risk of that idea becoming worse."
- Ragy Girgis
AI Chatbots Can Provide Resources, But Cannot Replace Therapy or Crisis Intervention Services
AI Chatbot Task Does it Help? Why or Why Not?
Referral to mental health resources Yes - if using ChatGPT or Gemini
Exercise Caution - if using a less-popular chatbot
Share reliable resources quickly and consistently.
Emotional validation and mirroring Exercise Caution Reinforces existing patterns without challenging potentially harmful thoughts
Crisis intervention No Do not consistently identify crises w hen they are happening. Do not consistently connect users with appropriate resources. Chatbots a re not qualified to address crises themselves but often attempt to do so, potentially harming users. Have been documented in engaging in extremely harmful behaviors like sharing lethal means of suicide and coaching users to hide their mental health symptoms.
Diagnosis No No t clinically validated. Do not have enough information about users or clinical knowledge to make appropriate diagnos e s.
Emotional support Exercise Caution Can help individuals start or have difficult conversations but emotional mirroring and extende d conversations can be come harmful.
Simulating relationships Exercise Caution Can be helpful for individu als experiencing loneliness or marginalization but can also wholly replace nuanced human relationships and development of the self, which are critical for individual well-being.
Steps Individuals and Developers Can Take to Ensure Appropriate Use of AI Chatbots For Mental Health Support
The panelists agreed that the responsible use of AI chatbots-in a medical context and in everyday life-begins with non-judgmental conversations to understand what these tools are and what they can do. The success of these conversations requires a base level of AI literacy, including how the chatbot's design informs how it interacts with and responds to users. AI literacy can be built in conversations with young people that explore the company that produces the chatbot, the benefit to the company from having the chatbot say this or that, and how the company makes money from the chatbot. There are also programs to help young people understand how chatbots work and what the potential dangers might be-but panelists emphasized that these materials often don't reach the people who need them. Wright and Erickson-Schroth shared that the warning signs for excessive or inappropriate use of an AI chatbot are similar to other signals of a mental health crisis: changes in sleep or regular activities, social and personal withdrawal, talking about a chatbot as if it is a real-life friend, and spending a lot of time alone or with their devices.
The panelists also shared the following steps that developers could take to ensure that AI chatbots are causing the least harm possible:
* Limit discussion times with individual users and/or reset the chatbot's memory daily to avoid extended conversations where potentially harmful ideas can be magnified,
* Prohibit chatbots from representing as someone with a license,
* Connect users with crisis services immediately upon any signal of distress,
* Prohibit all chatbots from sharing lethal means content under any circumstances, and
* Prohibit the use of minors' data for monetization or personalization.
"The architecture of AI, how it is set up and used, is going to be one of the most important modifiable factors affecting young people's mental health over the next decades."
- Laura Erickson-Schroth
Adequate Federal Regulation of AI Devices May Not Be Possible
AI chatbots that aren't explicitly used to diagnose, treat, or prevent diseases-including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, for example-are not federally regulated. Facilitating adequate federal-level regulation would require the development of an entirely new regulation paradigm that is nimble enough to evolve as the technology does. The panelists expressed doubt that the federal government would ever be able to develop such flexible regulation, which leaves providers within the current regulatory landscape- a patchwork of state-level laws that change frequently.
In the absence of federal regulation, a new entity could step in to develop and share protocols to build trust in the safety and efficacy of AI tools. This entity could also advocate for algorithm safeguards and identify ways to incentivize companies to push toward AI for good rather than AI for profit. Torous also suggested a grassroots approach toward benchmarking or providing interactive quizzes to chatbots to simulate unwanted behavior and seeing how quickly-or not-the chatbot adjusts. He noted that many benchmarks are needed, and that these quizzes are something that individual people can do to help add to the knowledge base.
"I think we are entering an era where there may be less top-down regulation for these types of tools, which really means we have to do a better job on starting and fostering grassroots efforts."
- John Torous
AI Chatbots for Mental Health Are Trying to Take the Place of Human Connection. We Shouldn't Let Them
The panelists shared a broad concern that AI chatbots are interrupting human connection-individual relationships, how communities care for and raise young adults, and how societies solve problems. When 72% of adolescents are using AI companions, this digital tool may be taking the place of critical parts of identity formation and finding community. Use of AI chatbots may disrupt traditional forms of talk therapy, introducing distrust into what might be an otherwise critically important relationship. Using chatbots to do homework or write papers removes many of the critical thinking skills necessary for people to succeed in the world. The way to combat these harms, the panelists shared, is to intentionally reintroduce and reinforce human relationships. Caring adults need to have conversations with adolescents about their use of AI chatbots and teach them the importance of interpersonal relationships-even when challenging-and critical thinking. Ensuring the future safety and efficacy of chatbots will require comprehensive partnerships between private industry, state and local communities, individuals with lived experience, and clinicians. These partnerships are sometimes uncomfortable-especially for clinicians and non-profits-but are necessary for making sure that these tools benefit rather than harm those they are purported to serve.
"What we aren't talking about is how chatbots, social media, and how we are always on our devices change how we value human relations versus how we value one-sided relationships with technology."
- C. Vaile Wright
Watch the full discussion about AI chatbots and mental health below.
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Original text here: https://nam.edu/news-and-insights/ai-chatbots-for-mental-health-what-works-what-harms-and-whats-next/
$25K Grant from FHLB Dallas and Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Helps Army Veteran Buy a Home in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
DALLAS, Texas, May 13 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news release:
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$25K Grant from FHLB Dallas and Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Helps Army Veteran Buy a Home in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
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MANSFIELD, TEXAS, May 13, 2026-A $25,000 Housing Assistance for Veterans (HAVEN) grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) helped U.S. Army veteran Alicia Cannon with the down payment that made homeownership possible for her and her 11-year-old son in Mansfield, Texas. The HAVEN grant was provided through
... Show Full Article
DALLAS, Texas, May 13 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news release:
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$25K Grant from FHLB Dallas and Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Helps Army Veteran Buy a Home in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
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MANSFIELD, TEXAS, May 13, 2026-A $25,000 Housing Assistance for Veterans (HAVEN) grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) helped U.S. Army veteran Alicia Cannon with the down payment that made homeownership possible for her and her 11-year-old son in Mansfield, Texas. The HAVEN grant was provided throughGulf Coast Bank & Trust, an FHLB Dallas member financial institution.
A former 91 Charlie (heating and air conditioning repairer) during her Army service,
Ms. Cannon now works as a civilian project scheduler for the Army. She and her son moved into their new home last August.
"I prayed to God about being able to afford a home, and this grant was a blessing," Ms. Cannon said. "The home is airy and full of natural light, and that has made a huge difference for my mental health. I'm deeply grateful to Gulf Coast Bank & Trust and FHLB Dallas for making this possible."
HAVEN provides grants for home modifications, new construction or down payment assistance to help veterans, reservists and active-duty service members with service-related disabilities. It can also be used by Gold Star Families. Grants are awarded through participating FHLB Dallas member financial institutions, like Gulf Coast Bank & Trust.
"The HAVEN program allows us to deepen our community impact in a meaningful way by helping veterans achieve stable housing," said Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Senior Mortgage Lender and Military Specialist Juli Coen. "Ms. Cannon's story highlights the value of these grants in a very real way."
FHLB Dallas allocated $1 million for HAVEN grants in 2026, with the funding distributed in two rounds. The next funding round of $500,000 opens on July 1, 2026.
"HAVEN exists because too many veterans face barriers to buying a home that is affordable and the down payment is one of the biggest hurdles," said Greg Hettrick, senior vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. "Ms. Cannon's story is a powerful reminder of why this program matters, and her experience shows how the HAVEN grant can help open the door to homeownership for veterans."
HAVEN grants are provided only through FHLB Dallas members. FHLB Dallas does not provide grants directly to consumers. Learn more about the HAVEN program.
About Gulf Coast Bank & Trust
Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company was founded in 1883, offering several personal and business banking services to the communities in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, the surrounding Southeast Louisiana areas and Florida. Banking services include checking and savings accounts with online and mobile banking options as well as personal loans, home loans, business loans and trust and brokerage services. Its mission is to strengthen its relationship with customers by combining the values of old-fashioned community banking that focus on individualized customer service with innovative, competitive banking products and trust and brokerage services.
About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $97.1 billion as of March 31, 2026, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 780 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com.
Contact Information:
Corporate Communications
Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
fhlb.com
214.441.8445
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Original text here: https://www.fhlb.com/library/press-releases/2026/25k-grant-from-fhlb-dallas-and-gulf-coast-bank-tru
