<![CDATA[AFSP and JED plan a 2026 merger to form the largest US suicide prevention nonprofit, uniting research, youth mental health programs, advocacy, and community support.]]>
<![CDATA[Two-dose oral R‑MDMA, EMP-01, cuts social anxiety symptoms and real‑world avoidance in phase 2a study, with strong responder rates and good tolerability.]]>
Fifth Annual SoFi Child Mind Institute Golf Invitational Raises $630,000 to Support Youth Mental Health
San Francisco, CA – On April 20, the Child Mind Institute and SoFi held its fifth annual Golf Invitational at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. Participants included legendary athletes Marcus Allen (Los Angeles Raiders), Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants), Royce Clayton (San Francisco Giants), Vince Coleman (St. Louis Cardinals), Al Joyner (Olympic gold medalist), Gary Payton (Miami Heat), and Sterling Sharpe (Green Bay Packers). The event raised $630,000 to support the organization’s mission to transform the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders.
The day’s programming began with a round of golf where participants enjoyed time on the course alongside fellow supporters. Following the tournament, guests gathered for an evening reception and seated dinner highlighted by a live auction featuring exclusive experiences, and an awards presentation for tournament winners. The event featured remarks from Harold S. Koplewicz, MD, president of the Child Mind Institute, and Brian Boitano, Olympic gold medalist skater, who talked candidly about the mental pressures of performing on a global stage.
Raj Mathai, 12-time Emmy Award winner and NBC Bay Area weeknight news anchor, hosted the event and served as the dinner program emcee and auctioneer.
During the reception, the Child Mind Institute announced it is now seeing patients in a new San Francisco location, in addition to their San Mateo clinic, making it easier for families across the city, Marin County, and the northern East Bay to access care.
“Even as we grow our presence here in California, we know this challenge is bigger than any one location,” said Dr. Koplewicz. “If we’re going to meet the need, we have to reach children earlier in spaces where they already are: at home, in schools, in their communities, and increasingly, in the digital spaces where they spend so much of their time. Technology is already shaping young people’s lives. Our responsibility is to make sure it also supports them.”
“Supporting mental health is fundamental to building stronger families and more resilient communities,” said Anthony Noto, CEO of SoFi. “We’re proud to partner with the Child Mind Institute to expand access to critical mental health resources for children and families, helping empower the next generation to realize their ambitions and reach their full potential.”
Additional sponsors include Prologis, the Silk Family, GingerBread Capital, and Platform Golf, as well as product and vendor support from Bay Golf Club, Dryvebox, Drops of Dough, Goated Golf, Moretz Marketing, Sightglass Coffee, and Supergoop. Tracy Toyota served as the event’s Hole-in-One Sponsor.
The SoFi | Child Mind Institute Golf Invitational event committee included Stacy Denman, Ronnie Lott, Kristin Noto, and Linnea Roberts.
Photos are available upon request.
About the Child Mind Institute
The Child Mind Institute is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders by giving them the help they need. We’ve become the leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health by providing gold-standard, evidence-based care, delivering educational resources to millions of families each year, training educators in underserved communities, and developing tomorrow’s breakthrough treatments.
Follow the Child Mind Institute on social media: Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn
For press questions, contact our press team at childmindinstitute@ssmandl.com or our media officer at mediaoffice@childmind.org.
About SoFi
SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ: SOFI) is a one-stop shop for digital financial services on a mission to help people achieve financial independence to realize their ambitions. 13.7 million members trust SoFi to borrow, save, spend, invest, and protect their money and buy, sell and hold their crypto – all in one app – and get access to financial planners, exclusive experiences, and a thriving community. Fintechs, financial institutions, and brands use SoFi’s technology platform Galileo to build and manage innovative financial solutions across 128 million global accounts. For more information, visit www.sofi.com or download our iOS and Android apps.
The post Fifth Annual SoFi Child Mind Institute Golf Invitational Raises $630,000 to Support Youth Mental Health appeared first on Child Mind Institute.
Oral administration of kratom leaf extract alleviates anxiety-like behavior, urinary bladder pain, voiding dysfunction, and bladder hypercontractility via attenuating muscarinic receptor response in male mice exposed to chronic water avoidance stress
Psychological stress causes and deteriorates interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome with urinary frequency, incontinence, bladder pain and urgency. The major alkaloid of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), mitragynine, shows analgesic, anxiolytic, and smooth muscle relaxant effects. However, the effects of kratom leaf extract on stress-induced anxiety-like behavior, urinary bladder pain and urinary bladder dysfunction remain unknown. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effect of kratom leaf extract administration on anxiety-like behaviors, bladder pain, bladder contractile properties, and mast cell number in mice exposed to water avoidance stress. Male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to water avoidance stress (WAS) protocol for 10 consecutive days and compared with the stress-exposed mice receiving oral administration of kratom leaf extract (2.5 and 5 mg/kg of mitragynine) or solifenacin (10 mg/kg). Anxiety-like behaviors were assessed using open field test. Bladder pain sensitivity was evaluated with von Frey test, while voiding behavior was analyzed using voiding pattern analysis. Bladder contractility was examined using an in vitro organ bath technique, and urinary bladder mast cell infiltration was assessed by toluidine blue staining. Results show that mice receiving WAS had a reduction in the total duration and number of unsupported rearing behaviors, reduced voiding area, and increased bladder pain responses; however, these effects were reversed by treatment with kratom leaf extract (2.5 and 5 mg/kg of mitragynine). Interestingly, the WAS group also exhibited markedly increased tonic contractions in response to carbachol, a muscarinic agonist; these responses were attenuated in mice treated with kratom leaf extract (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) The enhanced tonic contractile response to carbachol was abolished by pre-incubation with ondansetron (a 5-HT₃ antagonist). The WAS group showed an increased total number of mast cells in the urinary bladder, which was reduced by treatment with kratom leaf extract at both 2.5 and 5 mg/kg. Our results indicate that treatment with kratom leaf extract attenuated chronic stress–induced bladder pain responses, voiding abnormalities, and mast cell numbers, and was associated with reduced contractile response to muscarinic stimulation, suggesting a potential modulatory effect on stress-induced bladder dysfunction.
Tideglusib improves novel object recognition memory in the preclinical DBA/2J mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
IntroductionDuchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe X-linked neuromuscular disorder characterized by progressive muscle wasting. Approximately 1 in 3 DMD patients experience cognitive dysfunction, with research suggesting an Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-like pathology. We have previously shown that treatment with the glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3) inhibitor, tideglusib, improves muscle quality, function, and insulin sensitivity in the DBA/2J (D2) mdx mouse model of DMD. In this brief follow-up study, we report the effects of tideglusib treatment on cognitive function.MethodsMale D2 WT and mdx mice were purchased from Jackson Laboratories. Mice were separated into the following groups: (1) WT, (2) mdx-vehicle, and (3) mdx-tideglusib (10 mg/kg/day via oral gavage for 4 weeks). A novel object recognition test was performed to assess recognition memory. Hippocampus and serum samples were collected for BACE1 activity assays, amyloid beta (Aβ) ELISAs, and western blotting.ResultsCompared to vehicle-treated mdx mice, tideglusib-treated mdx mice demonstrated improved recognition memory. These changes to recognition memory were accompanied by greater expression of beta-catenin, an indirect downstream marker of GSK3 inhibition. While there were no changes in BACE1 activity, tideglusib-treated mdx mice had higher concentrations of Aβ in the serum and lower protein levels of receptor of advanced glycation end products.DiscussionThe results from this brief follow-up study offer preliminary support for tideglusib as a treatment for both muscle and brain impairments in mdx mice, potentially improving cognitive function through enhanced vascular Aβ clearance.
The temporal stability of core symptoms of social media addiction and their comorbidity with anxiety and depression in adolescents: a longitudinal network analysis
IntroductionSocial media addiction (SMA) is often comorbid with anxiety and depression. This study examined the temporal stability of core SMA symptoms and the bridging symptoms with anxiety and depression.MethodsA total of 1,240 adolescents (179 males, 1,061 females; mean age = 15.46 ± 0.63 years, age range: 14 – 18) completed the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), the Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (PHQ–9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7 (GAD–7) on two separate occasions in 2023 (T1) and 2024 (T2). The four symptom networks, including the BSMAS networks, two comorbidity networks (the BSMAS–GAD and the BSMAS–PHQ), and the integrated BSMAS–GAD–PHQ network, were estimated using Gaussian graphical models. Core symptom centrality was assessed using Expected Influence (EI), whereas bridge symptoms were identified using Bridge Expected Influence (BEI).Results1) Although SMA, anxiety, and depression levels of respondents rose significantly over the year, all four networks showed strong temporal stability, with the edge weights (r = .892 –.973, p < .001), the EI (r = .806 – .961, p ≤ .002), and the BEI (r = .699 – .804, p ≤ .008) highly correlated between T1 and T2; network comparison tests showed no significant changes in overall structures of all four networks, with most edges showing stable weights. 2) Within the BSMAS network, BSMAS2 (tolerance) and BSMAS6 (conflict) exhibited the highest EI at both time points. 3) In the comorbidity networks, BSMAS3 (mood modification), BSMAS5 (withdrawal), and BSMAS6 (conflict) consistently served as bridge symptoms on the SMA side at both T1 and T2. 4) Across both time points, PHQ1 (anhedonia) and PHQ7 (concentration problems) exhibited the highest BEI on the depression side, whereas GAD1 (nervousness) and GAD5 (restlessness) did so on the anxiety side. 5) These bridge symptoms were also confirmed in the integrated network.DiscussionThese findings illuminate the temporal persistence and development of symptom relationships, offering a more dynamic understanding of SMA–depression–anxiety comorbidity in adolescents.
Psychometric properties of Lithuanian translation of the self-report version of the Liebowitz social anxiety scale in young adult sample
BackgroundSocial anxiety disorder starts in adolescence or young adulthood and may have damaging effects on psychosocial development of the individual. Any intervention starts from assessment and the Liebowitz social anxiety scale with later developed self-report version is a valuable tool for practitioners for almost four decades. Even though the original version and adaptations have consistently demonstrated good reliability, there remains considerable debate regarding the factor structure. The aim is to test the factor structure and internal consistency of Lithuanian translation of the self-report version of the Liebowitz social anxiety scale (LSAS-SR) in a non-clinical young adult sample.MethodData of 452 young adults (mean age 21.3, 69.7% female) who volunteered participate in the study was used. Two factor solutions were tested: a single-factor model, with anxiety/fear and avoidance ratings loading on one factor, and a higher-order factor model, including two second-order scales (anxiety/fear scale and avoidance scale) and four first-order subscales (social interaction anxiety, performance anxiety, social interaction avoidance, performance avoidance). Internal consistency assessed using Cronbach’s alpha.ResultsLithuanian version has excellent internal consistency for the total score, scales and subscales, with Cronbach’s alfas ranging.85-.96. Confirmatory factor analysis shows that both tested models have acceptable data fit (RMSEA = .062-.067; CFI = .93-.94), however strong associations between (sub)scales, i.e. correlations exceeding.80, suggests that the use of scale and subscale scores may be less informative, especially in cross-sectional research, but could provide nuanced information in individual assessment.ConclusionFurther research on psychometric properties of Lithuanian versions of LSAS-SR should focus on verifying these results in a representative sample and in a clinical sample as well as testing the convergent and discriminant validity.
Effectiveness and mechanisms of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression: a reanalysis of a randomized controlled trial
IntroductionIntensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy has shown promising effects for treatment-resistant depression, but it remains unclear whether its hypothesized mechanisms — reducing emotional repression, negative affect, and psychological distress — actually mediate treatment outcomes.MethodsWe reanalyzed publicly available data from a randomized controlled trial (N = 86) comparing 20 sessions of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy to waitlist control for treatment-resistant depression. Depression and process measures were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. Linear mixed-effects models analyzed trajectories; bootstrap mediation and cross-lagged panel analyses provided an exploratory examination of proposed process variables.ResultsTreatment produced large effects on depression at post-treatment (Cohen’s d = 1.68) that continued to increase through 3-month follow-up (d = 2.50, 95% CI [1.88, 3.11]). All proposed process measures also showed very large effects (d = 1.96–2.95). However, neither emotional repression nor negative affect significantly mediated depression improvement. Distress showed apparent mediation, but a sensitivity analysis removing the overlapping depression subscale eliminated this effect entirely, confirming it reflected construct overlap rather than a genuine indirect effect. Cross-lagged analyses revealed no temporal precedence for any process measure, indicating concurrent rather than sequential change.DiscussionThese findings confirm that this psychotherapy produces large, durable effects on treatment-resistant depression. However, the theorized sequential process — whereby reducing defensive functioning leads to improved affect regulation, which in turn alleviates depression — was not supported in the present data. Instead, the treatment appears to produce broad, simultaneous therapeutic change across multiple psychological domains. These exploratory findings suggest that understanding how psychotherapy works may require finer temporal measurement and observational methods that capture in-session processes.
Group CBT targeting hostile attribution bias in adolescents and young adults with ASD traits
BackgroundAdolescence is characterized by heightened self-consciousness and sensitivity to social evaluations. During this period, hostile attribution bias—interpreting ambiguous social cues as hostile—can lower quality of life (QOL) and contribute to future mental health problems. Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show similar difficulties, often more pronounced due to their cognitive style and interpersonal vulnerabilities. Group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) aims to correct such biases through structured cognitive and social experiences. This study evaluated the psychological effects of group CBT on hostile attribution bias, social functioning, and QOL in adolescents and young adults with ASD traits.MethodsWe conducted an 8-session group CBT program focusing on hostile attribution bias and suspiciousness in 21 adolescents and young adults with ASD traits attending a hospital psychiatric outpatient department. The 15 participants who completed the program were included in analyzes. Psychological indices included hostile attribution bias (Ambiguous Intentions Hostility Questionnaire), social functioning (Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition [SRS-2]), and subjective QOL. Pre–post changes were quantified as change rates ((post − pre)/pre × 100). Group-level changes were tested with paired analyzes; exploratory associations among change rates were examined using Spearman correlations.ResultsGroup CBT significantly improved hostile attribution bias (effect size [ES] = 0.698, p = 0.017), social communication and interaction (SRS-2; ES = 0.780, p = 0.012), and subjective QOL (ES = 0.752, p = 0.011). Exploratory individual-level analyzes showed a discordant pattern: smaller reductions in hostile attribution bias (less negative change rates) were associated with greater increases in subjective QOL (ρ = 0.597, p = 0.019).ConclusionsThis pilot study suggests that group CBT may reduce hostile attribution bias and improve QOL and social functioning in adolescents and young adults with ASD traits. Notably, the positive correlation between hostile attribution bias change rates and QOL change rates suggests that greater QOL gains were not necessarily accompanied by larger reductions in hostile attribution bias, indicating that improvements in cognitive bias and perceived well-being may arise through partly distinct or non-linear pathways rather than a simple one-to-one relationship.Clinical trial registryUniversity Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN000030140).
Carea adds miscarriage support feature to maternal health app
Carea has launched a digital support tool within its app to provide guidance and mental health support for women following pregnancy loss.