June 2, 2026
Technology news for families navigating serious mental illness — translated so you don’t have to.
This week felt a little like watching the rest of the world catch up. Several studies and opinion pieces came out that hit on themes I write about in the soon-to-be-released Connected Care — which means the conversation is happening, and you’re ahead of it.
AI therapy tools need guardrails — and Forbes is finally saying so
Forbes · May 31
A Forbes piece this week made the case that AI mental health apps will keep prioritizing user engagement over your loved one’s safety unless regulations force them not to. Sound familiar? Chapter 6 of Connected Care covers exactly what to ask before trusting any app with someone you care about. This piece is worth sharing with a skeptical family member who thinks “there’s an app for that” is good enough.Read more →
Your loved one’s mental health data is being used to train AI — without their knowledge
Nature / npj Digital Medicine · June 2
Platforms like Lyra and Headspace Health have been quietly using patient data to train AI models — and researchers are now pushing back on what “consent” even means in that context. This is not abstract. If your loved one uses any digital mental health platform, their data has value to someone. Connected Care covers the privacy questions you should be asking. This article is a good reminder of why those questions matter.Read more →
A randomized trial confirms what digital therapy advocates have been saying
Jerusalem Post / JAMA · May 30
An Israeli trial published in JAMA found that AI tools measurably reduced anxiety and depression symptoms — and crucially, this was a real randomized controlled trial, not a tech company’s press release. For families who’ve been told “apps don’t really work,” this is the kind of evidence worth saving. It doesn’t mean every app works. But it means the category is legitimate.Read more →
Also worth a look
From the British Journal of Psychiatry: there are too many digital mental health tools and not enough quality control. Researchers are calling for a shift from “more apps” to “better apps” — a distinction Connected Care makes from the first chapter. And Medscape took a long look at whether “schizophrenia” is even one disorder or many — a question that matters when you’re trying to match a person to the right tools and treatments.
Connected Care: A Practical Guide to Technology for Serious Mental Illness will soon be available on Amazon.
Questions? nicolegillen@resourcesforsmi.com · resourcesforsmi.com
