Artificial intelligence (AI) is slowly becoming a major part of our society. Everday more and more people begin to rely on AI for a variety of tasks in their daily routines. While most people use AI for innocuous reasons such as answering basic questions like a search engine would, today we’re here to discuss one of the more harmful uses of AI: AI therapy chatbots aimed at our youths. In this episode of Shrinking it Down: Mental Health Made Simple, Gene and Khadijah are joined by forensic psychiatrist Dr. Andy Clark to discuss the growing role of AI chatbots in mental health support. From lacking empathy and clinical judgement to dangerously endorsing harmful behaviors, we explore the promises and pitfalls of AI Therapy for our young people. Tune in to learn more!

• Andrew Clark, M.D.
• The Risks of Kids Getting AI Therapy from a Chatbot (TIME)
• Adventures in AI Therapy: A Child Psychiatrist Goes Undercover (MGH Clay Center)
• The Ability of AI Therapy Bots to Set Limits With Distressed Adolescents: Simulation-Based Comparison Study (PubMed)
• Harry Harlow Monkey Experiments (Simply Psychology)
• Illinois Bans AI Therapy (National Law Review)
• The Rithm Project

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Today is World Suicide Prevention Day: a time to bring global attention to the urgent public health crisis of suicide and to reaffirm our collective commitment to prevention through compassion, connection, and community.

In this special episode of Shrinking it Down: Mental Health Made Simple, Gene and Khadijah are joined by Dr. Tony Rostain for a deeply moving conversation about love, loss and healing. Dr. Rostain shares the story of the tragic loss of his son, Julian to suicide - a bright, talented young man who battled anxiety and depression, which were greatly intensified by the isolation he experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through his story, Dr. Rostain helps Gene and Khadijah explore the healing power of community, love and remembrance while also reflecting on what helped him process the grief and continue his work in mental health.

• World Suicide Prevention Day 2025 (World Health Organization)
• Anthony L. Rostain, MD, MA (Cooper University)
• Sara Rian Books
• Julian Memorial – Remembering Julian Rostain
• Pack Up Your Sorrows - Richard & Mimi Farina (YouTube)
• I Love You Dad: Words A Father Will Never Hear Again (MGH Clay Center)
• Loving the Gone (Amazon)
• Home | AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention)
• The Jed Foundation (JED)
• Resources for People who Think About Suicide (National Institute on Mental Illness)
• Preventing Suicide (CDC)

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Welcome back to a new season of Shrinking it Down: Mental Health Made Simple!

For our back-to-school season opener, we are joined by Dr. Tony Rostain for a deep dive on how ADHD changes from teen to adulthood. They break down the importance of early intervention, the benefits of school accommodations, and why anxiety and other co-occurring conditions can be common in children and teens with ADHD. If you want to understand ADHD better and hear what actually helps, this episode’s for you.

• Anthony L. Rostain, MD, MA (Cooper University)
• The Adult ADHD Tool Kit (Taylor Francis)
• CHADD - Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder
• ADDA - Attention Deficit Disorder Association
• Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) (Department of Health and Human Services)
• Including Disability and Belonging in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (MGH Clay Center)

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While the summer is usually painted as time of fun, freedom, and relaxation, for many teens it can feel like the exact opposite — disconnected, isolating, and emotionally heavy. Without the daily structure of school or regular peer interaction, teens can find themselves feeling invisible, left out, or unsure of where they belong. In the season 8 finale, Gene and Khadijah dive into the impact summer can have on teen loneliness. Tune in for practical tips for parents on how to help their teens stay connected, the power of self-care and creative expression, and ways to keep your teen busy this summer!

We wish you a connected and relaxing summer! We’ll see you back here in August to discuss the transition from childhood to adult ADHD with special guest Tony Rostain, MD, MA.

• Summertime: Making The Livin’ Easy With Kids (MGH Clay Center)
• Over-Scheduled, Stressed-Out Families (MGH Clay Center)
• 11 Self-Care Tips for Teens and Young Adults (MGH Clay Center)
• Homepage (4-H)
• Why Activism Is Good For Teens — And The Country (MGH Clay Center)
• The Vital Role and Methods of Mental Health Advocacy (Shrinking it Down)

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Why are our young people struggling so much?

In this special episode for Mental Health Awareness Month, Gene and Khadijah dive into the growing youth mental health epidemic. They explore the sharp rise in anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges among children and teens since the 1980s—fueled by factors like social media, shifting family dynamics, economic inequality, and systemic discrimination. With only about 11,400 child and adolescent psychiatrists in the U.S. for the 14–20 million young people who need care, the workforce shortage is dire. Gene and Khadijah call for urgent advocacy—encouraging listeners to support change through actions like contacting lawmakers, engaging with local communities, joining peer support efforts, and promoting mental health education. Tune in for a candid, compassionate conversation about how we can all help make mental health care more accessible and equitable for our youth.

• Addressing the Youth Mental Health Epidemic (Springer)
• Severe Shortage of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists (AACAP)
• Varying Estimates of Social Workers in the United States: Which Data Source to Use? (NIH)
• Ways to Help Your Lonely Teen Online Course (MGH Clay Center)
• Conflict Resolution Course (MGH Clay Center)
• Active Minds
• The Power of Peer Support (Shrinking it Down)
• Why Activism Is Good For Teens — And The Country (MGH Clay Center)
• If It's Okay To Not Be Okay (See Me Scotland)
• What’s Up With Everyone? A Youth Mental Health Campaign With Academy-Award Winning Aardman (MGH Clay Center)

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Almost everyone knows a picky eater, either from their own childhood or from their child's experiences. But sometimes picky eating goes beyond a simple preference for plain pasta.

In this episode of Shrinking it Down: Mental Health Made Simple, Gene and Khadijah sit down with Dr. Kamryn Eddy to unpack the complexities of ARFID —Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. More than just picky eating, ARFID can significantly impact a person's physical health and social life, leading to growth issues, nutritional deficiencies, and emotional struggles. Tune in to hear more about ARFID, its treatments, and its promising recovery outcomes. 

• Kamryn Eddy, Ph.D. (MGH)
• ARFID (DSM-5)
• ARFID (National Eating Disorders Association)
• Eating Disorders Screening Tool (National Eating Disorders Assocation)

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In 2024, the CDC reported that 1 in 29 middle school and 1 in 13 high school students vaped in the past month. This statistic is especially troubling, given that 9 in 10 adults who smoke daily first tried smoking by the age of 18.

In this episode of Shrinking it Down, Dr. Randi Schuster, Director of school-based research and program development at the MGH Center for Addiction Medicine joined Gene and Khadijah to help educate parents and caregivers to best recognize the signs and symptoms of teen nicotine use and restorative strategies being used in schools.

• Randi Schuster, Ph.D.  (Center for Addiction Medicine)
• Center for Addiction Medicine (MGH)
• iDECIDE
• Truth Initiative: freedom from nicotine addiction
• Smoking and Tobacco Use | Smoking and Tobacco Use (CDC)
• Tobacco/Nicotine and Vaping | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Highlights for the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (SAMSA)
• My Life My Quit

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• Palisades Fire  (MalibuCity.org)
• California Wildfires Response (Red Cross)
• Breaking News and Kids  (MGH Clay Center)
• The Psychological Gift Of Giving A Gift (MGH Clay Center)
• Climate Anxiety and Kids, featuring Elizabeth Pinsky, MD (MGH Clay Center)
• 10 Self-Care Tips for Parents (MGH Clay Center)

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Shrinking it Down will return on January 23rd for a special episode on teen nicotine misuse.

Happy Holidays and we hope you have a great New Year!

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In the recent Advisory, Parents Under Pressure, the US Surgeon General noted that parents are currently more stressed, burned out, and lonely than ever before. The alarming statistics are not all that different than his Advisories on the Youth Mental Health and Loneliness Epidemics that have been escalating since the late 1970s.

In this episode of Shrinking it Down, Gene and Khadijah discuss this new advisory and what parents can do to combat these increased feelings of stress and loneliness.

• Parents Under Pressure (U.S. Surgeon General Advisory)
• Protecting Youth Mental Health (U.S. Surgeon General Advisory)
• Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (U.S. Surgeon General Advisory)
• Self-Care for Parents (MGH Clay Center)
• NAMI | National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Myths About the 12-Step Program (MGH Clay Center)
• Parental Stress: Practical Tips in Response to the Surgeon General (Clay Center)

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