Mental health & addiction milestones | Good News for Humankind

Researcher examining brain scan imagery for an article about Alzheimer's prevention trial results

U.S. researchers cut Alzheimer’s risk by half in first-ever prevention trial

By Peter Schulte / April 14, 2026 / Good News For Humankind

Alzheimer’s prevention may have reached a turning point after a landmark trial showed that removing amyloid plaques before symptoms appear can cut the risk of developing the disease by roughly 50%. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine studied people with rare genetic mutations that make Alzheimer’s nearly inevitable, finding that early, aggressive treatment can genuinely alter the disease’s course. The results, published in The Lancet Neurology, mark the first time any intervention has shown potential to prevent Alzheimer’s from appearing at all, not merely slow its progression. That distinction matters enormously, since amyloid begins accumulating in the brain two decades before symptoms emerge.

A person sitting quietly on a bench at sunset, for an article about global suicide rate decline — 15 words.

Global suicide rate has dropped nearly 40% since the 1990s

By Peter Schulte / April 10, 2026 / Good News For Humankind

Global suicide rates have dropped nearly 40% since the early 1990s, falling from roughly 15 deaths per 100,000 people to around nine — one of modern public health’s most significant and underreported victories. This decline was driven by expanded mental health services, crisis intervention programs, and proven strategies like restricting access to lethal means. The progress spans dozens of countries, with especially sharp declines in East Asia and Europe. Critically, this trend demonstrates that suicide is preventable at a population level — making the case for sustained investment in mental health infrastructure worldwide.

A teenager looking at a smartphone screen in dim light, for an article about the social media safety trial

Los Angeles jury finds tech giants liable in landmark social media safety trial

By Peter Schulte / March 26, 2026 / Good News For Humankind

Social media safety landmark: A Los Angeles jury has found Meta and YouTube liable for harming the mental health of young users, marking the first time a U.S. jury has held major social media platforms legally responsible for psychological damage to minors. Attorneys successfully argued that algorithmically engineered features like infinite scroll and compulsive notification systems constitute defective product design, sidestepping longstanding federal protections under Section 230. The verdict could reshape thousands of pending lawsuits nationwide and signal a meaningful shift in platform accountability. For families who have fought for years to be heard in court, this ruling represents significant legal ground gained.

A student placing a smartphone in a storage pouch for an article about the student phone ban in New Jersey schools

New Jersey bans student phones all day in a landmark school law

By Peter Schulte / February 6, 2026 / Good News For Humankind

New Jersey student smartphone ban affects nearly 1.4 million public school students under a sweeping new law requiring all K–12 schools to adopt phone-free policies before the 2025 school year begins. Students must store devices in pouches, lockers, or designated areas throughout the entire school day, with exceptions preserved for medical needs and individualized education programs. The legislation joins a growing national and international movement linking constant phone access to declining attention, anxiety, and depression among adolescents. Research consistently shows that phone-free school environments improve academic performance, with the greatest gains among lower-income students.

Naloxone kit and opioid awareness materials for an article about fentanyl overdose deaths

Fentanyl overdose deaths in the U.S. fall by a third in a historic reversal

By Peter Schulte / January 12, 2026 / Good News For Humankind

Fentanyl overdose deaths dropped by roughly 35 percent in 2024, marking the steepest single-year decline in the history of the opioid epidemic. Provisional CDC data shows total drug overdose deaths falling from a peak of around 112,000 in 2023 to an estimated 80,000 in 2024, with synthetic opioids driving most of the decrease. The reversal reflects years of overlapping efforts, including expanded naloxone access, removal of federal barriers to buprenorphine prescribing, and sustained harm reduction investment. Tens of thousands of Americans are alive today who would not have been under the prior trajectory.

Close-up of psilocybin mushrooms in a clinical research setting for an article about psilocybin therapy

New Zealand approves psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression

By Peter Schulte / June 19, 2025 / Good News For Humankind

Psilocybin therapy has received formal approval in New Zealand as a supervised treatment for severe, treatment-resistant depression, making the country one of a small but growing number of nations to authorize the psychedelic compound for clinical use. The decision opens a legal pathway for patients who have exhausted conventional antidepressants and talk therapies — a group estimated to represent roughly one-third of all depression patients globally. Access is tightly structured, requiring licensed clinicians, controlled settings, and follow-up integration support. New Zealand joins Australia, Canada, and several U.S. states in signaling a broader shift in how governments are responding to mounting clinical evidence around psychedelic-assisted mental health care.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms on a surface for an article about psilocybin therapy legalization in New Mexico

New Mexico becomes the third U.S. state to legalize psilocybin therapy

By Peter Schulte / April 14, 2025 / Good News For Humankind

New Mexico’s Medical Psilocybin Act makes the state the third in the U.S. to legalize psilocybin therapy, but its path stands apart from Oregon and Colorado. Rather than a ballot measure, the legislation passed through the state legislature with an overwhelming bipartisan margin of 56 to 8 in the House. The law creates a regulated clinical framework for treating PTSD, treatment-resistant depression, and other conditions, with a dedicated 30,000 equity fund to subsidize access for low-income patients. That combination of legislative flexibility and built-in affordability measures offers a replicable model for other states watching closely.

Someone holding a phone opening the TikTok app, for article on Brazil smartphone ban in schools

Brazil bans smartphones in schools to aim for better learning

By / February 6, 2025 / Good News For Humankind

Brazil’s nationwide school smartphone ban is already showing results, and Stanford-led research offers an early look at why. In surveys of more than 3,000 students, teachers, and administrators across all 26 states, 83% of students said they’re paying more attention in class since the law took effect. Younger kids are adapting fastest — 88% of elementary students reported sharper focus, compared with 70% of high schoolers. Researchers also found that the schools seeing the biggest shifts gave students a dedicated spot to stash their phones, suggesting physical separation matters more than rules on paper. As dozens of countries weigh similar policies, Brazil’s real-time experiment is becoming a rare evidence base for what actually works.

Facebook screen on mobile, for article on Australia social media ban

Australia passes social media ban for children under 16

By / November 28, 2024 / Good News For Humankind

Australia’s social media ban for kids under 16 puts the responsibility squarely on platforms, with fines reaching AUD $50 million for companies that repeatedly let underage users slip through. Passed in late 2024 with strong cross-party support, the law gives Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and others a year to build age-verification systems before enforcement kicks in. It’s a real shift: instead of asking parents to police algorithms designed by billion-dollar companies, the law asks the companies to police themselves. Lawmakers in the U.K., the U.S., and the E.U. are already watching closely, and interest is growing across the Global South. However Australia’s experiment unfolds, it offers the world a template for treating children’s wellbeing as something tech giants owe, not something families must defend alone.

Golden Gate Bridge, for article on Golden Gate Bridge suicide prevention net

Suicide-prevention net beneath Golden Gate Bridge completed

By / January 3, 2024 / Good News For Humankind

The Golden Gate Bridge now has a continuous stainless steel safety net running the full 1.7-mile span, suspended 20 feet below the deck where drivers can’t see it. As the net neared completion in 2023, the number of people who jumped fell by more than half — a quiet but powerful early sign that it’s working. The project was driven by the Bridge Rail Foundation, a small group of parents who lost children at the bridge and refused to give up over more than 18 years of advocacy. Their win is a reminder that thoughtful design, backed by evidence and persistence, can turn even the most heartbreaking places into something safer for everyone who comes next.