Study finds students with highest distress use AI for mental health at elevated rates
Peer-Reviewed Publication
This month, we’re focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), a topic that continues to capture attention everywhere. Here, you’ll find the latest research news, insights, and discoveries shaping how AI is being developed and used across the world.
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 25-Jun-2026 11:15 ET (25-Jun-2026 15:15 GMT/UTC)
College students have rapidly adopted generative AI, but critical questions remain about its use for mental health support. In a study co-led by investigators at Mass General Brigham, 18% of surveyed college students reported using artificial intelligence (AI) for mental health. Students with more severe mental health symptoms were more likely to do so. The findings are published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
A new study published in Big Earth Data describes the development of the National Earth Observation Data Cube of Cyprus as a modern software-based infrastructure for efficiently storing, managing, and analyzing the rapidly growing volume of Earth observation data. It further demonstrates its value through a water resource monitoring case under the Mediterranean climate crisis and highlights the potential of semantic classification for more generalized and efficient environmental monitoring. An online platform has been developed and welcomes users to access the CEODC ecosystem at https://cypruscube.com/, while all tools and services are also integrated within the ERATOSTHENES Regional Exploitation Platform: https://rep.eratosthenes.org.cy/.
A new study by Prof. Gabriel Weimann, a senior researcher at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) at Reichman University and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Communication at the University of Haifa, and Daniel Haberfeld, a researcher and Head of the Cyberterrorism Desk at ICT, explored the activities of the Handala hacker group, which is linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). The study sought to determine whether the group’s operations are best characterized as cyberterrorism or psychological warfare.
A new study has uncovered evidence that early human ancestors were using fire in South Africa's Wonderwerk Cave between 1.07 and 1.79 million years ago, extending the chronology of one of the earliest known records of fire use associated with hominins. By applying a new method that detects traces of burning in fossil bones, researchers found signs of repeated fire use deep inside the cave, far beyond the reach of natural wildfires. The findings suggest that early humans were bringing naturally occurring fire into the cave and maintaining it there, providing new insights into how our ancestors first began to harness one of the most important tools in human history.
Denmark is investing heavily in restoring carbon-rich agricultural soils as wetlands to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, new research from Aarhus University shows that financial compensation alone is not enough to persuade landowners to participate.
Based on in-depth interviews with Danish farmers and landowners, the study highlights that decisions are shaped not only by economics, but also by identity, responsibility, uncertainty, and a deep attachment to the land. Farming practices are closely tied to values about what it means to be a “good farmer,” and these social norms can make it difficult to accept land-use changes such as rewetting fields.
The findings underline that successful climate policies must go beyond financial incentives and address the social and cultural dimensions of land management.
Researchers at Klick Labs are launching a series of clinical studies with Mayo Clinic in Florida exploring the use of novel vocal biomarkers in connection with a number of chronic diseases and serious health conditions. The new research collaboration plans to include scientists from Klick Labs’ vocal biomarker practice, along with Mayo Clinic Principal investigators across several fields, led by Vivek Kumbhari, MD, PhD..