By: Brittany Albright, MD, MPH, DABOM
Psych Congress Elevate 2026 Co-Chair, Past New & Emerging Voice
 

Dear Psych Congress Family,

(January 30, 2026) The White House has issued an Executive Order establishing the Great American Recovery Initiative, a federal effort intended to coordinate and strengthen the national response to addiction and substance use disorder. The order cites an estimated 48.4 million Americans affected by addiction and calls for improved alignment across federal programs focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Oregon lawmakers are proposing new regulations aimed at AI “companion” chatbots to better protect children and teens’ mental health as these tools become more widely used. The proposal would require companies to clearly disclose that users are interacting with software, not a human, and to add safeguards that can detect suicidal ideation or self-harm and interrupt the conversation to provide crisis and suicide-prevention resources.

A recent systematic review highlights both the promise and pitfalls of emerging technologies for older adults experiencing cognitive impairment. As the population ages and cognitive challenges such as memory decline and dementia become more common, technology has been positioned as a tool to support independence, safety, and quality of life.

The NIC article “Healthcare Drivers and Outlook for Senior Housing and Care in 2026” outlines how senior living is entering a pivotal phase as demographic demand accelerates and healthcare expectations rise. With the oldest Baby Boomers turning 80, senior housing and care providers are increasingly expected to function as part of the broader healthcare ecosystem—not just as housing or lifestyle options.

NIC identifies four key drivers shaping the outlook for 2026:

By Sukgu Han, MD, MS
ISET Live Case Operator
 

As someone who treats patients with complex aortic disease, I have seen how quickly routine situations can turn into high-stakes problems. Many clinicians feel comfortable with standard endovascular aneurysm repair, but the challenges show up later: Type IA endoleaks, graft failures, and arch pathology that pushes us to the edge of our technical limits.
 

In a January 13, 2026 Harvard Gazette feature, four Harvard experts in depression, anxiety, and trauma discuss whether AI chatbots could help narrow the mental health access gap, while acknowledging headline-grabbing risks and the need for stronger safeguards. They argue that chatbots are “tools” that may offer meaningful support for people who can’t readily access care, but that they must be monitored and improved iteratively, with more collaboration between industry and independent scientists.

A provocative new analysis published in Nature reveals that when large language models (LLMs) were subjected to simulated psychotherapy sessions, their responses exhibited patterns that resembled memories, fears, and emotional narratives — prompting concern among psychologists and AI researchers about what these outputs mean for the future of AI in mental health care.

Congress has released its proposed FY 2026 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The bill advanced out of the House Appropriations Committee with bipartisan support, signaling a strong likelihood of passage in the House.