WHO report calls for mental health to be built into climate responses
The report covers distress after extreme events, climate worry and community responses, while noting limited evaluation evidence.
Event date: 3 min read
News & Developments
Updates shaping counselling, psychology, mental health, education, coaching and professional wellbeing in India and around the world.
30 storiesLinked to primary sources
Region
Topic
Animated stories raise questions about changing problematic smartphone use
A large US trial tested two short animated stories, but its primary outcome differences were small and did not persist at four weeks.
Event date: 3 min read
UK commission calls for statutory regulation of counselling and psychotherapy
The report sets six priorities, from funding and statutory regulation to a new federation, and finds unused capacity among 82,000 registered practitioners.
Event date: 2 min read
Sheffield project to test whether brief conversations could reduce restraint on mental health wards
Preparatory work will co-design staff training and a study of brief, supportive, patient-led conversations, ahead of a larger NIHR funding bid.
Event date: 2 min read
Digital intervention trial targets rising anxiety during pregnancy and after birth
The RELAX trial tested a self-led online intervention alongside maternity care for pregnant people with high repetitive negative thinking.
Event date: 4 min read
Gujarat makes counsellors and wellness teams mandatory for Classes 9 to 12
Schools with 100 or more students must appoint a qualified counsellor, psychologist or social worker. Every school must form a School Wellness Team each year.
Event date: 3 min read
Rural communities tackle persistent gaps in youth mental health care
An APA report examines barriers to rural youth care and community responses, from school-based services to locally trained providers.
Event date: 3 min read
Trial finds an ACT group programme eased career-related distress but did not raise career engagement
Seven weekly online group sessions improved psychological flexibility, wellbeing and meaning at work. Career engagement did not rise significantly.
Event date: 2 min read
Review of 19 trials links CBT for insomnia to lower suicidal ideation after treatment
CBT-I was associated with 23% lower suicidal ideation severity immediately after treatment. Effects at later follow-up were unclear.
Event date: 2 min read
APA Stress in America 2026: 47% of US adults pulled back socially because of stress
Cost of living and the nation’s future topped stressors. Almost half of AI users said they had talked to AI as a friend or used it like a mental health professional.
Event date: 2 min read
Gallup data from 97 countries finds no simple link between social media time and wellbeing
Moderate users fared better than high or low users on most measures, but the pattern changes with the emotion measured, the person’s age and the country.
Event date: 2 min read
Lancet Commission identifies 17 interlinked threats to global health through 2100
The threats span disease, social and economic conditions, environmental change, technology and conflict. The Commission argues they must be tackled together.
Event date: 2 min read
England pledges earlier mental health support as Fonagy review calls for tighter ADHD and autism assessment
The government will move towards support based on need rather than diagnosis, and work towards making ADHD and autism assessments a CQC-regulated activity.
Event date: 2 min read
WHO publishes practical guide to moving psychiatric care from long-stay hospitals to the community
The 146-page guide is for hospital leaders and decision-makers, and organises action into three phases: plan, prepare and provide.
Event date: 2 min read
UCL study finds distress in Britain rose after Brexit, lockdowns and the cost-of-living shocks, and did not bounce back
Researchers tracked 87,857 people from 2009 to 2024. Distress rose after each event studied and had not returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2024.
Event date: 2 min read
State Allied and Healthcare Councils: 30 of 36 States and UTs have notified a council
NCAHP’s tracker shows which States and UTs have notified councils and rules, and flags ten councils for deviations from the 2021 Act.
Event date: 2 min read
NCAHP notifies registration regulations for allied and healthcare professionals
The regulations set out how professionals in recognised allied and healthcare professions register, renew and keep up continuing professional development.
Event date: 3 min read
UGC specifies 33 new allied and healthcare degrees under the NCAHP framework
The amendment adds 33 degrees, including a four-year Bachelor of Psychology, and revises 21 existing entries such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
Event date: 2 min read
American Art Therapy Association proposes updates to undergraduate pre-art therapy standards
AATA has submitted proposed revisions to the accreditation guidelines for US undergraduate pre-art therapy programmes.
Event date: 2 min read
RCI renames its clinical and rehabilitation psychology degrees
B.Sc. and M.A. titles in clinical and rehabilitation psychology become B.Clin.Psy, B.Rehab.Psy, M.Clin.Psy and M.Rehab.Psy.
Event date: 2 min read
ILO links more than 840,000 deaths a year to psychosocial risks at work
A new ILO report links long hours, job insecurity, high strain and harassment to over 840,000 deaths a year.
Event date: 2 min read
American Counseling Association prepares a revised Code of Ethics for adoption in 2026
The revision pairs a shorter core code with supplemental guidelines on AI, record keeping, telehealth and emerging technologies. The 2014 code stays in force until adoption.
Event date: 2 min read
UN General Assembly adopts political declaration on noncommunicable diseases and mental health
The declaration sets a 2030 target of 150 million more people with access to mental health care.
Event date: 2 min read
WHO sets out what every government sector can do for mental health
The guidance covers ten sectors, from education and employment to justice and urban development.
Event date: 2 min read
APA advisory cautions against using AI chatbots and wellness apps as a substitute for care
The American Psychological Association calls for safeguards, evidence standards and clinician training as people turn to AI for mental health support.
Event date: 2 min read
WHO reports more than a billion people living with mental health conditions as services lag
Two WHO reports find government spending on mental health flat at a median 2% of health budgets, with 13 mental health workers per 100,000 people.
Event date: 2 min read
Illinois law bars AI from providing therapy or making therapeutic decisions
The law allows AI for administrative and supplementary support but not for providing therapy. Violations can bring fines of up to US$10,000.
Event date: 2 min read
Supreme Court issues binding student mental health guidelines for educational institutions
Fifteen guidelines apply to schools, colleges and coaching centres, including counsellors for institutions with 100 or more students.
Event date: 2 min read
NCAHP curricula, including Applied Psychology and Behavioural Health, are mandatory from 2026–27
First approved in April 2025, the curricula now number 17 and cover around 28 professions. Institutions must implement them from the 2026–27 academic year.
Event date: 2 min read
ICF’s updated Code of Ethics adds standards on AI tools and multiple professional roles
The 2025 code covers coaches’ use of technology and AI, and requires them to disclose when they act in another professional role.
Event date: 2 min read