Psychiatric Help Ordered For Marine Veteran Charged In NC Mass Shooting
The suspect, who is charged in the deaths of three people at a waterfront bar in Southport on Sept. 27, was evaluated by three separate mental health experts. They concluded that Nigel Max Edge was not fit to stand trial but that he “may be restored to capacity through appropriate treatment, including medication and counseling,” at which point the legal case would resume.
AP:
Former Marine In Mass Shooting Case To Undergo Psychiatric Treatment
A judge on Tuesday ordered that a Marine veteran charged with three counts of first-degree murder in a mass shooting at a North Carolina waterfront bar last year undergo psychiatric treatment after it was determined he is unable to understand his legal proceedings enough to help his lawyers. The case of Nigel Max Edge had been scheduled for a Brunswick County court hearing in which the local prosecutor was slated to reveal whether he intended to seek the death penalty. But District Attorney Jon David said in a news release that part of the case was set aside because questions about Edge’s “capacity to proceed” were raised by multiple mental health professionals. (4/8)
More mental health news —
Los Angeles Times:
$110-Million Donation Seeks To Address Shortage Of Southern California Mental Health Workers
UCLA, Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills will receive $110 million to bolster their mental health programs, providing financial assistance and clinical resources to students seeking to fill the gaps of a major statewide shortage in the field of social work. (Buchanan, 4/6)
Bloomberg:
Google Adds Mental Health Tools To Gemini Chatbot After Lawsuit
Alphabet Inc.’s Google plans to introduce new mental health support features for its Gemini chatbot as the company and rivals, like OpenAI, have faced several lawsuits accusing their artificial intelligence tools of leading to harm. Gemini will add an interface directing chatbot users to a support hotline when the conversation indicates “a potential crisis related to suicide or self-harm,” Google said in a blog post on Tuesday. Additionally, the company is adding a “help is available” module for chats about mental health and design tweaks to discourage self-harm. (Bergen, 4/7)
MedPage Today:
Dementia Risk May Be Linked To One's Outlook, Study Suggests
People with a sunnier outlook had less dementia risk, a study of nearly 9,100 people suggested. Over up to 14 years, each standard deviation increase in optimism was tied to a 15% lower risk of developing dementia (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.82-0.88), after adjusting for age, sex, race and ethnicity, education, depression, and major health conditions, reported Säde Stenlund, MD, PhD, of the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, and colleagues. (George, 4/8)
Bloomberg:
Greece To Impose Social Media Ban For Children Under 15
Greece will ban access to social media for children under 15, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. The regulation will come during the summer of 2026 and will enter into force on Jan. 1 2027, Mitsotakis said Wednesday in a message on TikTok. (Tugwell, 4/8)
