Here’s what’s going on in the medical world, including fast-tracked psychedelic research and a surprising cause for knee and back pain.
CLEVELAND — If you’ve felt more stressed as a parent lately, you’re far from alone. And a growing body of research — along with some historic milestones — is reshaping how we think about mental health treatment from the ground up.
Parenting stress is at an all-time high — and kids’ mental health is the top trigger
Nearly all parents — 97% — say they felt stressed in the past month, according to a new national survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of The Kids Mental Health Foundation, founded by Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Nearly a third say they experience that stress often.
What’s weighing on them most? Their children’s emotional wellbeing and behavioral issues topped the list of stressors. And the ripple effect is real: nearly half of stressed parents say their anxiety makes their children more worried, too.
Experts say today’s parents are the first generation actively trying to prioritize children’s mental health — without a roadmap. The good news is that small, consistent habits make a measurable difference. Daily conversations with kids, stronger household routines, and intentional time for connection are evidence-backed ways to build mental wellness at home. And when things go wrong? Experts say modeling how to apologize and repair a relationship matters more than being a perfect parent.
Free resources for families are available at KidsMentalHealthFoundation.org.
FDA fast-tracks psychedelic treatments for depression and PTSD
The landscape of mental health treatment is shifting quickly at the federal level. Following an executive order signed by President Trump on April 18, the Food and Drug Administration issued national priority vouchers to three companies studying psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, psilocybin for major depressive disorder, and methylone — a drug similar to MDMA — for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Both drugs already hold FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation, meaning they may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies. The priority vouchers go further, promising a review timeline of one to two months — rather than the typical six months or more — once required studies are completed.
The FDA also cleared an early-stage clinical trial for noribogaine hydrochloride, a derivative of ibogaine, as a potential treatment for alcohol use disorder — the first time a compound like it has been authorized for human study in the U.S.
Importantly, the FDA stated that allowing these studies to proceed does not mean the drugs are approved or proven safe and effective. The agency has emphasized that development must be grounded in sound science and rigorous clinical evidence.
Honoring a discovery made nearly 80 years ago
This week, the Cleveland Clinic received a rare national honor from the American Chemical Society — a National Historic Chemical Landmark designation — for a discovery made 78 years ago.
In 1948, a Cleveland Clinic research team became the first in the world to isolate serotonin from the blood. That brain chemical, now known to influence mood, cognition, memory, appetite and sleep, laid the groundwork for decades of mental health treatment — including the widely-used antidepressants known as SSRIs. The designation places Cleveland Clinic’s work alongside the discovery of penicillin, the invention of warfarin, and the contributions of Thomas Edison and George Washington Carver.
And the research hasn’t stopped. Cleveland Clinic is currently at the forefront of psychedelic medicine on multiple fronts. Researchers are studying RE104 — a novel compound similar to psilocybin — as a single-dose treatment for postpartum depression, with the goal of giving new mothers rapid, lasting relief when they need it most. Cleveland Clinic psychiatrists are also among the researchers studying psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression and LSD for anxiety — conditions that Cleveland Clinic psychiatrist Dr. Brian Barnett says fail to respond to traditional treatment in roughly a third of patients.
“When you think about that at scale, that’s millions of people who have depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder that’s not responding to treatment,” Barnett said in a previous interview.
He adds that psychedelic treatments would never simply be handed to a patient — they would always be administered in a carefully supervised medical setting, with decades of safety protocols behind them. Similar research is underway at major medical centers across the country.
In February, a Phase 3 trial of synthetic psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression achieved its primary endpoint, with participants seeing a significant reduction in symptom severity — effects appearing as early as the day after treatment and lasting through six weeks.
On the anxiety front, a clinical trial published in JAMA found that a single supervised dose of MM120 — a pharmaceutical formulation of LSD — significantly reduced anxiety symptoms in patients with moderate-to-severe anxiety, with effects lasting up to 12 weeks. Phase 3 trials are now underway, with results expected later this year.
None of these treatments are approved or available outside of clinical trial settings. But the science is accelerating — and for the millions of patients who haven’t responded to traditional treatment, the promise is real.
Knee and back pain? Check your shoes
Not all health news involves the brain. If you’ve been dealing with unexplained knee or back pain, the culprit might be hiding in your closet.
Cleveland Clinic podiatrists say poor footwear is a leading — and often overlooked — cause of pain throughout the body, including bunions, hammertoes and plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the tissue along the bottom of the foot.
The fix starts with fit. Shop for shoes later in the day, when feet naturally swell to their largest size, and always get measured — foot size changes over time. Look for a firm heel, good arch support and a wider toe box that gives your toes room to move.
And don’t assume summer sandals get a pass. Arch support matters in warm-weather footwear too. A stylish flat with no structure can do just as much damage as an ill-fitting sneaker over time.