Hi!👋 I’m Dr. Michelle Quist Ryder, CEO of the American Psychological Foundation (@AmPsychFdn). I believe that people with expertise have an obligation to share it with those who might benefit, which is what I’m here to do. A quick 🧵about me and APF.

I’m inspired by the idea of greater access to “therapy-like benefits,” and I’m staying on my toes as the discourse around these technologies evolves. What do you think? .(6/6).

Better for us to be thinking about what young chatbot users should be on the lookout for as they engage with the technology, so that they can monitor for themselves whether or not the technology is having an overall positive or negative impact in their day to day lives. (5/6).

This technology is immensely popular with young people, in part because it provides them with a source of information and companionship that won’t judge them for their questions or feelings. Judging young people for using this technology can’t possibly help them. (4/6).

The idea that chatbots are creating the next mental health crisis isn’t particularly helpful, nor do I think it’s accurate. (3/6).

People are right to be curious and decently concerned about the impact of social media on young people’s mental health, but blaming platforms writ large is becoming a panacea for mental health and behavioral problems that have always existed and have always been complicated.(2/6).

I’m always skeptical of moral panics around technology. A thread about young people and chatbots 🧵.

Funding cuts are grinding life-saving research to a halt. Removing vital datasets from public access is an assault on transparency. Policymaking based on ideology instead of evidence will not build trust or save resources. We urge the administration to reconsider its approach.

“I take comfort, too, in the realization that I don’t have to feel brave. I just have to act brave.” Thank you, Lisa Pilar Cowan! .

Some really struggle to internalize this: you must invest in your staff’s wellness if you want them to invest themselves in your organization. That includes creating a system for soliciting feedback about what those needs are and being consistent about meeting them. (4/4).

🔥Employee burnout can cost employers 0.2 to 2.9 times the average cost of health insurance, and 3.3 to 17.1 times the cost of training per employee. (3/4).

🔥Per a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine(tag), American companies are estimated to lose between $4,000 and $21,000 per employee annually due to lost productivity and turnover caused by burnout. (2/4).

“Burnout isn't just an individual issue — it's a structural and financial liability that ripples throughout an organization.” Yes! Leaders who fail to support their employees’ needs will risk financial fallout, full stop. 🧵.

We need new examples of what workplace culture can look like and how to make it better for everyone. We have an opportunity to lead here, and we have every reason to be excited about creating something powerful and new! 🫶👊.

I couldn’t agree more with this sentiment from @BusinessInsider's Amanda Hoover. I’m glad to read that there are other women CEOs who feel the same as I do.

We need new examples of what workplace culture can look like and how to make it better for everyone. We have an opportunity to lead here, and we have every reason to be excited about creating something powerful and new! 🫶👊.

We need new examples of what workplace culture can look like and how to make it better for everyone. We have an opportunity to lead here, and we have every reason to be excited about creating something powerful and new! 🫶👊.

(4/4).

We need to have the opportunity to convene, spend time with one another and discuss what’s needed in terms of support, to share information about new challenges and threats as they emerge and to hold ourselves accountable to one another as circumstances continue to evolve. (3/4).

As I listened to our speakers discuss their work and respond to one another, and as I read through the steady stream of comments throughout the evening, it was made abundantly clear to me how important it is for these conversations to be ongoing. (2/4).

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much to everyone who joined us on April 10th for the Springfield Town Hall. It was such an inspiring evening, and we had over 80 people watching us live from all over the country! Some takeaways 🧵.