For over 15 years, Dr Anthony Shum, a pulmonologist at the University of California, San Francisco has been studying a rare genetic disorder called the COPA Syndrome. It stands for coatomer subunit alpha and is a rare, inherited disorder that affects the lungs, joint, and kidney. The National Organization for Rare Disorder also notes that it is a genetic autoimmune disorder that is caused by mutations in the COPA gene. This disease affects families unpredictably—some individuals with the mutation develop severe lung damage early in life, while others remain completely healthy. Now, Shum’s team has discovered a protective genetic variant that may offer new hope for treatment.

A Breakthrough

Researchers found that some relatives of COPA Syndrome patients stayed healthy despite carrying the same COPA gene mutation that causes the disease. The key difference? These unaffected individuals had a protective version of another gene called HAQ-STING.

When scientists introduced HAQ-STING into diseased lung cells from COPA patients, the cells returned to a balanced state, suggesting that this gene could be used as a therapy.

“We really think HAQ-STING could be a gene therapy tool and a step toward a cure,” said Shum, whose findings were published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Families Who Solved The Mystery

Shum’s journey into COPA Syndrome research began in 2011 when he treated a young woman, Letasha, who had severe lung bleeding. Her mother, Betty Towe, mentioned that Letasha’s sister, Kristina, had suffered from similar symptoms. Over the years, Betty had taken both daughters on a four-hour trip to UCSF for treatment. After tracing their family history, Shum discovered that their distant relatives in Texas and Oakland also had lung problems and arthritis. In 2015, Shum, along with scientists from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital identified the COPA gene mutation. They realized that it was the common factor behind the illness. However, only some of the 30 individuals with the mutation actually developed symptoms, leaving a major question unanswered.

The Domino Effect

It was established that it occurs when a mutated COPA gene causes another gene STING to go overdrive. The STING that helps fight infections in COPA patients, remain permanently active, which leads to chronic inflammation that damages the lungs, kidneys, and joints. In 2020, while studying STING’s role in the disease, researchers discovered a key variation: HAQ-STING. This version of STING, present in about one-third of the population, appeared to neutralize the harmful effects of the COPA mutation.

To confirm their theory, the scientists needed both affected and unaffected family members to participate in the testing. Letasha, Kristina and Betty immediately volunteered. The researchers then analyzed DNA samples from 26 COPA patients and their healthy relatives. They also conducted CT scans and blood tests to ensure that unaffected members did not have any hidden symptoms. When the findings were all clear, it was revealed that all the healthy individuals had HAQ-STING, while none of the COPA patients did. This was the first known case of a common gene variant completely protecting against a severe genetic disease.

Encouraged by this discovery, researchers tested HAQ-STING’s effects in a lab setting. They introduced it into diseased lung cells from COPA patients, and the cells returned to normal function.

Way Ahead

Shum believes HAQ-STING could lead to game-changing treatments, including:

• Prenatal gene therapy for babies diagnosed with COPA Syndrome before birth
• Aerosol delivery of HAQ-STING for adults, directly targeting the lungs

Before publishing their findings, Shum called Betty with the news—her own HAQ-STING gene had protected her from the disease. He also informed Letasha and Kristina, who were overwhelmed with relief and joy.

“We always believed Dr. Shum would get to the bottom of it,” said Letasha. “This discovery is going to change lives.”

When a child struggles with anxiety, loneliness or a personal problem, turning to a trusted adult can offer reassurance, perspective and human connection. But today, children are increasingly seeking advice from an AI chatbot on their phones, often without adult supervision.

Young people are increasingly turning to AI chatbots, not just for homework help but also for relationship advice and emotional support, raising questions about how these tools could shape the way children seek help.

A study of nearly 40,000 students in Canada, published in JAMA Pediatrics, found that more than one in five reported using generative AI for affective purposes, including emotional support or advice. The students were in grades 4 through 12, with an average age of nearly 13 years.

Among those who used AI for emotional support or advice, 57.7% had emotional problem scores above a clinical threshold, compared with 29.2% of those who did not report such use. The findings do not establish that AI use causes emotional problems, but suggest that young people already experiencing distress may be more likely to turn to chatbots.

So what does this mean for children's help-seeking behavior, and are adequate safeguards in place?

Why Children Are Turning To AI For Emotional Support

Also read: Children’s Mental Health Often Goes Unnoticed: Can India’s New School Policy Change That?

Child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Kavita Arora of the India Mental Health Alliance (IMHA) told HealthandMe that children may turn to chatbots when they feel anxious or are dealing with issues they are uncomfortable sharing with others. They may eventually begin treating a chatbot almost like a person with whom they have a relationship.

While a trusted adult can offer human connection and perspective, a chatbot provides immediate, seemingly personal responses that children can accept or act on without supervision.

“The concern is that there is currently no way to measure the impact these AI tools are having on children or their development or mental health, because there is no mechanism to collect data on how they are being used or the responses children are receiving,” Dr. Arora said.

She warned that these products lack adequate monitoring mechanisms and established child-oriented safeguards, raising the possibility that their effects may become clear only after harm has occurred. She compared this to the early years of social media, when safeguards were largely absent.

Could AI Change How Children Seek Professional Help?

Children generally need to involve a parent, teacher or another concerned adult to access a mental health professional. Open-access AI chatbots, however, offer a private and readily available alternative without equivalent, transparent safeguarding arrangements.

Dr. Arora warned that children could begin to see professional mental health services as difficult to access while viewing chatbots as an easier option. The potential implications for children experiencing anxiety, loneliness or suicidal thoughts remain insufficiently understood.

Can AI Chatbots Reinforce Anxiety Or Unhealthy Beliefs?

Read More: 1 In 7 Indians Affected By Mental Health Disorders; Govt To Launch NIMHANS-2 To Boost Care

Researchers and parents do not necessarily know what children share with chatbots or how these systems respond.

A child might say, “I am scared of the monster under my bed,” or ask, “Do you think I look good?” Neither statement automatically indicates an underlying mental health or body image problem. The chatbot must interpret what the child is trying to communicate, and that interpretation may not capture the full context.

Dr. Arora also raised concerns about how chatbots respond when children show signs of distress. Simply directing a child to an adult may not be an adequate safety mechanism.

Mental health professionals working with children operate within ethical and safeguarding frameworks, with requirements relating to competence and supervision. AI systems need safeguards that account for children's particular vulnerabilities, she said.

Dr. Mimansa Singh Tanwar, head of the Fortis School National Mental Health Program at Adayu and Fortis Healthcare, cautioned that AI responses can reinforce anxiety or unhealthy beliefs. Because chatbots respond to the context users provide, they may struggle to offer a different perspective, potentially creating an echo chamber.

What Safeguards Should AI Companies Put In Place?

Dr. Arora said AI companies must build child-safety safeguards into products before release. Personalization can make chatbots particularly engaging for teenagers, while monitoring their interactions raises privacy concerns, making oversight and audits essential.

Commercial interests must not outweigh child health, and schools and communities should teach children about AI's limitations and responsible use to avoid repeating the social media experience.

Who Is Responsible When Children Need Human Help?

READ: Women Turning to AI for Health Detection: Helpful Tool or Risky Trend?

AI companies bear primary responsibility, Dr. Arora said, though parents, teachers, caregivers and policymakers also play a role in ensuring children receive appropriate support.

“At the very least, when an interaction moves beyond a genuine educational or learning need, it should be redirected towards appropriate human support,” she said.

Why Human Support Still Matters

Dr. Tanwar told HealthandMe that AI chatbots can appeal to children because they are easily accessible and often designed to respond empathetically. They may help users reflect on concerns and consider possible solutions, but they do not necessarily replace the support provided by mental health professionals, family members or friends.

She warned that increased chatbot use could lead to emotional dependence, particularly among children. Parents, teachers and mentors should maintain regular conversations with young people and encourage real-world relationships.

The goal, she said, should be to ensure AI complements rather than replaces human interaction and support.

Mental health struggles among young children and teens are most likely to get overlooked due to many reasons. That is one of the glaring problems that prompted 16-year-old Imaan Zara Khan to write and direct Unspoken, a movie that follows four teenagers from different social, cultural, and economic backgrounds who navigate their mental health struggles.

Imaan told HealthandMe, "We constantly tell young people to speak up, but what happens when they don’t have the words for what they’re feeling? And even when they do, there’s the fear of being judged, misunderstood or simply not taken seriously. The social visibility cost is simply too high. So, they choose silence instead. I wanted to explore that silence, because sometimes the biggest barrier to seeking help comes long before someone actually asks for it."

The Ministry of Education, Government of India, recently reviewed the draft school mental health policy to foster students' mental wellbeing. The landmark move aims at ensuring adequate resources to protect students' mental well-being by strengthening school systems. Scaling up proven best practices to promote student mental health and psychosocial well-being is one of the primary objectives of the policy.

On World Mental Health Day, we review the government's initiative to comprehend its importance and urgency amid expanding mental health crisis in India's young population.

School Mental Health Policy Aims To Reshape Mental Care For Young Children

Also read: Childhood Fitness Linked To Lower Risk Of Depression In Adulthood: 30-Year Study

The policy entails several key measures to reshape mental healthcare in educational institutions. From identifying early signs of academic stress to proactive screening, it says that schools must routine mental wellness checkups into their academic calendars.

Nandita Bhatla, Vice President and Country Director, WorldBeing India, an international non-profit that works towards integrating mental health wellbeing programs into education systems, told HealthandMe, "India has done well to break the silence. Yet the loss of young lives to suicide tells us that too many children still feel they have nowhere to turn, and that listening cannot wait for a crisis."

She added, "The harder, more important work is making care a routine part of a school day, owned and led by governments, and not dependent on a single programme or a single champion. Schools are the lived reality of millions of our children. When they become spaces to build resilient, hopeful individuals and not mere academic achievers, we know we are on the right path."

The draft also stresses upon building an inclusive and supportive school culture built on a strong foundation of empathy, care, and mutual trust.

The policy also moves away from emergency crisis management. Instead, it aims to create robust, long-term support systems that could help children thrive and stay motivated towards building their future.

Imaan said mental health problems should not be treated as emergencies. She said, "Just as we build physical health through everyday habits, schools should be building emotional resilience, coping skills and mental-health literacy from an early age. But equally important is having a clear, transparent, end-to-end framework that everyone, whether it’s a student, teacher or parent, can understand and navigate."

Also read: Over 2 Hours of Daily Screen Time Linked to Depression, Obesity In Young People: Lancet

Turning Teachers Into Mentors

The policy also focuses on training teachers to be primary mentors for students who could interact with them every day and recognise early signs of conditions like stress, anxiety, and depression. According to the policy, teachers will be trained to identify changes in behaviours and academic burnout.

This does not mean that teachers will replace professional counselors. Additionally, this effort also urges parents to monitor domestic environments.

The policy also plans to channel traditional Indian Knowledge Systems to promote mental wellness among students. It urges schools to integrate mindfulness practices into everyday student activities.

It promotes that these ancient practices can equip students to handle academic pressure, especially during stressful board examinations. The updated curriculum will now support both cognitive growth and development and psychological well-being.

Artificial intelligence is changing the way people work. Tasks that once required hours of effort can now be completed in minutes; therefore, organizations are increasingly using AI tools to improve productivity, reduce costs, and streamline operations. These changes have brought both excitement and fear along with them. That is, will my skills still matter in the future?

The fear of becoming irrelevant in an AI-driven workplace is becoming a source of anxiety for employees across industries. Beyond concerns about job security, many are struggling with the pressure to learn new technologies, keep up with changing expectations and prove their value in an environment where machines are becoming increasingly capable.

The Pressure To Prove Oneself

Workplace anxiety surrounding AI does not always stem from the possibility of losing a job. Sometimes, it comes from the feeling that one must constantly do more to remain employable.

Employees who have spent years developing expertise in a particular field may find it unsettling to see AI tools perform parts of their work in seconds. Writers, designers, analysts, customer service professionals and even experienced managers are being encouraged to adapt to new technologies, often while managing their existing responsibilities.

For some, this creates a persistent sense of falling behind. Learning new tools becomes less about professional growth and more about avoiding obsolescence. The pressure can be particularly challenging when employees are uncertain about which skills will remain valuable or how quickly their roles might change.

Professionals’ Fear Of Uncertainty Affects Mental Health

Prolonged uncertainty about one's career can affect emotional well-being. Employees may experience stress, irritability, difficulty concentrating, disrupted sleep or a loss of confidence in their abilities. Some may begin comparing their productivity with AI-generated outputs, overlooking the judgement, experience and context they bring to their work.

There is also the pressure to demonstrate constant productivity. When technology makes it possible to complete tasks faster, employees may feel expected to produce more within the same working hours. What initially appears to be a tool for reducing workloads can, in some workplaces, create an expectation of doing more with less time.

Over time, this pressure can contribute to exhaustion and burnout, particularly when employees have little control over how new technologies are introduced or how their performance is measured.

However, not everyone experiences AI in the same way. Some employees welcome the opportunity to learn, experiment and move away from repetitive tasks. The impact often depends on individual circumstances, workplace culture, access to training and the level of uncertainty surrounding employment.

The Importance Of A Supportive Workplace

Employers have an important role to play in reducing unnecessary anxiety during technological transitions. Introducing AI without explaining its purpose can leave employees filling information gaps with their own fears.

Clear communication about how AI will affect specific roles, what changes employees can expect and which skills they should develop can help reduce uncertainty. Training should be accessible and practical, allowing employees to learn without feeling that they must master every new tool immediately.

Managers should also recognize that productivity is not the only measure of an employee's contribution. Critical thinking, creativity, communication, ethical judgement and the ability to understand people remain important aspects of professional work.

Creating opportunities for employees to ask questions, express concerns and participate in decisions about AI adoption can help build trust. Organisations should also pay attention to signs of excessive workload, disengagement and burnout rather than assuming that employees will automatically adapt.

Finding A Healthier Relationship With AI

For employees, it may help to approach AI as a skill to develop rather than a competition to win. Identifying the tools relevant to one's role, learning at a manageable pace and strengthening skills that complement technology can make change feel less overwhelming.

It is equally important to recognize that professional worth cannot be measured solely by speed or the number of tasks completed. Experience, sound judgement, empathy and accountability continue to shape meaningful work. If anxiety begins to interfere with sleep, daily functioning or relationships, seeking support from a mental health professional may be helpful.

AI will continue to change the workplace, but the transition does not have to come at the cost of employee well-being. Organizations that combine technological progress with honest communication, meaningful training and respect for their workforce are more likely to create environments in which people can adapt with confidence.

Ultimately, the question is not simply whether employees can keep pace with AI. It is whether workplaces can evolve in ways that allow people to feel secure, valued and capable of growing alongside it.

(By Shilpi Saraswat, Clinical Psychologist, Sakra World Hospital, Bengaluru)