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In the News: Michiko Ueda-Ballmer

Ueda-Ballmer Talks to Scientific American About 988 Crisis Hotline Use, Decreased Suicide Mortality

“I see 988 as a promising and important part of the mental health support system, with real potential to expand its impact over time,” says Michiko Ueda-Ballmer, associate professor of public administration and international affairs.

April 28, 2026

Is AI Replacing Human Mental Health Professionals?

Michiko Ueda
An increasing number of Americans are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for mental health support. A new survey of U.S. adults found that nearly 35% use AI tools more than once a week to manage mental health concerns. The findings raise important questions about whether AI is supplementing or replacing traditional mental health care.
December 16, 2025

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Public Health: A Vital Addition to Maxwell

The department’s transition from Falk College fuels collaboration across disciplines, strengthens research centers, and establishes a hub for population and public health sciences.

December 5, 2025

Understanding Factors Associated with 911 and 988 Use in Mental Health Crises

Michiko Ueda, Colleen M. Heflin, Yanhong Liu, Qingyi Yu, Seethalakshmi Ramanathan

Co-authored by Public Administration and International Affairs professors Michiko Ueda-Ballmer and Colleen Heflin, the study was published in Community Mental Health Journal.

November 3, 2025

Suicide Deaths Among Informal Caregivers in an Aging Society

Michiko Ueda-Ballmer

The study, authored by Michiko Ueda-Ballmer, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, was published in Public Health.

November 3, 2025

Why Aren’t More People Calling 988 for Mental Health Crises?

Michiko Ueda, Colleen M. Heflin, Yanhong Liu, Qingyi Yu, and Seethalakshmi Ramanathan
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched in 2022 is a free, confidential alternative, yet awareness remains low and misconceptions persist. This brief summarizes findings from a study that surveyed nearly 1,900 U.S. adults and found that only 22% knew about 988. Even more striking: nearly 9 in 10 people had concerns about using it, and many of those concerns are based on misconceptions.
October 29, 2025

See related: United States

Public Health Measures Related to the Transmissibility of Suicide

Jane Pirkis, Jason Bantjes, Madelyn Gould, Thomas Niederkrotenthaler, Jo Robinson, Mark Sinyor, Michiko Ueda, Keith Hawton

In this paper, the fourth in a series on a public health approach to suicide prevention, Michiko Ueda-Ballmer and co-authors contend that the transmissibility of suicide must be considered when determining optimal ways to address it. Published in The Lancet Public Health.

September 18, 2024

Ueda-Ballmer Speaks with USA Today About CDC Report on Suicide Risk

“Everybody has a risk of suicide,” says Michiko Ueda-Ballmer, associate professor of public administration and international affairs. “That also means that everybody basically should think about suicide prevention as their...business.”

September 12, 2024

Emotional Distress During COVID-19 by Mental Health Conditions and Economic Vulnerability

Michiko Ueda-Ballmer, Kohei Watanabe, Hajime Sueki
This August 2023 Research to Practice Brief summarizes "Emotional Distress During COVID-19 by Mental Health Conditions and Economic Vulnerability: Retrospective Analysis of Survey-Linked Twitter Data With a Semisupervised Machine Learning Algorithm," co-authored by Michiko Ueda-Ballmer, Kohei Watanabe, and Hajime Sueki in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
June 10, 2024

Maxwell Students Take Honors in City of Syracuse’s Inaugural Open Data Day

Encouraged by Associate Professor Michiko Ueda-Ballmer, the group of mostly MPA students used public data to address city transportation challenges.

January 10, 2024

Ueda-Ballmer Discusses the Issue Facing Japanese Women When Considering Marriage in Foreign Policy

Michiko Ueda-Ballmer, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, says many young Japanese women would like to get married, “but they simply cannot afford it. The result is that people don’t get married.”

November 1, 2023

Ueda-Ballmer Quoted in New York Times Article on Subway Platform Safety

Michiko Ueda-Ballmer, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, says the authority should install at least small metal gates to make the system safer. “It’s better than nothing,” she says. “If there’s somebody pushed, just by accident, and if you have metal bars, I think that would definitely help.”

October 26, 2023

Ueda-Ballmer Weighs In on Japan’s Mental Health Crisis, Gender Inequality in The Nation Article

“Suicide was always a men’s issue,” says Michiko Ueda-Ballmer, associate professor of public administration and international affairs. During the pandemic, “suddenly, women’s suffering became visible.” For the first time, “the government was forced to confront an approach to suicide prevention that had previously focused exclusively on middle-aged men.” 

July 20, 2023
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