APA Blogs
228 Results
How to Help Those with Opioid Use Disorder in Jails & Prisons
- By Anthony Tamburello, M.D., DFAPA, CCHP
By now we all know that opioids like heroin, prescription painkillers, and fentanyl are deadly. What doesn’t get as much attention is the wider damage done by problem use of these substances, including losses of relationships and jobs, declining health, and financial strain. These concerns affect not only the individual but also every person close to them.
Pregnancy, Mental and Substance Use Conditions and Treatment: Advice from Mental Health Experts
An estimated one in five childbearing persons in the U.S. experience a mental or substance use disorder before, during, or after pregnancy each year. With support from the CDC Foundation, APA has developed a series of educational materials for addressing perinatal mental health. This toolkit includes four fact sheets for patients: for people planning to become pregnant, for pregnant persons, for postpartum people, and suggestions for preparing for medical appointments.
The Opioid Crisis: Impact, Challenges, and Paths to Recovery
- By John A. Fromson, M.D.
Opioids are a class of drugs that include prescription painkillers like oxycodone and hydrocodone, illegal drugs like heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. These substances bind to opioid receptors in the brain, producing pain relief and euphoria. Prolonged use can lead to tolerance, dependence, and addiction, characteristic of opioid use disorder (OUD). Fentanyl, due to its potency, has played a particularly lethal role in the opioid crisis.
Elevating Bebe Moore Campbell's Legacy in 2023: APA's Dynamic Approach to National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
In July American Psychiatric Association (APA) embarked on its annual effort to honor of the late renowned author and mental health advocate, Bebe Moore Campbell. Established by Congress in 2008, Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is a call to action and reminder of the mental health inequities affecting communities, and in particular, young people of color. This month-long recognition is especially important considering the prevalent mental health inequities facing youth of color, particularly Black youth.
New Poll Finds the Public Perceives Psychiatry as Innovative, But Show Caution on Using New Treatments
In recent years, the field of psychiatry has seen many new developments and innovations in diagnosis and treatment, and that is reflected in public perception. The latest APA Healthy Minds Poll, a national public opinion poll, finds that almost three-fourths of Americans agree with the statement: “Psychiatry is an innovative field, and new diagnostic tools and treatments are being developed that will help people’s mental health.”