The Challenges and Privileges of Caring for Veterans as a VA Psychiatrist

• Military and Veterans, Treatment

Psychiatrists in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have the distinct honor of serving America’s veterans and the privilege of practicing in a functional federal healthcare system. While rewarding, the job is simultaneously an experience of perpetual demand to ensure time is most efficiently spent treating a panel of patients within a population-based care model.

Intersectionality and Crisis Intervention

• Suicide and self-harm, Teens and young adults, Trauma

Officer for Crisis Text Line. “We are losing children of color at rates that are epidemic,” says Shairi Turner, M.D., M.P.H., an internist and pediatrician with a background in trauma.  She is Chief Health Officer for Crisis Text Line, a national non-profit providing 24/7 crisis counseling via text in both English and Spanish. 

Indigenous Populations Face Unique Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Help 

Indigenous populations face different barriers and are less likely than majority populations to receive professional help for mental health, according to a new study(1). Researchers at Lakehead University in Ontario, led by Christiana J. Goetz, M.A., looked at the barriers to and facilitators of help-seeking and service use for Indigenous populations in Canada, the United States, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.

Can Mindfulness Help with Pain Management?

• Healthy living for mental well-being, New research, Treatment

Many people suffer with chronic pain, and it is a leading cause of disability worldwide. The typical treatment has involved the use of opioids, but they have well-established drawbacks and risks, including the risk of dependence. Many alternatives are being explored and there is increasing research and evidence of the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions in reducing pain.

Confronting the Challenge of Mental Health Stigma: A New Report and a New National Initiative 

• Public awareness

In a report issued Oct. 9, The Lancet Commission on Ending Stigma and Discrimination in Mental Health issues a call to action to “act now to stop stigma and to start inclusion.” The report summarizes extensive research around the world, highlights the results of an international survey, and provides recommendations for actions by a range of stakeholders.