APA Blogs
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New Study: Community College Students Often Face Mental Health Challenges
Community college students have higher rates of mental health problems compared to same age peers at 4-year institutions, according to a new national study. It also found that community college students from traditionally marginalized backgrounds were more likely to have mental health problems and less likely to get treatment. The study appears online this week in Psychiatric Services, a journal of the American Psychiatric Association.
Why the New APA-Backed Federal Parity Law Is a Game Changer for Patients & Psychiatrists
APA-backed federal legislation enacted in December 2020 gave the federal government powerful new authority to enforce the law that requires insurers to provide the same access to psychiatric treatment as other medical care for patients they cover. For anyone who’s struggled to find psychiatric care, or has found it too expensive to afford, this law, strengthening mental health parity, is a game changer. Â
City Living and Mental Well-being
 More than half the world’s population lives in cities, and the number is expected to continue to increase in the coming decades. Living in urban areas has been associated with increased risk for mental disorders, including anxiety, depression and schizophrenia. Research using functional magnetic resonance imaging has identified changes in the brain indicating that urban upbringing and city living are linked to social stress processing.
APA Unveils New Strategic Plan on Mental Health Equity
The American Psychiatric Association (APA)’s Division of Diversity and Health Equity (DDHE) has launched a new strategic plan to work toward achieving diversity and mental health equity: Charting Excellence Through Partnerships: Strategic Goals for the Division of Diversity and Health Equity.
Examining Mental Health Courts
People with mental illness are more likely to be arrested, to be denied or unable to pay bail, and to have lengthier stays in jails compared to those without mental illness. An estimated 2 million people with serious mental illnesses are incarcerated each year. One approach increasingly being used to help address the problem is mental health courts.