Unveiling APA’s Access Agenda

• APA Leadership

As President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the 117th Congress took office, they arrived in the midst of multiple crises impacting Americans’ mental health—the pandemic, economic crisis and systemic racism—as well as the aftermath of the Capitol insurrection. Americans are feeling more anxious and overdose deaths reached a record high last year. Federal policymakers have a fresh opportunity in the next six months to make an impact.

The Need for Food and Need for Social Interaction Show Similar Reactions in the Brain

• Patients and Families

A new study finds similarities in people’s craving for food in response to being hungry and people’s craving for social interaction in response to isolation. The research authors note this supports the notion that social interaction is a basic human need, similar to food and sleep. 

Light, Sleep and Mental Health

• Patients and Families, Sleep Disorders

Light, both natural and artificial, can affect our health and mental health in several different ways. Depending on the time of day, light exposure can promote or disrupt sleep. A persistently disrupted sleep cycle can contribute to a variety of health problems, including heart disease, obesity and mental health disorders. Research is also beginning to clarify non-circadian effects of light – light can have a direct impact on the sleep and mood centers in the brain. 

Women, Disasters and Resilience

• Depression, Trauma, Women

Do women experience disasters, including planning, preparedness, response and recovery, differently than men? That is the question examined in a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The report looks at the long-held notion in disaster behavioral health research that "women are more vulnerable to adverse mental health consequences of disaster than are men."

Social-Emotional Learning Interventions in Preschool Can Help Long-term Mental Well-being

When young children don't have the opportunity to develop social, emotional and self-regulation skills they begin at a disadvantage and the challenges they face as a result can compound with the demands of school and growing up. But a social-emotional learning intervention in preschool can benefit disadvantaged children's mental well-being into their teens, according to a new study published in APA's American Journal of Psychiatry.