News Releases
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APA Applauds Mental Health Funding in Federal Spending Bill
This week Congress passed a $1.4 trillion fiscal year 2020 spending bill that includes several provisions that will fund medical research and treatment programs for people with mental illness and substance use disorders (SUD).
American Psychiatric Association To Offer Solutions at White House Mental Health Summit
American Psychiatric Association (APA) President Bruce Schwartz, M.D., will be among many mental health advocates and others attending a White House Summit on Transforming Mental Health Treatment tomorrow, Dec. 19.
APA Statement on Passage of House Prescription Drug Cost Lowering Legislation
In the wake of the House passage today of H.R. 3, The Lower Drug Costs Now Act, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) announced its support for several provisions in the bill that benefit mental health care.
The Path Forward for Mental Health and Substance Use Names Eight Regions to Spearhead Employer Efforts to Improve Access to Effective Care
The national steering committee for The Path Forward for Mental Health and Substance Use – National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, American Psychiatric Association (APA), American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF) Center for Workplace Mental Health and Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute – has selected eight locations across the nation to implement its multi-stakeholder transformative initiative.
New Study Finds a Shortage of Therapists to Treat Children with Autism; Significant Variation by Region
The supply of certified applied behavior analysis (ABA) providers is insufficient to meet the needs of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in nearly every state, according to a study published online today in Psychiatric Services. The new study found there is substantial variation across states and regions—for instance, the per capita supply of certified ABA providers is substantially higher in the Northeast than in any other region.
APA Urges Action to End Disparities in Mental Health Coverage
People seeking treatment for mental illness and substance use disorders continue to pay more and face more barriers to accessing care than those seeking care for physical illness, according to a report released today from Milliman, Inc., and the disparity has worsened over the past two years.
Organizations Support The President’s September Decision To Remove Flavored E-Cigarettes From The Market
There is no time to waste in confronting this worsening epidemic of youth nicotine addiction. More than 5 million children now use e-cigarettes, including over 1 in 4 high school students. The evidence is clear that flavors play a critical role in youth use of e-cigarettes. Research has found that nearly all (97%) current youth e-cigarette users use flavored e-cigarettes and 70% cite flavors as a key reason for their use. The 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that 57.3% of high school e-cigarette users use mint- or menthol-flavored products, an increase from 38.1% in 2018 and 21.0% in 2017.
To Combat the Mental Health & Substance Use Public Health Crisis Employer, Physician and Policy Groups Partner
Rates of suicide and drug-related deaths are at record levels. This crisis is being exacerbated by inadequate access to care for mental health and substance use for Americans across the country. To realign market forces to focus on a more sustainable approach and ensure affordable access to high value, effective treatment, a group of influential non-profits announced a partnership to implement The Path Forward for Mental Health and Substance Use.
Health Care Coalition Submits Comments to Modernize SUD Treatment Privacy Law and Enhance Coordinated Care and Safety
The Partnership to Amend 42 CFR Part 2 (Partnership), a coalition of nearly 50 health care organizations committed to aligning 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO), today submitted comments in response to the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), “Coordinating Care and Information Sharing in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders,” released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The proposed rule would modify Part 2, the federal regulations that govern confidentiality of drug and alcohol treatment and prevention records.
American Psychiatric Association Commends “CBS This Morning” For Its Efforts to “Stop the Stigma”
As part of a week-long programming focus, “CBS This Morning” aired a special live broadcast today titled "Stop the Stigma: A Conversation About Mental Health." It featured interviews with Jane Pauley, Karamo Brown, a culture expert on “Queer Eye,” Miana Bryant, founder of “The Mental Elephant,” Cynthia Germanotta, who co-founded the Born This Way Foundation with her daughter Lady Gaga, and Sue Varma, M.D., a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
Celebrating 175 Years Since the Founding of the American Psychiatric Association
On Oct. 16, 1844, 13 superintendents of U.S. institutions for people with mental illness came together in Philadelphia for a four-day meeting that led to the creation of the Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane. It was the first national medical society in the U.S. In 1892, the Association’s name was changed to the American Medico-Psychological Association, and in 1921, it became the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
Study Finds Long-Term Mental Health Benefits of Gender-Affirming Surgery for Transgender Individuals
The American Journal of Psychiatry has published an erratum notice after conducting a statistical analysis that was prompted by letters questioning the methodology of “Reduction in Mental Health Treatment Utilization Among Transgender Individuals After Gender-Affirming Surgeries: A Total Population Study.” The erratum explains why the study’s conclusion “that the longitudinal association between gender-affirming surgery and lower use of mental health treatment lends support to the decision to provide gender-affirming surgeries to transgender individuals who seek them” is too strong.