Released in 1965, The Moynihan Report, a government document authored by Daniel Patrick Moynihan, examined deep-rooted and socioeconomic challenges facing African American families. Presiding as the Assistant Secretary of Labor at the time, Moynihan controversially argued that the high rate of single-parent households in the Black community, driven by systemic discrimination and historical oppression, is a primary factor in perpetuating cycles of poverty and social disadvantage. The report called for substantial federal intervention to address these issues and has since ignited intense debate over its findings and recommendations.

On April 30, during the month of the report’s 59th anniversary, the APA‘s Division of Diversity and Health Equity sponsored a discussion moderated by Walter Wilson Jr., the chair of the Council on Minority Mental Health and Health Disparities, with panelists Dr. Brian Smedley and Dr. Jonathan Shepherd, president of the Black Caucus. The speakers explored how the report influenced mental health policies, particularly those affecting marginalized communities, and the role psychiatry plays in creating more inclusive and effective mental health care frameworks.

"We as psychiatrists living today have got to be transformational in our practices and not trendy," said Dr. Shepherd. "There are going to be so many different things that come up, and I‘ve learned some things that I just can't allow society to dictate to me…. If I'm a transformational psychiatrist, that means that I'm going to stand on what I know to be right as far as equity. To make sure that I'm reaching back, to make sure I'm reaching forward." He concluded his thought with a request to his colleagues: "I encourage and challenge everybody out there: do not be trendy. Make sure you know why you‘re practicing and make sure you're happy."

Watch the replay via the American Psychiatric Association's YouTube channel here and be on the lookout for more fireside chats at psychiatry.org/lookingbeyond.