Addressing Mental Health Stigma in African American and Other Communities of Color

• Diverse populations, Patients and Families

To maintain good mental health, many people turn to friends, family, the church and other community supports, especially when they are going through emotional difficulty. However, there may be times when these supports are not enough to maintain emotional wellness and seeing a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, is needed.

Participating in Social Groups to Help Manage Depression

• Patients and Families

Participation in social groups may be an effective way to manage mild to moderate depression, according to a new study from researchers at The University of Queensland, Australia. It can be especially for useful for people seeking to stop using antidepressants, they note.

How Endometriosis, a Common, Painful Condition Many Women Face, Can Impact Mental Health

• Anxiety, Depression, Patients and Families

Endometriosis is a common, often painful condition in which the type of tissue that forms the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) is found outside the uterus. The most common symptom of endometriosis is chronic pelvic pain, especially just before and during the menstrual period. Endometriosis is also associated with mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, and a reduced quality of life.

Seven Ways to Cope with Holiday Stress

Looking ahead to holiday gatherings, events and activities may fill you with anticipation and excitement, along with a little angst. You may feel that build-up of anxiety as the holidays approach. According to a recent APA poll, nearly one in three Americans expects to be more stressed this holiday season than last year.

Pregnancy, Mental and Substance Use Conditions and Treatment: Advice from Mental Health Experts

• Patients and Families, Treatment, Women

An estimated one in five childbearing persons in the U.S. experience a mental or substance use disorder before, during, or after pregnancy each year. With support from the CDC Foundation, APA has developed a series of educational materials for addressing perinatal mental health. This toolkit includes four fact sheets for patients: for people planning to become pregnant, for pregnant persons, for postpartum people, and suggestions for preparing for medical appointments.

Check Out These Featured Sessions During the 2024 APA Annual Meeting

The 2024 APA Annual Meeting features over 500 educational sessions ranging across many topics pertinent to your professional practice.

Relaxation Techniques for Mental Wellness

• Healthy living for mental well-being, Patients and Families

“Just relax.” While it sounds simple, it is often quite difficult to calm our minds and relax the tension in our bodies. However, the ability to relax and destress is important for maintaining mental health and can be very helpful for lessening symptoms of many mental and physical health conditions. For example, relaxation can improve focus and mood, improve sleep quality, lower blood pressure and improve digestion.

Olympian Mindset: The Role of Sports Psychiatry

• Public awareness, Treatment

The journey to becoming an Olympian is as much a mental endeavor as a physical one. Behind every gold medal and record-breaking performance lies preparation, mental clarity, resilience, physical training, and sacrifices. Athletes face internal and external pressures from family and coaches to their self-criticism and strides toward perfection. These factors can ultimately lead to detrimental effects on performance. However, through optimizing their mental health and overall well-being, athletes

World AIDS Day

• Depression, Patients and Families

World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, is a time to remember, to educate and to decrease stigma around HIV/AIDS. The theme of this year@s World AIDS Day is @Communities Make the Difference,@ recognizing the essential role that communities have played supporting people living with HIV and advocating for better access to prevention and treatment. For people with HIV, it’s important to take care of both physical health and mental health. People with HIV have increased risk for mental health problems.

Living with Autism: Journey to Adulthood

• Anxiety, Autism, Patients and Families

A new report from Drexel University highlights some of the challenges faced by many teens and young adults with autism. The 2018 National Autism Indicators Report presents an updated look at the characteristics and experiences of teens and young adults on the autism spectrum. More than three in four teens and young adults with autism were male. The report notes that high schoolers on the autism spectrum today are growing up at a time when awareness is increasing and expectations for full inclusi

Air Pollution and Mental Health

• Anxiety, Depression, Older adults, Patients and Families

Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health: the link between air pollution and health conditions such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are well established. Outdoor air pollution in cities and rural areas is estimated to cause more than 4 million premature deaths a year worldwide, primarily due to heart disease, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute lower respiratory infections. Recent research is also making a connection between air pollution and mental h

Choice and Control over Mental Health Services Can Lead to Better Outcomes

• Depression, Patients and Families, Trauma

When people have some choice and control over their mental health care, they have better outcomes. That is the conclusion of a couple of recent studies looking at different aspects of choice in treatment and care.