432 Results
Housing Instability and Mental Health
In 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Section 1115 demonstration waiver opportunity to expand the tools available to states to address enrollee health-related social needs (HRSN).
Introducing the 2024 Meeting Theme: Confronting Addiction from Prevention to Recovery
Each year, the APA President has the privilege of choosing a theme for the Annual Meeting's scientific program. I was inspired by the knowledge, passion and expertise of our membership as we work together to address the impact that substance use disorders have on our patients and more broadly, on society.
American Journal of Psychiatry Review Suggests Unconventional New Path for Alzheimer’s Treatments
As November marks Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, a new review in the American Journal of Psychiatry examines the current state of research on Alzheimer’s disease and potential future directions. Central to the authors’ argument is the unconventional idea that the presence of amyloid and tau are merely biomarkers of the disease, and that treatments focused on them may not improve patient outcomes.
Latest Edition of Top Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Textbook Highlights the Changes and Challenges Posed by the COVID-19 Pandemic
With a National Mental Health Emergency declared for our nation's children in light of the pandemic, American Psychiatric Association Publishing has released the third edition of Dulcan's Textbook of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, a foundational resource for clinicians in the field. Edited by Mina K. Dulcan, M.D., the new edition includes the most up-to-date research and clinical advances, including expanded chapters on telehealth and working with primary care and subspecialty pediatrics in me
APA Praises House Passage of Mental Health Bills; Urges Senate to Follow Suit
The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a package of mental health-related legislation brought forth by the Energy and Commerce Committee. The package of bills, previously passed by the House in the 116th Congress, would help prevent suicide, expand diagnosis and treatment for substance use disorders, increase mental health screenings in the emergency room and overall, and support patients with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. The American Psychiatric Association (APA
APA Statement on COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution for People with Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders
As the COVID-19 vaccine is being administered across the country, the American Psychiatric Association called on state public health authorities today to include people with serious mental illness (SMI) and substance use disorders (SUD) to the equivalent of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Phase 1-C of their prioritization schedules. The recommendation coincides with APA’s recently released guidance document, The Role of the Psychiatrist in the Equitable Distribution of the COV
APA Pledges Continued Support for Affordable Care Act on its 10th Anniversary
Ten years ago today, President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. In addition to its main objective of expanding health insurance coverage to 30 million Americans, the reform package also included a number of elements related to psychiatric care, which have ultimately increased access to treatment for people with serious mental illness and substance use disorder.
Stakeholders Agree: Modernize the Privacy Laws to Combat Opioid Epidemic -- Part 2 Coalition Applauds Bipartisan Bills to Strengthen Addiction Treatment
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 issued the following statement in response to the introduction of identical bipartisan bills in both the House and Senate. The Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act, “OPPS Act”, was introduced by
APA and Coalition Outline Policy Reforms to Improve Mental Health Care in Criminal Justice System
The criminal justice system bears an alarming share of the load of mental health care in the United States, often placing people with mental illness and substance use disorders in systems that have neither the resources nor the expertise to provide them the care they need. An estimated two million people with serious mental illness are booked in our jails each year. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that only a third of inmates with mental illness receive treatment, and for those that do,
New Postage Stamp: Healing PTSD
Today, Dec. 2, the U.S. Postal service begins selling a new stamp, the PTSD Healing stamp, that will help raise funds for people diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). About 7-8% of people will have PTSD at some point in their lives, including about 10% of women and about 4% of men..
U.S. Surgeon General’s Warning on Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain
On August 29, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a new advisory on marijuana use and the developing brain. The advisory focuses on the dangers of marijuana for adolescents and for pregnant women. The statement from Surgeon General Vice Adm. Jerome Adams emphasized “the importance of protecting our Nation from the health risks of marijuana use in adolescence and during pregnancy. Recent increases in access to marijuana and in its potency, along with misperceptions of safety of marijuana endanger our
Men, Women, and Differing Responses to Stress
Stress affects people in several ways—it activates adrenaline and other hormones, the nervous system and immune system. While not all stress is harmful, and some can even be beneficial, chronic or toxic stress can contribute to health problems. “Men and women react differently to toxic stress because their brains are wired differently,” notes Bruce McEwen, Ph.D., of The Rockefeller University, * “and therefore they may be at risk for different stress-related illnesses.” For example, as a result