One in Three Students Impacted by Cyberbullying

• Anxiety, Depression, Patients and Families

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, raising awareness and focusing attention on ways to prevent bullying. While much of the focus is on bullying in schools, bullying can take place at home among siblings too and among adults in the workplace. Bullying also happens to people of all ages in the digital world. Cyberbullying refers to someone repeatedly and intentionally harassing, mistreating, or making fun of another person online or while using cell phones or other electronic devices.

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.

The Menstrual Cycle and Mental Health

• Patients and Families, Suicide and self-harm, Women

Premenstrual exacerbation (PME) of psychiatric symptoms (worsening of mental health conditions just prior to a woman’s period), is not a new term or idea. Yet PME of psychiatric symptoms such as depression, mania, and psychosis, to name a few, has been understudied compared to other illnesses related to the menstrual cycle. The work that has been done surrounding this idea has mostly asked women to report past experience of worsening psychiatric symptoms around their menstrual cycle. This is pro

Honoring Women’s Contributions to Psychiatry Research

All across the field of psychiatry, women make an impact every day in furthering our understanding of the brain and how to treat mental health and substance use disorders. In recognition of Women’s History Month, APA is highlighting six women whose research contributions have meant better outcomes for people with mental illness.

LGBTQ+ Mental Health and Participation in Sports

• LGBTQ+

Approximately 7-9% of youth identify as LGBTQ+, including 2% identifying as transgender. Well-established research shows LGBTQ+ persons are at a higher risk for anxiety, depression, substance misuse, disordered eating, homelessness, and suicide. Since youth participation in sports has been linked to better outcomes in academics, self-esteem, confidence, stress, anxiety, depression, and risky behavior engagement, it would seem to make sense to encourage LGBTQ+ people to participate in sports as o

APA’s 2024 Annual Meeting Made News: Don’t Miss Out on ’25! APA’s 2024 Annual Meeting Made News: Don’t Miss Out on ’25!

Press covered over 500 sessions and interviewed experts on new research in psychedelics, substance use disorders, drugs/medications, and mood disorders.

APA Statement on Addressing Veteran and Refugee Mental Health in Evacuation from Afghanistan

Learn more about APA Statement on Addressing U.S. Veteran and Refugee Mental Health in Evacuation from Afghanistan at psychiatry.org

August Issues of American Psychiatric Association Journals Cover Use of Neuroimaging; Addressing Service Inequities in Underserved Groups

The August issues of two of the American Psychiatric Association journals, The American Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Services, are available online. The American Journal of Psychiatry is the most widely read psychiatric journal in the world. The August issue offers a collection of articles on the use of neuroimaging and machine learning, highlighting both the potential to advance understanding and practice in psychiatry and limitations. Among the research featured in the August issue

Extreme Heat Contributes to Worsening Mental Health, Especially Among Vulnerable Populations

The extreme heat that much of thethe country is experiencing has significant impacts on mental health alongside serious physical health impacts. Some groups, including people with pre-existing mental health conditions, are especially vulnerable.

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.

Advanced Care Planning – It’s Not Just for Your Grandparents

• Patients and Families

Many people have heard of the term “advanced care planning.” Advanced care planning is the process of making and documenting decisions about the medical care you want to receive if you ever become unable to make medical decisions for yourself. However, it is a common misbelief that advanced care planning is meant only for people who are nearing the end of their life. Medical crises happen every day, leaving people either temporarily or permanently unable to make their own medical decisions. The

Sense of Smell, Memories and Emotions

• Older adults, Patients and Families, Serious mental illness, Trauma

Many people have had the experience of a familiar smell bringing up a memory or a feeling. That is just one of several ways our sense of smell is associated with mental health and emotions. Memories associated with a specific odor may be particularly strong. In writing about the relation of these odor-evoked memories to our mental health, psychologist Rachel Herz, Ph.D., concludes that “from numerous perspectives it is evident that the autobiographical memories and emotional associations that ar