266 Results
APA Access Agenda Update: Connecting Patients to Care and Coverage
During the pandemic, Americans have experienced higher rates of anxiety, depression, and substance use. Our country needs to meet the increasing demand for early identification and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders. The federal government took a tremendous step forward in December, when it created new authority for the Department of Labor to ensure that mental health and substance use disorders were covered by insurance. Here are three more solutions to help meet the demand
Hoarding: A Look at the Motivations to Save Things
Possessions have a magical quality for all of us. Our most cherished ones contain an essence that goes beyond their physical qualities, like a ticket stub from a favorite concert, a gift from a dear friend or a piece of clothing belonging to a lost loved one. Most of us own many things of this sort, but our ownership does not interfere with our ability to live. For some people, however, ownership goes awry, and possessions accumulate and clutter living spaces, making them unusable.
The Challenges and Privileges of Caring for Veterans as a VA Psychiatrist
Psychiatrists in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have the distinct honor of serving America’s veterans and the privilege of practicing in a functional federal healthcare system. While rewarding, the job is simultaneously an experience of perpetual demand to ensure time is most efficiently spent treating a panel of patients within a population-based care model.
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.
APA Member Serves as Inaugural Director of MGH Psychiatry Center for Racial Equity and Justice
APA sat down with Director Olivia I. Okereke, M.D., M.S. to learn more about the MGH Psychiatry Center for Racial Equity and Justice in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.
The Opioid Crisis: Impact, Challenges, and Paths to Recovery
Opioids are a class of drugs that include prescription painkillers like oxycodone and hydrocodone, illegal drugs like heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. These substances bind to opioid receptors in the brain, producing pain relief and euphoria. Prolonged use can lead to tolerance, dependence, and addiction, characteristic of opioid use disorder (OUD). Fentanyl, due to its potency, has played a particularly lethal role in the opioid crisis.
What Is Forest Bathing and How Does it Benefit Mental and Physical Health?
For many people, a walk in the forest has long been a relaxing and rejuvenating escape from daily stresses. There is growing medical evidence that immersing oneself in a forest environment can have significant physical and mental health benefits.
What Is Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
Many people may be familiar with the casual use of the term narcissist, referring to a person who is very self-centered, boastful and hungry for attention and admiration. However, narcissistic personality disorder, a condition described in the DSM-5-TR*, is more severe, persistent and problematic.
Struggling with Screen Time: A Look at Internet Use Disorders
Internet use disorders are a growing concern in today’s technology-driven society, marked by excessive and compulsive use of the internet, leading to negative consequences in various aspects of an individual's life. Online activities of concern include overuse of social media sites, gaming, gambling, problematic use of online pornography, and other digital platforms. This is a global phenomenon affecting individuals of all ages
Myths and Facts About Mental Health
How are you feeling? Checking in with your emotions might feel strange, especially if you're not used to it. Can you name what you're feeling—happiness, stress, boredom, or something else entirely? Whether you're feeling happy, stressed, bored, or something else, all emotions—positive or negative—are a natural part of being human. However, many people question themselves when life feels overwhelming. The truth is that emotions are normal, and how we navigate them, especially during stressful tim
The Collaborative Care Model to Optimize Patient Outcomes in Mental Health Care
In our second episode, our invited panelists Dr. Maga Jackson-Triche, Madhuri Jha and Kristin Kroeger continue their conversation from the online webinar on the collaborative care model to discuss the reasons for the emergence of the model and its increasing adoption in primary care settings, the economic impact of mental health inequities on health care costs, the true meaning of equity and more.
PsychNews Special Report: Exploring Psychodermatology with Dr. Mohammad Jafferany
This episode of Psych News Special Report delves into the emerging field of psychodermatology, exploring the intricate relationship between skin conditions and mental health.