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Advocacy in Action
We are pleased to introduce a new section of the newsletter titled “Advocacy in Action” in support of the APA Board-Approved Recommendations on Strategic Planning that included “working to end disparities in mental health care” and “advocating for health equity and policies for undoing racism and discrimination within local, state, and federal government, and health professional organizations.”
Group Music Therapy: A Promising Approach
Group music therapy, delivered in person or online, may be effective in helping address symptoms of mental health conditions, according to several recent studies. The studies looked at the use of group music therapy in women with depression, older adults with dementia, and college students experiencing stress. One consistent theme in this research is that participants have improved quality of life.
Personal Perspectives on Early Psychosis, Part 1
This episode is the first of a two-part discussion about early psychosis led by Dr. Ken Duckworth. He leads a deep discussion that offers insights for individuals, family members and mental health professionals: living with it, loving someone who has it, treating it, the impact of cultural identity, and more.
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.
Unveiling APA’s Access Agenda
As President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the 117th Congress took office, they arrived in the midst of multiple crises impacting Americans’ mental health—the pandemic, economic crisis and systemic racism—as well as the aftermath of the Capitol insurrection. Americans are feeling more anxious and overdose deaths reached a record high last year. Federal policymakers have a fresh opportunity in the next six months to make an impact.
American Psychiatric Association Lauds Administration’s Investment in Mental Health, Creation of Behavioral Health Coordinating Council
The American Psychiatric Association today applauded the Biden-Harris Administration for creating a Behavioral Health Coordinating Council within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Council will work across HHS to facilitate collaboration and strategic planning, and will ensure that millions of Americans receive prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery services for mental illness and substance use disorders.
American Psychiatric Association Honors Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman With Jacob K. Javits Award for Public Service
On Saturday, during its online federal advocacy conference, the American Psychiatric Association will confer the highest award it gives a public servant, the Jacob K. Javits Award, to Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ). Rep. Watson Coleman is being honored for her career record of public service on mental health, including her recent activities with the Congressional Black Caucus to prevent suicides in Black youth and her staunch support of the Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act.
Culture Corner: Book and Film Recommendations from APA Member Francis G. Lu, M.D.
Dr. Lu provides tailored recommendations that tie into the theme of the social determinants of mental health. These recommendations establish the importance for mental health professionals in understanding, diagnosing and including social determinants of mental health in treatment planning, as well as mobilizing social action to advocate for policy changes.
Study Asks: Can a Hit Song Help Prevent Suicides?
In 2017, the song “1-800-273-8255,” by the hip-hop artist Logic, featured the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number and a hopeful story of survival. A new study finds that this song was associated with a noticeable increase in calls to Lifeline and a reduction in suicides.
APA Statement on COVID-19 and Health Disparities
Reports are emerging that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is disproportionately impacting the African-American community in areas across the United States. In Chicago, for instance, half of those diagnosed with COVID-19 have been black, while African Americans only make up one third of the total population. Seventy percent of the fatalities linked to COVID-19 in Louisiana have been among black people, while this community makes up about a third of the overall population.
Get ready to join us at the 2024 APA Annual Meeting in New York City!
Mark your calendar for APA’s 2024 Annual Meeting. Join us May 4-8 in the vibrant city of New York for an eventful five days of impactful programming.
SMI Adviser Honored with Three 2021 dotCOMM Gold Awards
SMI Adviser, a Clinical Support System for Serious Mental Illness administered by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), won three Gold Awards in the 2021 dotCOMM Awards. SMI Adviser’s mission is to advance the use of a person-centered approach to care that ensures people who have serious mental illness (SMI) find the treatment and support they need.