Body Dysmorphic Disorder and a Culture of Perfection

• Eating Disorders, OCD, Patients and Families, Women

Body dysmorphic disorder is an obsessive-compulsive related disorder that has garnered some media attention recently. Contrary to the offhand way it sometimes referred to in the media, body dysmorphic disorder is a serious mental health condition with potentially severe consequences. Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder are preoccupied with what they see as flaws in their physical appearance. They believe they look ugly or abnormal. These flaws are not noticeable to others or only seem to

Overtraining and Under Eating: Athletes at Risk of RED-S Syndrome

• Eating Disorders, Patients and Families

Regular exercise typically improves mood, promotes better sleep, and prevents health problems such as high blood pressure. However, if people exercise too much, as Katie Kirk did, they can experience a wide range of negative health effects.

Twelve-Step-Based Programs Effective for Substance Use Problems

• Addiction, Patients and Families

Spiritual or religious based programs, such as those based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous, are effective for treating people with substance use disorders, according to the first systematic review of such programs. In the U.S., more than 20 million people 12 years and older (about 7.4%) have a substance use disorder and among 18-to-25-year-olds, 15% have a substance use disorder, according to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Mental Health Education for Youth: Focus on Mental Wellness

• Patients and Families

Despite frequent media coverage, public understanding of health and mental health issues is still lacking, according to recent study in the Journal of Mental Health. Overall, they concluded that people are “equally and relatively poorly informed” about relatively common mental and physical health conditions. A new study finds that education efforts for teens that specifically focus on mental health and well-being, rather than mental illness, can help.

Study Finds Sharp Increase in the Number of Adults with Autism Receiving Disability Benefits

The number of adults with autism receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits has risen steadily in recent years, according to a recent new study published in Psychiatric Services. The study found that between 2005 and 2015, the number of adults with autism receiving SSI increased by nearly three-fold, significantly greater than the increase in SSI recipients with intellectual disability and other mental disorders.

Mental Health Resources for the Latino Community

• Diverse populations, Patients and Families

There are more than 60 million Hispanic/Latino individuals in the U.S., making up about 18% of the population. Latinos have experienced disproportionate economic, physical, and mental health impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

COP26: A Critical Juncture on Climate Change and Global Mental Health

All eyes are on the global leaders who are convening in Glasgow at COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference, to focus on strategies for cutting carbon emissions across the world. The risks and ongoing impacts of climate change are clear, summarized by The American Psychiatric Association’s position statement on the subject: “climate change poses a threat to public health, including mental health.”

LGBTQ Youth Face Mental Health Challenges: Social Support and Safe Spaces Make a Difference 

• LGBTQ+, Patients and Families

More than four in 10 LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year, according to The Trevor Project’s third annual survey out last May. Meanwhile, nearly half (46%) of LGBTQ youth reported wanting psychological or emotional counseling from a mental health professional but were unable to receive it in.

APA Collaborates with YouTube to Develop Fact-based Mental Health Content; Receives “Accredited Health Educator” Label 

Over the better part of a decade, health-related searches on social media platforms have increased exponentially. YouTube has more than 2 billion monthly logged-in users and every day, people watch over a billion hours of video and generate billions of views. To connect Americans with evidence-based information about mental health, the American Psychiatric Association has recently ramped up its efforts on this important platform.

New Study: Expatriates Experience Anxiety, Helplessness, When Traumatic Events Occur in Their Home Country 

A new study presented today at the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Meeting found that traumatic incidents in their home countries can harm the mental health of expatriates months after the traumatic incident, regardless of how long they have been away from their country, and even if they did not witness the traumatic incident firsthand. The mental health impact was larger among female and younger expatriates.

June Issues of American Psychiatric Association Journals Cover Mental Health Disparities and Structural Racism and Collaborative Response to Behavioral Health Emergencies

The June issues of two of the American Psychiatric Association’s journals, The American Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Services are available online.

Social Determinants Sessions at the Annual Meeting

Learn how understanding the social determinants of mental health might help you re-conceptualize mental illness and rethink the best approaches to helping your patients and the disparities they face.