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APA Statements in Remembrance of Civil Rights Icon Rep. John Lewis
As civil rights leader and ‘conscience of Congress’ Rep. John Lewis is laid to rest today in Atlanta, Georgia, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) issued the following statements:
How to Help Those with Opioid Use Disorder in Jails & Prisons
By now we all know that opioids like heroin, prescription painkillers, and fentanyl are deadly. What doesn’t get as much attention is the wider damage done by problem use of these substances, including losses of relationships and jobs, declining health, and financial strain. These concerns affect not only the individual but also every person close to them.
New Research: The Long-term Physical-Psychiatric Effects of Childhood Trauma
Exposure to trauma in childhood is associated with both psychiatric and physical problems for decades afterward, according to new research presented here today at the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Annual Meeting. Researchers are longitudinally assessing more than 1,000 individuals who were directly exposed to the 9/11 terror attack as children, as well as a matched control group of 500 individuals who were not.
What APA Is Doing for You: Update on Clozapine REMS
In November 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) instituted a new Clozapine Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) to monitor prescribing and dispensing of the drug, which is used to treat schizophrenia. The new REMS led to confusion for manufacturers, pharmacies, prescribers, and patients. Some clinicians stopped prescribing the already underutilized drug, and some pharmacies stopped dispensing it. This chaotic situation led the FDA to stop enforcing certain requirements of the
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
Seven Leading National Organizations Applaud Judge for Blocking Harmful Medicaid Work Requirements
In Kentucky and Arkansas, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled for the second time against taking Medicaid coverage away from people who do not meet work requirements. Judge James Boasberg ruled that employment conditions do not advance Medicaid's basic purpose of providing health coverage, indicating that “The Court cannot concur that the Medicaid Act leaves the [HHS] Secretary so unconstrained, nor that the states are so armed to refashion the program Congress designed in any way they choose.”
Explore Sessions on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The integration of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)-related topics in clinical psychiatry has gained momentum in recent years as health inequities have attained wider recognition.
“Nowhere to Turn”: COVID-19 and Caregiver Stress
“I need help, and I have nowhere to turn.” I find this a frighteningly common refrain among my patients who are also caregivers for people with dementia, autism, or children with a panoply of mental health conditions who need consistency and structure. As an individual psychiatrist, there seems to be no option, and I simply listen.
Lifestyle Factors Key to Reducing Risk for Dementia, Late Life Depression
A recent study highlights the lifestyle factors that can be protective against age-related brain conditions, including depression and late life depression. The research used the “Brain Care Score,” measuring lifestyle factors, and found that a higher Brain Care Score is associated with a lower risk of age-related brain disease, including stroke, late-life depression, and dementia.
APA Ethics Committee Issues Opinion on the Spread of Disinformation
"When speaking publicly about a pandemic, therefore, it is particularly incumbent upon psychiatrists to honestly and responsibly share factual information,” states a new opinion from the American Psychiatric Association’s Ethics Committee. “Disseminating falsehoods about a pandemic disease such as COVID-19, including misleading information about scientifically supported public health protocols or vaccines, is unethical.”
New Research in American Journal of Psychiatry Identifies Risk Factors for Suicide Attempt Among Soldiers
New research in the American Journal of Psychiatry identifies factors that may help assess suicide risk in soldiers. According to the study, Predictors of Suicide Attempt Within 30 Days After First Medically Documented Suicidal Ideation in U.S. Army Soldiers, suicide risk was highest within 30 days after ideation diagnosis and was more likely among women and combat medics.
Meet Dr. Peter Yellowlees of APA's Committee on Telepsychiatry
In this video, Dr. Steven Chan and Dr. Peter Yellowlees discuss asynchronous telepsychiatry, various clinical uses of telepsychiatry, and future trends in the field.