990 Results
APA Statement on COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution for People with Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders
As the COVID-19 vaccine is being administered across the country, the American Psychiatric Association called on state public health authorities today to include people with serious mental illness (SMI) and substance use disorders (SUD) to the equivalent of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Phase 1-C of their prioritization schedules. The recommendation coincides with APA’s recently released guidance document, The Role of the Psychiatrist in the Equitable Distribution of the COV
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
Antisocial Personality Disorder: Often Overlooked and Untreated
Antisocial personality disorder may be one of the most misunderstood mental disorders. It is also often undiagnosed and untreated, according to a recent special report by Donald Black, M.D. in Psychiatric News.1 He referred to it as “psychiatry’s forgotten disorder,” noting that few clinicians diagnose or treat it.
Family Involvement in Treatment Can Improve Outcomes
A recent column in APA’s journal Psychiatric Services recommends that patients and caregivers be involved in the decision making regarding the patients’ care. Authors Johannes Harmann, M.D., and Stephan Heres, M.D., concluded that “caregiver involvement might improve clinical decision making and health outcomes for both patients and caregivers.
APA Launches LaSaludMental.org, a New Collection of Spanish-Language Mental Health Resources
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) today announced the launch of LaSaludMental.org, a website dedicated to hosting Spanish-language information and resources on mental health and substance use disorders that are culturally competent and evidence-based.
Athletes’ Superstitions and Rituals
Rituals and superstitions among athletes, and non-athletes, are very common and are typically harmless. In fact, they are at times helpful for athletes facing unpredictability in their sport and these rituals and superstitions can help them feel more in control. People may jokingly or offhandedly refer to these behaviors as OCD-like, referring to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, they are not the same as OCD, a potentially debilitating mental health disorder.
Deep Brain Stimulation Shows Promise for People with Severe Depression
A new study finds potentially long-lasting benefits of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for people who have not responded to other treatments for severe depression. DBS is commonly used to treat Parkinson’s disease and it is also approved to treat epilepsy, essential tremor (a neurological disorder that causes shaking), dystonia (a movement disorder) and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is being studied to treat other conditions, including treatment-resistant depression.
What are Sleep Disorders?
Sleep disorders (or sleep-wake disorders) involve problems with the quality, timing, and amount of sleep, which result in daytime distress and impairment in functioning.
APA Publishing Releases Definitive Guide to Women's Reproductive Mental Health
A woman’s mental health is punctuated by specific events during her natural biological cycle, but the importance of these events is often forgotten when clinicians review her psychiatric history. A new textbook from APA Publishing is the first comprehensive text for understanding, diagnosing, and supporting the unique mental health needs of women during their entire reproductive life cycle.
The Economic Cost of Depression is Increasing; Direct Costs are Only a Small Part
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders and can cause tremendous challenge and burden for individuals and families. It also carries a large economic cost. The economic burden of major depressive disorder among U.S. adults was an estimated $236 billion in 2018, an increase of more than 35% since 2010 (year 2020 values), according to research published in early May in the journal Pharmacoeconomics.