Federal News & Issues

Washington, D.C., Sept. 10, 2021 – As we approach the 20th anniversary, the American Psychiatric Association pauses to mourn the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001. We send our thoughts and support to the family members and friends of those who died, as we reflect on our own indelible memories of that day.

We salute the first responders in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania who bravely put themselves into harm’s way to rescue as many people as they could. We think of the efforts of psychiatrists and mental health clinicians in those regions, who from the very beginning treated many who suffered from trauma, from substance use disorders, and from other mental illness as a result of this tragedy. We remember the service members who deployed across the world in the resulting wars, and the families they had to...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Sep 10, 2021

Washington, D.C. September 2, 2021 –America’s leading physician groups are deeply concerned about the consequences of the Texas state law, which took effect yesterday, banning abortions, medical counseling and support related to abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.

Our organizations, which represent nearly 600,000 physicians and medical students, strongly oppose any laws and regulations that interfere in the confidential relationship between a patient and their physician. This new law will endanger patients and clinicians, putting physicians who provide necessary medical care, or even offer evidence-based information, at risk, by allowing private citizens to interfere in women’s reproductive health decision making. Moreover, this law virtually eliminates women’s access to evidence-based, comprehensive care and...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Sep 2, 2021

Washington, D.C., Sept. 2, 2021 – Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in Black youth and, in recent years, rates of suicide for African American adolescents rose faster than those of their white peers. African American communities experience unequal access to high-quality, culturally competent mental health care. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) and Morehouse School of Medicine’s African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (AABH CoE) are offering an on-demand online learning series for...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Sep 2, 2021

Washington, D.C., Sept. 1, 2021 – 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.

“This Suicide Prevention Month, it’s important to remember that research can help us better understand risk factors and which populations are more vulnerable,” said APA President Vivian Pender, M.D. “It is also a reminder that we can all play a role in preventing suicide by learning to recognize signs of distress and reaching out to connect anyone at risk with help.”

The authors...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Sep 1, 2021

Washington, D.C., Sept. 1, 2021 – This Labor Day weekend, health care workers will continue to work long hours and come face-to-face with the brutal realities of the latest wave of the pandemic. Even before COVID-19, health care workers were experiencing high rates of professional burnout, with nearly 50% of all physicians experiencing it. The multiple waves of the COVID-19 pandemic have added enormous pressure for many health care workers. A survey of health care workers earlier this year found that younger frontline health care workers seem to be the hardest hit, more than two-thirds (69%) said they feel “burned out.”

Burnout and mental health issues can overlap. Nearly half of the...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Sep 1, 2021

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