Federal News & Issues

APA Statement on the House Passage of the Build Back Better Act

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 19, 2021 – The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Build Back Better Act, which, among its $2 trillion in spending, includes significant needed investments in mental health and substance use disorder care. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) applauds the House for including these provisions in the Act and urges the Senate to ensure they are retained in the final reconciliation package.

Among the many health care provisions APA supports are those expanding:

    • Mental Health Parity: The 2008 federal parity law requires that insurance coverage for mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services be no more restrictive than coverage for other medical care. Full compliance with this law has yet to be achieved but is essential given the...
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Author: mbourdase - Published: Nov 19, 2021

National Report Offers Solutions to Overcome the Three Major Obstacles to Rural Mental Health Care

Washington, D.C., Nov. 18, 2021 — One in 25 adult Americans has a serious mental illness (SMI) in a given year, but people in rural areas are more likely to experience it, and they face unique barriers to receiving treatment. A recent report from SMI Adviser explores three obstacles to connecting rural and remote populations with mental health care—availability, accessibility and acceptability—and offers solutions developed by clinicians, administrators, and staff in those geographic areas.

The report, “...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Nov 18, 2021

APA Statement on CDC Report on Deaths From Overdose

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 17, 2021 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today reported that between April 2020 and April 2021, U.S. deaths from overdoses topped 100,000. This grim milestone constitutes a record, and overall, these deaths are up 29 percent from the prior year.

Today, the American Psychiatric Association reiterates that effective treatments for substance use disorder are available, and renews its calls for:

  • Improved access to mental health and substance use services through early identification in evidence-based models that integrate behavioral health treatment into primary care services.

  • The development and...
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Author: mbourdase - Published: Nov 17, 2021

MEDIA ADVISORY: Twitter Chat to Focus on Veterans Mental Health

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 9, 2021 – As we stop this week to honor the sacrifice of our nation’s more than 17 million military veterans, the American Psychiatric Association will host a Veterans Mental Health Twitter Chat where participants can learn more about the impact of numerous serious mental health issues facing this population.

What: The Veterans Mental Health Twitter Chat will focus on serious mental health issues among this community and cover topics such as suicide, PTSD, misconceptions around mental health, addiction, and resources available to veterans and their families.

When: Nov. 10, 2021, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern.

Where: Follow and participate on Twitter, using hashtag #VetsMentalHealthChat. (A Twitter chat offers...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Nov 9, 2021

November Issues of American Psychiatric Association Journals Cover Trauma, Suicide, Resilience and More

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA's web resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 or apa@psych.org for assistance.

 
Author: mbourdase - Published: Nov 5, 2021

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