Federal News & Issues

APA Praises House Passage of Mental Health Bills; Urges Senate to Follow Suit

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 12, 2021 – The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a package of mental health-related legislation brought forth by the Energy and Commerce Committee. The package of bills, previously passed by the House in the 116th Congress, would help prevent suicide, expand diagnosis and treatment for substance use disorders, increase mental health screenings in the emergency room and overall, and support patients with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) applauded passage of the legislative package and urged the Senate to quickly follow suit.

The Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act (H.R.1475), introduced by Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) and John Katko (R-NY), and...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: May 12, 2021

Mary Jo Fitz-Gerald, M.D., Assumes Post as APA Assembly Speaker

Mary Jo Fitz-Gerald

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 4, 2021 – At the close of the American Psychiatric Association 2021 Annual Meeting, Mary Jo Fitz-Gerald, M.D., assumed the role of Speaker of the APA Assembly of District Branches.

Mary Jo Fitz-Gerald, M.D., is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport in Shreveport, Louisiana. Clinically, she is Director of the Psychiatry Emergency and Consult Services at Ochsner Louisiana State University Health Monroe. Previous roles include Vice-Chair for Psychiatry Education, Psychiatry Residency Training Director, Director of...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: May 4, 2021

Dr. Vivian Pender Takes Office as APA President


Vivian-Pender.jpg

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 4, 2021 – Vivian Pender, M.D., began her term as President of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) at the 2021 APA Annual Meeting. She has had extensive APA experience, having served in numerous leadership roles at APA, including the District Branch, the APA Board of Trustees, the Finance and Budget Committee, the APA Assembly, and the APA Political Action Committee.

Dr. Pender is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and a training psychoanalyst at Columbia University. She has numerous awards for teaching medical students and residents. In addition to maintaining a private practice of psychiatry in New York City, she is the founder of Healthcare Against Trafficking, Inc., an...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: May 4, 2021

Structural Racism Contributes to the Racial Inequities In Social Determinants of Psychosis per Review in The American Journal of Psychiatry

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 3, 2021 – The legacy of systemic racism in the U.S impacts psychosis risk at the individual and neighborhood level, according to a definitive review published online today. Researchers examined U.S. based evidence connecting social and environmental factors with outcomes relating to psychotic experiences, including schizophrenia.

The review examined potential risk factors and influence of structural racism within three key areas. These included disparities in neighborhoods; trauma and stress experienced at both collective and individual levels; and complications experienced around pregnancy.

  • Disparities in U.S. neighborhoods perpetuate disadvantage for racially minoritized communities through inequitable access to healthcare, healthy foods, education and employment opportunities, and...
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Author: mbourdase - Published: May 3, 2021

“APA Gives Back” to Skid Row Running Club

Washington, D.C. May 3, 2021– As part of the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) annual APA Gives Back program, APA President Jeffrey Geller, M.D., M.P.H., presented a donation today of $16,000 to this year’s recipient organization, the Skid Row Running Club (SRCC), during the Closing Session of the 2021 APA Annual Meeting. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Craig Mitchell accepted the check on behalf of the SRCC.

Now in its 12th year, the APA Gives Back program provides an opportunity for APA, its members, and Annual Meeting attendees to support a community mental health organization in the city hosting the Annual Meeting. If not for the current COVID-19 pandemic, APA's in-person Annual Meeting would have been hosted in Los Angeles, where SRCC is based. The APA matches...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: May 3, 2021

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