Federal News & Issues

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 22, 2020 – The American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry today issued the following statement in response to media reports that the parents of 545 migrant children separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border can no longer be found.

We are appalled by the reports, based on legal filings, that authorities are unable to find the parents of 545 children who were separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border under this administration’s punitive “Zero-Tolerance” policy.

The APA and AACAP have long spoken out against the harmful practice of separating children from their parents. It is well-documented in psychiatric literature that even brief family separations can cause significant and often irreparable harm to children,...

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 21, 2020 – According to a new public opinion poll released today by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), 62% of Americans feel more anxious than they did at this time last year. That marks a sizable increase over APA polls of the past three years, in which the number has ranged between 32% and 39%.

When asked what made them extremely or somewhat anxious, Americans said the top issues were: keeping themselves and their family safe (80%), COVID-19 (75%), their health (73%), gun violence (73%) and the upcoming presidential election (72%).

“It’s not surprising that more Americans are anxious, given the circumstances we all find ourselves in this year,” said APA President Jeffrey Geller, M.D., M....