Federal News & Issues

Jan 23, 2019

Washington, D.C. – The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is greatly disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision to lift the injunctions on the Administration’s ban on transgender servicemembers before all the lower court cases are decided.

“The APA continues to stand firmly against discrimination against anyone,” said APA President Altha Stewart, M.D. “We are extremely concerned that the military will discriminate against transgender Americans who want to serve their country while these lower court cases are being decided. Banning transgender service members from serving our country harms not just those transgender Americans who have dedicated themselves to service of others, but it unfairly casts a pall over all transgender Americans. And as psychiatrists, we know all too well the negative impact that...

Dec 17, 2018

Washington, D.C. – More than one in eight U.S. adults (12.6 percent) used benzodiazepines in the past year, up from previous reports. Misuse of the prescription drugs accounted for more than 17 percent of overall use, according to a study published online today in Psychiatric Services in Advance. The researchers defined misuse as any way a doctor did not direct, including using the drug without a prescription or more often or longer than prescribed. Misuse was highest among young adults 18 to 25 (5.6 percent) and was as common as prescribed use.

Benzodiazepines are a class of medications used to treat conditions such as anxiety and insomnia. They include Alprazolam (Xanax, Niravam) diazepam (Valium), clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan) and others. Researchers analyzed data from the 2015 and 2016 National...