Federal News & Issues

Nov 15, 2017

ARLINGTON, Va. – People with mental illness reported that they were more likely to be insured and thus better able to access health and mental health services following implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to a new study published online today in Psychiatric Services in Advance. Effects were seen in states that had expanded Medicaid and in states that did not.

Researchers lead by Kathleen C. Thomas, Ph.D., with the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, examined the impact of health reform for people with mental illness. They used the Health Reform Monitoring Survey to examine health insurance, access to care, and employment for more than 1,500 people with mental health conditions pre- and post-implementation of ACA. They compared survey results from 2013, before ACA implementation (...

Nov 06, 2017

ARLINGTON, Va. — Today the American Psychiatric Association (APA) issued the following statement from its CEO and Medical Director, Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., in reaction to the deadly shooting in Texas that claimed the lives of 26 Americans and injured 20 more:

“We are deeply saddened by the senseless violence in a house of worship this weekend. We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims, the families, and the community of this tragedy. The president and lawmakers have made comments associating acts of violence with mental illness. Research has consistently shown that people with mental illness are not more likely to be perpetrators of violence, but more likely to be victims. If lawmakers believe it is a mental health issue why are they not seeking to ensure that more resources are being put into treating...