APA and National Council for Behavioral Health Applaud the ISMICC’s First Report

By American Psychiatric Association



Washington, D.C. - December 17, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- The American Psychiatric Association (APA) and National Council for Behavioral Health commend the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for its report by the federal Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC). The report acknowledged that the health care system has failed to meet the needs of adults with serious mental illnesses and children with serious emotional disturbances, and outlined areas to help address this failure.

Based on initial deliberations, the ISMICC’s areas of focus include making it easier to access care, closing the gap between treatment that works and what is offered, and developing financing strategies that increase availability and affordability of care.

The APA and National Council call on the Department of Justice, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, and CMS to move swiftly to identify specific, concrete actions each agency can take to move forward these recommendations.

We will continue to contribute to and closely follow the ISMICC as we work together to improve the lives of all people with mental illnesses and addictions. They deserve nothing less.


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Psychiatric Association's Goldwater Rule Remains a Guiding Principle for Physician Members

Source: American Psychiatric Association

Arlington, VA - October 7, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The American Psychiatric Association (APA) today released the following statement regarding The Goldwater Rule:

“In the past year and a half, there have been numerous news articles and commentaries on The Goldwater Rule. The Goldwater Rule is an ethics principle that guides our physician members not to provide professional opinions in the media about the mental health of someone they have not personally examined and without patient consent or other legal authority. A personal examination includes ruling out physical causes of or other reasons for a behavior. Nothing about the Goldwater Rule discourages psychiatrists from providing education to the public about mental illnesses; in fact, APA encourages psychiatrists to educate the public about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

The APA would also like to dispel a common misconception about the so-called “Duty to Warn.” The duty to warn is a legal concept which varies from state to state, but which generally requires psychiatrists to breach the confidentiality of the therapeutic session when a risk of danger to others becomes known during treatment of the patient. It does not apply if there is no physician-patient relationship.”

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 37,000 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment.

APA Extends Sympathy to the Victims of Gulf Coast Flooding, Offers Resources to Cope with Aftermath

Source: American Psychiatric Association

Arlington, VA - September 3, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The American Psychiatric Association (APA) extends its sympathy to the victims of Hurricane Harvey, which is causing extensive flooding in metro Houston and is soon to make its way through Louisiana.

“We offer our sympathy to the people affected by Hurricane Harvey and, in some cases, those experiencing painful memories of previous hurricanes,” said APA President Anita Everett, M.D. “We don’t know the full extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey since it is still active. We do know the recovery process will be a long one, and we must be mindful that people who have been affected either directly or indirectly by this disaster may experience a number of reactions in the aftermath, including fear, anxiety and sadness. We implore anyone experiencing prolonged mental health symptoms to seek professional treatment. Treatment is available and it works.”

For more information on coping with disasters as well as how to talk to children about disasters, visit the APA web site by clicking here.

The American Psychiatric Association is the oldest medical association in the country founded in 1844. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 37,000 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment.