Psychiatric Times Editors

Exploring the Social Determinants of Mental Health

Slideshows

A look at the theme for the 2022 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.

If you are attending the American Psychiatric Association’s 2022 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, be sure to visit 

™in the Exhibit Hall! We will be at Booth #1852. Our esteemed Editor-In-Chief—John J. Miller, MD—will be holding office hours at the booth on Monday from 12PM to 2PM. You also have a chance to appear on the front cover of 

™ Editorial Board presenting at these exciting sessions:

The Intersection of Arts, Humanities, and Psychiatry

Saturday, May 21 at 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM CDT

: What’s New and Why Clinicians Should Care

The Psychopharmacology Algorithm Project at the Harvard South Shore Program: 2021 Update on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Saturday, May 21 at 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM CDT

Psychotherapy for Addiction in a COVID World: Theory and Practice

Monday, May 23 at 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM CDT

Meaning-Making, Transformation, and Structural Racism: Global Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tuesday, May 24 at 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM CDT

Focus Live! Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

Shrinking the Carbon Footprint of American Psychiatry: Meeting the Demands of Climate Change

We are looking forward to seeing each and every one of you! Send any session comments and write ups to 

Articles

Are you attending APA’s 2022 Annual Meeting in New Orleans? Don’t miss us! 

Catch Us at Booth 1852

Wandering the Wilderness

MAD Arts features works by artists recovering from mental illness in special exhibition in partnership with National Art Exhibitions of the Mentally Ill.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan announced the first week in May as National Correctional Officers Week, now called National Correctional Officers and Employees Week, a time to officially thank everyone who serves.

From May 1 to 7 this year, we celebrate and honor correctional officers and their contributions to society, particularly those who assist in mental health care.

The first week of May is National Correctional Officers and Employees Week.

Happy National Correctional Officers and Employees Week

, we worked with experts from multiple areas in psychiatry to bring you thoughtful articles about a wide variety of psychiatric issues, from managing depression in older adults and differences in trauma response to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth and the growing US mental health crisis. Here are some highlights.

Psychiatric Care in the US: Are We Facing a Crisis?

By the end of 2021, many American adults found themselves inthe worst mental state in years. According to the US Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, 47% of adults reported symptoms of anxiety,

 and 1 in 5 adults disclosed suffering from a mental illness.

 Despite this, it is estimated that less than half of Americans with a mental disorder get adequate treatment.

“It has been just over a year now since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the United States full force. A year of hunkering down and Zooming in, teleworking and telepsychiatry, economic and social upheaval, and steady scientific progress. Looking back to last March, we knew this would be difficult. But we didn’t know how difficult. And we certainly didn’t know that the challenge of COVID-19 would last this long,” said Joshua A. Gordon, MD, PhD, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, in a 2021 director’s message.

Why Men and Women May Respond Differently to Psychological Trauma

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that arises after experiencing a traumatic event in about 10% of exposed individuals. A hallmark symptom is the reexperiencing of the traumatic event in the form of nightmares or flashbacks or reliving the event upon certain triggers. 

These unwanted memories cannot be controlled, and the event may feel like it is happening again. Individuals with PTSD will try to avoid these memories by not talking about them or by staying away from situations where potential triggers might be present (eg, the store where the robbery took place or watching the news about current combat events or natural disasters).

Several cognitive and mood alterations—such as memory problems, negative thoughts or feelings, and high arousal levels—may manifest themselves in several ways. These include being easily startled and having angry outbursts, sleeping problems, or difficulty concentrating on everyday tasks. 

The Management of Depression Among Older Adults

Depression is not an uncommon condition among older adults, and it is often underdiagnosed in this population. Depression also results in greater rates of morbidity and mortality among older adults. 

The neurobiology of depression includes a complex interaction among various biological, psychological, and social factors. The identification of depression among older adults requires a thorough history, a focused physical examination, appropriate laboratory studies, and the use of neuropsychological testing when necessary.

Current available treatments for older adults with depression include psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and collaborative care approaches.

 In addition, some evidence indicates that aerobic and supervised group exercise regimens may improve depressive symptoms among older adults.

 In this review, we assess the evidence for using psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, ECT, TMS, and collaborative care approaches for the treatment of depression among older adults. 

Here’s How the COVID-19 Pandemic is Shaping the Next Generation

The full picture of teenagers’ experience of COVID-19 is just beginning to emerge. The school closures, canceled proms, and separation from friends seemed a small price to pay to save the lives of thousands—but in exchange, the adolescents who represent the younger side of Generation Z were robbed of the capstone of their formative years. It created an atmosphere of uncertainty and anxiety among some teens, about both the future and their place in it.

As if the pandemic was not enough, teens watched as police violence and racial tensions reached breaking points. They saw angry mobs take over cities and storm the Capitol. Then Mother Nature swept in with deadly wildfires and other natural disasters that underscored the threat of climate change. 

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Do you have a comment on any of these or other articles? Have a good idea for an article and want to write? Interested in sharing your perspectives? Write to us at 

The experts weighed in on a wide variety of psychiatric issues for the April 2022 issue of Psychiatric Times.

From the Pages of Psychiatric Times: April 2022

National Poetry Month

Psychiatric Times contributors share poems about psychiatric issues from grief to Black mental health.