Navigating Rock-and-a-Hard-Place Situations

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

Challenges: They often drive us to learn, to grow, to do better. These rock-and-a-hard-place situations seem to be cropping up more and more every day. For example, what happens when you spend more time fighting with insurance companies than providing critical care for your patients? Or when you must manage a situation in which a patient is separately prescribed a substance via an online-only source that could interfere with the medications you prescribe? These pertinent, difficult questions will steer the future directions of psychiatry and medicine in general. In this month’s cover stories, we explore these challenges to help you make informed, smart decisions in your own practice.

Speaking of common challenges, how can we best approach COVID-19 and mental health? Although the pandemic is far from over, we must learn to navigate what will be a post–COVID-19 world. According to James Lake, MD, in this month’s continuing medical education article, complementary and alternative medicine interventions can enhance resilience and help address mental health problems due to the pandemic.

As we confront these challenges head-on, we must also remain mindful of what can provide much-needed downtime. What hobbies, activities, and interests soothe you when work is done? For regular contributor Mark L. Ruffalo, MSW, DPsa, it is Thoroughbred horse racing, and he shares his thoughts in a recent Medical World News® video (see: medicalworldnews.com/view/after-hours-horseman). Now more than ever, we cannot let challenges take us away from doing what we love.

At Psychiatric Times™, we challenge ourselves to provide the best pearls for you, cover to cover.

Mike Hennessy Jr

President and CEO, MJH Life Sciences®