What’s New at the APA

• APA released the results of a new public opinion poll that found 1 in 4 Americans have plans to make a new year’s resolution related to their mental health. More than 67 million adults say that next year improving their mental health is on their minds, and just over one-third (37%) say they are anxious about their mental health to start the new year. The findings are part of APA’s Healthy Minds Monthly poll series conducted by Morning Consult. You can read the full results of the poll and find more information about mental health in America here.
• An earlier APA public opinion poll found that Hispanic adults in the U.S. are feeling more anxiety this holiday season than other Americans. According to the poll results, nearly half (48%) of Hispanic adults said that their level of stress increases during the holidays, compared to 43% of white adults, 37% of Black adults, and 41% of adults overall. The nationally representative poll was conducted by Morning Consult for APA. You can learn more about Holiday anxiety and see the full results of the poll here, and it is also available in Spanish.
• The Well Beings initiative, a multi-year campaign supported by the APA Foundation, has created a Mental Health Language Guide designed to help people use the correct terminology when discussing mental health. The guide is intended to address stigma around mental illness and equip users with person-first language and a better understanding of how to discuss mental health concerns with youth. You can learn more and download the Language Guide here.

Key Dates and Observances

APA Communications staff maintains a calendar of key dates, observances and events at APA and in the world of mental health in general. The calendar is kept up to date a few months in advance. You can view the calendar and keep track of important mental health dates and observances here.

NEW: Social Media Assets for DBs & SAs

APA is sharing infographics on disorders and its new monthly polls for District Branches and State Associations to use on social media. Take a look at what’s available here.

Structural Racism Accountability Committee

APA’s Structural Racism Accountability Committee (SRAC) released their report to APA’s Board of Trustees in December 2021. You can read the full report, others from past months, and find more information about the committee here.

January Course of the Month – Food for “Thought”: Mindful Nutrition and Mental Health

The role of food in physical health has been known for a long time, but the role diet plays in psychiatry is unexplored and underdeveloped. This course will explore the various ways in which diet affects the mind and brain, explain the presence and detriment of food access as it relates to mental health, propose a standardized “Rules of Food Hygiene,” and focus on how the microbiota influences our cravings and health.

Click here to access the Course of the Month and sign up for updates about this free member benefit.

Make Your Voice Heard: Voting for the 2022 APA Election Is Open Until Jan. 31

Review the individuals running for office, watch candidate town halls, and learn more about the candidates’ backgrounds, platforms, and vision for the future of psychiatry at psychiatry.org/election. Read their responses to key questions about their candidacy in the Special Edition APA Election Newsletter.

Save the Date for APA’s 2022 Annual Meeting!

APA Annual Meeting is gathering in-person for the first time since 2019. Join us May 21-25 in the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans! We’ll also offer an online option of connecting from your home to the strongest scientific program in psychiatry two weeks later, June 7-10.

https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/meetings/annual-meeting

View and Comment on Recently Proposed Changes to DSM–5

Public comments now open for the DSM: Proposed Change: An "R" code for Impairing Emotional Outbursts would be added. Impairing Emotional Outbursts represent a serious symptom that may impact treatment planning, independent of a diagnosis. Learn more and add your comment:

https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/proposed-changes/proposed-changes

Join AMNet: An Addiction Medicine Practice-Based Research Network

Join APA, the American Society of Addiction Medicine, Friends Research Institute, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse in creating AMNet, an addiction medicine practice-based research network. By joining, you will get free access to PsychPRO, APA’s patient portal, to generate patient-reported outcomes data. You can virtually engage with your patients, track their successes, inform quality improvement efforts, and create reports for your stakeholders. You will also receive a $1,000 honorarium; a tablet computer; and free CME courses. https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/registry/amnet

No Surprises Act: What Psychiatrists Need to Know

The “No Surprises Act” allows for patient financial protections that impact health plans, physicians, and facilities, and will apply to psychiatrists in certain circumstances. Regulations have been recently finalized that require certain patient protections to address concerns about surprise bills.  These protections not only address emergency care but include disclosure requirements for all uninsured or self-pay services, and will, at some point in the future also include patients with insurance.  These regulations formalize some of what most psychiatrists do when communicating fees to patients seeking care or to those they are already treating.

APA’s “No Surprises Act” implementation page contains a summary of the key requirements along with links to templates. An update including a summary of the key requirements along with templates can be found here: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/practice-management/no-surprises-act-implementation . 

Members with specific questions about the “No Surprises Act” and how it affects their practice are encouraged to contact practicemanagement@psych.org.

APA/APAF Fellowship Application Deadlines Approaching

The 2021-22 recruitment season for APA/APAF Fellowship applications is now open, with applications accepted through Monday, January 31, 2022, for (6) APA/APAF fellowship programs (APA/APAF Leadership, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Diversity Leadership, Jeanne Spurlock Congressional, Public Psychiatry, and Psychiatric Research); and Monday, February 14, 2022, for the SAMHSA Minority Fellowships. Those interested in applying for these fellowships can do so at the fellowship application page.

The APA/APAF fellowships remain an integral part of building the pipeline for innovative psychiatrists interested in organized medicine. They also support APA’s strategic initiatives to advance the integration of psychiatry in the evolving healthcare delivery system and supports and increases diversity in the field.

If you have any questions about APA/APAF fellowships, please contact fellowships@psych.org.