APA Blogs
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The Basics of Augmented Intelligence: Some Factors Psychiatrists Need to Know Now
Following the release of GPT4 in ChatGPT, augmented intelligence (AI) has been in the news more than ever. You may have tried out ChatGPT on your own for something fun (e.g., “Write a joke from the perspective of a cat,”) or something serious (e.g., “Write a draft lesson plan for a psychiatry residency program about treatment-resistant depression in adults”). A simultaneous strength and challenge of AI is that core to the technology is “learning” and evolution, making it difficult to define a static role for AI in psychiatric practice now or in the future.
APA Advocacy Secures Several Victories in Federal Legislation Signed by President Biden
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (HR 2617) passed at the end of 2022. This federal funding legislation includes many American Psychiatric Association initiatives and priorities impacting psychiatry and mental health care, lobbied for by the APA advocacy team of staff and members.
New APA Resource Document Highlights Quality and Safety Considerations in the Use of Seclusion or Restraint
Seclusion or restraint is used as an intervention of last resort in the management of severe agitation (e.g., violence) in patients. Both are highly regulated by local, state, and federal law and other health care accreditation organizations. Patients, families, and psychiatrists may be concerned about these interventions as they can cause significant psychological distress and/or physical injury as well as perpetuate the stigma of mental illness. The APA recognizes these concerns, and has developed a resource document on seclusion or restraint to provide practical advice to psychiatrists and other mental health care workers to promote safe and quality mental health care.
Collaboration is Key to Meeting Demand for Mental Health Services
The COVID-19 pandemic has left in its wake a serious mental health crisis, the scope of which is still evolving. Even before the pandemic, demand for mental health care services was extremely high, and increasing by the day. Now, as lockdowns have ended and many pandemic restrictions have lifted in America, COVID is still putting a strain on health care personnel, and the systems they work in. In addition to laying bare the severity of healthcare disparities in our communities, the pandemic has also focused a spotlight on the seriousness of the mental health care shortage in America. In the face of these mounting challenges and unprecedented need, it is clear that the future of mental health care in our country will require an interdisciplinary approach.
As Telepsychiatry Options Expand, Patient Safety and Quality Is Essential
A statement from the APA’s Telepsychiatry and Mental Health IT Committees on Patient Safety and Quality