Eating Healthy for Brain Health and Staying on Budget

We know that what we eat affects our physical health, but evidence continues to mount that what we eat significantly impacts our mental health also. For example, a healthy diet may be able to help prevent and treat depression, reduce the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, and help maintain the mental health of children and adolescents.

Increase in Teen Vaping Raises Concerns

• Addiction, Patients and Families

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) late last year new released new research showing that more than 3.6 million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in 2018, a significant increase from 2017. More than one in five high school seniors (21 percent) used e-cigarettes, nearly double the number in 2017 (11 percent).

Supporting Research Into Gun Violence is a Vital Public Health Concern

• By Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., FRCP-E, FRCPsych
• What APA is Doing For You

As physicians, we rely on a science-based approach to problem solving and know that solutions must be developed through evidence and extensive research. The APA believes that robust study into the underlying causes of gun violence and the effectiveness of potential interventions is necessary to reversing course and preventing further injury, death and other harms to society resulting from firearms.

Bandersnatch: You Can Choose Your Ending, but Proceed with Caution

• By Jessica ("Jessi") Gold, M.D., M.S.
• Patients and Families, Serious mental illness

When I was a kid, I used to love the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books. It always seemed like endless enjoyment going back and forth between the alternate endings and seeing what changed for the character as a result. Enter Netflix’s newest episode of “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.” This show is a first-of-its kind TV episode that lets you choose the plot and what the main character, Stefan Butler (played by Fionn Whitehead), should do next—from what breakfast cereal he eats, to what music he should listen to, to whether he or his co-worker, Colin, should take their own lives

Preventing Depression Among At-Risk Youth

• Depression, Patients and Families

Depression is common among adolescents worldwide, affecting an estimated 4–5 percent of adolescents each year. It can lead to serious social and educational difficulties and is also a major risk factor for suicide. Despite effective treatments, only about one in four youth with depression receive treatment. There are effective ways to prevent youth depression, yet few at-risk youths have access to prevention services.