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APA Members: Remember to Vote by Jan. 31

Every year, APA members are encouraged to help steer the future of the organization and psychiatry by casting their ballots for the APA Board of Trustees. The Board sets APA’s priorities, policies, and budgets, and this year, 15 candidates are running for national and area office. Members have until January 31 to vote at psychiatry.org/election.

Effective Psychotherapists Must Focus on Trustworthiness, Says New Book

While there is broad agreement—among therapists, students, and patients alike—that trust is important in psychotherapy, author Jon Allen, Ph.D., argues in a new book, “Trust in Psychotherapy,” that it deserves a closer look, and we should shift the focus. While therapists are inclined to focus on patients’ problems with trust, Allen suggests that therapists should give equal attention to becoming trustworthy to their patients. Cultivating trusting psychotherapy bonds—especially for patients who have experienced developmental trauma in close relationships—is complex, challenging, and a critically important topic, Allen suggests.

Study Asks: Can a Hit Song Help Prevent Suicides?

In 2017 the song “1-800-273-8255,” by the hip-hop artist Logic, featured the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number and a hopeful story of survival. A new study finds that this song was associated with a noticeable increase in calls to Lifeline and a reduction in suicides.

5 APA/SMI Adviser Courses to Help you Support Patient Well-Being in the New Year

The start of the new year is a time many people look to begin or to renew efforts to improve well-being: in fact, one in four Americans is making a mental health New Year’s resolution this year. Several American Psychiatric Association (APA) courses, offered through SMI Adviser, cover ways to promote well-being among patients, whether though exercise, connecting with others, or positivity.

7 Check-ins For New Year’s Mental Health

We often focus more on treating illnesses, both physical and mental, than on staying healthy. But the absence of mental illness does not necessarily mean good mental health. And we’ve all been dealing with the ups and downs, losses, uncertainties and changes brought on by the pandemic. The start of a new year is a good opportunity for self-assessment with a brief mental health checkup.