Research Promotion

Funding for psychiatric research has seen periods of high and low growth due to the inconsistent private and federal investment. Private investment in psychiatric research and innovation has waned due to regulatory uncertainty, length of time to bring treatments to market, and the intrinsic complexity of psychiatric disorders, among other reasons. Whereas, the federal government plays a vital role in advancing basic research into the causes of, and new treatments for, mental health and substance use disorders. In previous years, the National Institutes of Health's appropriations have not kept pace with biomedical inflation. More recently the nation's perspective has shifted, and acknowledging the significance of federal investments the U.S Congress has gradually provided nominal increased amounts. Fr example, NIH received a $3 billion program level increase from 2017 to 2018, making this the largest single-year nominal dollar increase in nearly 15 years. APA continues to engage Congress and other policymakers in order to promote research activities that support mental health care and improve patients' lives.

2020

JUN 10

APA and Mental Health Community Support H.R. 6645, the COVID-19 Mental Health Research Act

MAY 19

APA Urges NIH to Work to Limit Impact of COVID on Early and Mid-Career Investigators

MAY 6

APA and Research Community Request Non-Profit Research Protections and Funding During COVID-19

JAN 1

APA Responds to NIMH's 2020 Draft Strategic Plan for Research

2019

DEC 2

APA Responds to Draft Determination for Pharmacogenetic Testing