Our Next Event
The Unequal Impact of the Opioid Epidemic in the African American Community: Insights for Psychiatrists
- Thursday, December 7
- 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. EST
African Americans are experiencing rising opioid-related overdoses, with the third highest opioid-related overdose death rate compared to other race/ethnicities, largely driven by synthetic fentanyl and heroin. Disparities and inequities are exacerbating the public health crisis in African American communities as evidenced by the higher rate of overdose deaths in U.S. counties with greater income inequality. This panel will unpack the complexities of the unequal impact of opioids in the African American community and evaluate the role of implicit bias, stigmatization, and cultural stereotypes in shaping perceptions, diagnoses, and treatment approaches for opioid use disorder in African American patients.
Learning Objectives
- Explore the barriers and challenges to implementing evidence-based prevention and treatments, such as education, naloxone distribution and recovery support services, in community settings.
- Discuss current data on substance use and overdate rates and how to enhance the timeliness and specificity of data on drug use, addiction and overdose data to allow tailoring of approach to the opioid epidemic in minoritized communities.
- Examine the complex intersection of race, socioeconomic status, and systemic disparities in healthcare that contribute to the disproportionate burden of the opioid epidemic on the African American community.
Continuing Education Credit
In support of improving patient care, the American Psychiatric Association is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Physicians
The APA designates this live event for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity — including faculty, planners, reviewers or others — are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.
The following planner (Dr. Regina James) and faculty have no relevant financial relationships to disclose:
Panelists
Series Archives
The Intersection of Race, Ethnicity and Sexual Orientation Status on the Prevalence of Vaping Among Minoritized Youth
September 28, 2023
Vaping and e-cigarette use has become a growing public health concern, with data demonstrating increased risk of cigarette initiation and use of cannabis, alcohol and other substances among adolescents who vape. Intersectionality impacts risk in complex ways for racial/ethnic and sexual minorities. Emerging data is exploring the extension of this risk, and the foundational structural discrimination including violence and victimization that leads to increased vaping among youth of color, particularly those identifying as sexual minorities. This panel will examine data demonstrating disparities in vaping among adolescents with dual (or more) marginalized identities, its implications for mental healthcare, and discuss the role psychiatry can play in vaping control and prevention initiatives to address inequities driven by intersectional vulnerabilities.
Postpartum Psychosis: Are Birthing People of Color Falling Through the Treatment Gap?
August 29, 2023
Postpartum psychosis is rare and affects around 2 in 1000 postpartum-birthing individuals; however, researchers suspect that with the large number of individuals giving birth every year, PP may impact more birthing individuals than the number reflected in the available data. Although there is no available data on the prevalence of PP by race and ethnicity, it has been established that birthing people of color experience higher rates of unreported and untreated maternal health conditions; this disparity may place birthing people of color at a higher risk of delayed diagnosis and treatment for PP. Moreover, because of the acute presentation of PP, the severity, and the increased risk of infanticide and maternal suicide, it is critically important that providers recognize the signs and symptoms early, identify those at risk of developing PP, and make the appropriate treatment referrals. In this webinar, the panelist will share lived experiences of PP and stories of survival, strategies for recognizing the signs and symptoms early, and treatment recommendations.
Moore Equity in Mental Health Round Table: "Birth Related Maternal Death: The Mental Health Impact on Families"
July 5, 2023
The current maternal health crisis in the United States disproportionately impacts non-Hispanic Black and Indigenous birthing people, who are three to four times more likely to experience birth-related deaths and Severe Maternal Morbidity (SMM). This roundtable discussion will focus on the impact of maternal deaths on surviving family members and the unmet mental health needs of those who experience SMM. The panelist will explore strategies to address maternal mental health care access disparities and discuss ways front-line reproductive health providers can facilitate mental health services referrals to better support families.
Addressing Gaps in Comprehensive Treatment for Birthing people of Color with Comorbid SUD: Implementing a Targeted Approach
June 28, 2023
Hispanic and African American women generally have lower mental health and substance use treatment utilization; in addition, pregnant Hispanic and Black women who enter SUD treatment report higher rates of unmet mental health support than their white counterparts. Racism and discrimination within healthcare systems remain a persistent barrier to accessing treatment among minoritized women with SUD. With the gaps in comprehensive treatment within these populations, providers should find more targeted approaches that include culturally appropriate screening and treatment to reduce the care disparity and access to treatment. In this webinar, the panelist will discuss challenges around providing care to pregnant individuals with co-occurring SUDs and mental illness and review evidence-based harm reduction strategies and best practices for treating pregnant and nursing parents.
Birthing People of Color Who May Be Reluctant to Start Psycho-pharmacological Treatment: How to Navigate This Challenge.
May 31, 2023
Depression and anxiety are common complications during the perinatal period and often occur comorbidly during pregnancy. It is, therefore, critical that providers understand the challenges, available treatment options and are prepared to discuss the risk associated with pharmacological treatment interventions with their diverse patient population. The panelist for this webinar will review the current treatment guidelines for birthing individuals and discuss best practices for managing mental illness during pregnancy.
Current Maternal Mental Health Screening Tools: Are they Culturally Appropriate?
May 31, 2023
In some cultures, birthing people may express emotional distress as somatic complaints. However, validated screening tools like the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire, for example, do not contain questions that can assess the physical presence of psychological distress. The panelist will discuss how culture impacts patients' perceptions of maternal mental, help-seeking behaviors, and retention to care among ethnically diverse birthing people. In addition, the panelist will explore the cultural applicability of the available validated screening tools for screening for PMADs and offer recommendations on how providers can incorporate culturally competent care as part of the PMAD screening process.
LGBTQ+ Mental Health: Challenges, Advocacy, and Clinical Considerations for Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Persons
March 1, 2023
Panelists will discuss mental health inequities affecting transgender and nonbinary people and provide strategies for incorporating evidence-based gender-affirming mental health care into clinical psychiatric practice. In addition, panelists will provide an introduction to current topics relevant to the mental health of transgender and nonbinary people and raise awareness of resources to support psychiatrists in advocating for this population.
Clinician Bias and Disparities in the Mental Health Treatment Continuum
February 21, 2023
Bias in clinical practice is a persistent cause of healthcare disparities, compounding the vulnerabilities of historically excluded populations such as those comprising minority ethnic populations, immigrants, the poor, low health-literacy individuals, sexual minorities, children, women, the elderly, the mentally ill, the overweight and the disabled. Implicit or unconscious provider biases impact the mental health treatment continuum at various stages including patient–provider interactions, treatment decisions, patient treatment adherence, and patient health outcomes. This webinar session will provide an analysis of the individual and institutional biases that manifest in mental health care and address these with cognitive and other strategies to mitigate their impact on patient populations.
The Collaborative Care Model to Optimize Patient Outcomes in Mental Health Care
January 19, 2023
Systems-based integrated approaches, such as the Collaborative Care Model (CCM) have the potential to address disparities that stem from a lack of equal access to effective care. The Collaborative Care Model holds promise for closing the mental health treatment and outcome gap for at-risk populations, including low-income, racial and ethnic minorities, and rural and geriatric groups. Research has demonstrated the efficacy and effectiveness of CCM for the treatment of depression and anxiety, as well as improvement of treatment initiation, quality of care received and health outcomes for diverse populations. Panelists will describe the principles and evidence-based results of the Collaborative Care Model through a mental health equity lens.
Climate Change-Driven Mental Health Inequities
December 13, 2022
Inequality, climate-related disasters and ecological destruction, and adverse mental health outcomes are inextricably linked. Populations vulnerable to climate change-related impacts such as older adults, children, pregnant women, individuals experiencing homelessness, persons with behavioral health conditions, people with lower incomes, individuals with limited English proficiency, migrants or refugees, communities of color, and tribes and indigenous peoples are at a heightened risk of related negative psychosocial effects. Panelists will analyze the contributing factors to the compounded vulnerability of at-risk groups and address strategies for mobilizing climate justice and resilience.
Disentangling Race and Place and Their Implications on Mental Health Disparities
April 20, 2022
According to the Brookings Institution (2020), “prior to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, nearly one in three Hispanic Americans and one in five Black Americans were uninsured, compared to about one in eight white Americans.” Mental health inequities and the resulting disparities amongst our diverse communities persist for a myriad of reasons, such as access to high-quality patient care, social and behavioral factors, and social policy. The panelists will tackle the issue of race in mental health care and the necessity for evidence-based research frameworks as avenues for removing inequities and barriers in mental health. This discussion will use an interdisciplinary approach through a medical, public health and social epidemiological lens.
Exploring the Role of Genomics in Ameliorating Health Inequities
March 16, 2022
Join us for the upcoming webinar, Exploring the Role of Genomics in Ameliorating Health Inequities on Wednesday, March 16 at 7:00pm ET. Mental health equity in the context of genomics requires an understanding of how biology influences disease and how disease is influenced by biological and non-biological determinants of health (i.e., social determinants of health) in all populations. Successful implementation of genomic medicine will mean that all populations have equal, effective, and affordable access to genomic medicine and that diagnosis, prevention, and treatment strategies can target the bases of mental illness without bias for or against any group.
123 Years Since W.E.B. Du Bois' Case Study…Social Determinants of Health Inequities Continue
February 24, 2022
Join us for the upcoming webinar, 123 Years Since W.E.B. Du Bois' Case Study…Social Determinants of Health Inequities Continue on Thursday, February 24 at 7:00pm ET. Panelists will first set the stage by underscoring how the social determinants of health impact the mental health of diverse communities, and then move this discussion towards “next steps.” What we need to do to ensure that SDOH are taken into consideration in the mental health arena. This discussion will use an interdisciplinary approach by incorporating a medical, public health and social epidemiological lens to the discussion.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Indigenous Communities
November 30, 2021
Panelists will examine strategies and opportunities to improve the mental health of our Indigenous people during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The panelists will discuss the concerns of the communities and highlight solutions incorporating cultural humility and respect. In addition, they will raise awareness of other unique pandemic stressors facing the Indigenous communities.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Latinas/os
October 4, 2021
Panelists will examine strategies and opportunities to improve the mental health of Latinas/os during and post pandemic and will raise awareness of the additional pandemic stressors facing this community such as unemployment, insurance benefits inequities, and social isolation.
The Mental Health of Asian-American and Pacific Islanders: Coalition-Building and Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Rise of Xenophobia
May 17, 2021
Join APA for a webinar that will examine strategies and opportunities to improve the mental health of Asian-American and Pacific Islanders during the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of xenophobia. Prominent leaders in their respective fields will discuss policies, data, coalition-building, and resources to support and improve the safety and mental health of Asian-American and Pacific Islanders.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of African Americans
April 8, 2021
Join APA for a two-part webinar series that will examine strategies and opportunities to improve the mental health of African Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also raising awareness and building trust on the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. Prominent leaders in their respective fields will discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of African Americans.
Part One, Open to the General Public
Part Two, Member Log-In Required