323 Results
Physician wellness
Ongoing stressors in the lives of physicians across the life span raise the risk for burnout, stress related illness and impairment. Psychiatrists have a unique vantage point in contributing to the overall health and wellbeing of all physicians. Recent studies have shown that physicians who personally practice healthy behaviors are significantly more likely to advise their own patients to adopt healthy behaviors. It is therefore imperative to promote the overall personal health of physicians at
Involuntary Outpatient Commitment
Involuntary outpatient commitment is a form of court-ordered outpatient treatment for patients who suffer from severe mental illness and who are unlikely to adhere to treatment without such a program. It can be used as a transition from involuntary hospitalization, an alternative to involuntary hospitalization or as a preventive treatment for those who do not currently meet criteria for involuntary hospitalization. It should be used in each of these instances for patients who need treatment to p
Interacting with Caregivers
In this document, we address ethical and legal issues related to involving caregivers in the treatment of patients and provide a comprehensive approach to the engagement of caregivers in the treatment process. This approach revolves around the development and implementation of a caregiver plan (CGP). It is important to note that the development of a formal CGP does not reflect current practice in the field. The discussion of a CGP in this document is for education: to describe a potentia
Use of Antipsychotic Medications to Treat Behavioral Disturbances in Persons with Dementia
Resource Document on the Use of Antipsychotic Medications to Treat Behavioral Disturbances in Persons with Dementia
How Psychiatrists Can Talk to Patients and Families About Race and Racism
This document supports the APA’s goal of addressing structural racism in clinical practice by linking existing literature on the impact of race on patients’ lives with race as experienced in the clinical encounter. It provides psychiatrists with the necessary tools to speak with patients about race in a sensitive and professional manner using clinical vignettes. Incorporating these tools should increase understanding of how race and racism impact patients’ lives, decrease bias and enhance the th
Developing a Global Mental Health Curriculum in Psychiatry Residency Programs
As the importance and centrality of mental health becomes apparent within and beyond the health care sector, so will opportunities for psychiatrists to apply their knowledge and skills to meet the growing needs. Through careful attention to the moral imperatives and explanatory models among cultures that differ from their own, psychiatrists have been very successful in engaging local entities and establishing partnerships that incorporate trust, credibility, transparency, and accountability to a
Psychiatrists' responses to requests for psychiatric information in federal personnel investigations
Psychiatrists routinely receive and respond to patient authorizations to release information to third parties. However, a security clearance-related request for information differs from an ordinary release of information generally encountered in clinical practice. An ordinary release specifies records, notes, admission or discharge summaries, or other information generated in the course of clinical care. Most often, the information is to be released to another provider or facility for use in a
Stalking Intrusive Behaviors and Related Phenomena by Patients
The doctor-patient relationship should ideally be a collaborative and mutually respectful one. In some instances, however, patients may engage in behaviors that can engender concern and even fear in the psychiatrist involved. When these behaviors are repeated, unwanted, and distressing, we might colloquially refer to them as “stalking.” In the midst of a stalking episode, it may be difficult for the psychiatrist to know how to proceed, what steps to consider to protect oneself and what choices t
Decisional Capacity Determinations in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry: A Guide for the General Psychiatrist
Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrists are experienced in responding to requests from medical services for the determination of decisional capacity (DC). General psychiatrists are occasionally called upon to perform decisional capacity determinations, especially when functioning in a consultation-liaison role. Some may not have extensive prior or current experience in decisional capacity determinations. In recent years, there has been a significant amount of clinical research literature on DC, part
Telepsychiatry and Related Technologies in Clinical Psychiatry
The goal of this resource document is to address the major areas of the use of the internet in communication with patients and the public in the practice of psychiatry. The rate of change of technological capabilities and their implementation is so rapid that the workgroup believes that it would be inappropriate to promulgate fixed rules for constantly changing situations. Rather, we seek to provide some questions to be considered when implementing any new communication technology with patients
Marijuana as Medicine
The medical use of marijuana has received considerable attention as several states have voted to remove civil and criminal penalties for patients with qualifying conditions. Yet, on a national level, marijuana remains a schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the most restrictive schedule enforced by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) (1). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), responsible for approving treatments after appropriate and rigorous study, addit