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An App for Therapy? Exploring Digital Therapeutics
In May 2024, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first app for the treatment of depression, Rejoyn. This new smartphone app is intended to help treat people who don’t fully respond to antidepressants and it is expected to be available for patients starting this summer. This is the latest in a series of FDA approvals of digital therapeutics for mental health conditions
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.
What Is are Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder in which people have recurring, unwanted thoughts, ideas or sensations (obsessions) that make them feel driven to do something repetitively (compulsions). The repetitive behaviors, such as hand washing, checking on things or cleaning, can significantly interfere with a person’s daily activities and social interactions.
Hispanic Heritage Month: How One Psychiatrist Explored Culturally Competent Care
One in five (22%) Hispanics/Latinos have a mental illness and one in 20 have a serious mental illness, according to the latest federal government data (SAMHSA 2023). Yet only 36% of Hispanics/Latinos received mental health services, compared to 52% of whites. During Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15), we can celebrate the achievements and contributions of Hispanics/Latinos while also acknowledging the equity work that still needs to be done to increase access to care and decrease stigm
Theresa M. Miskimen Rivera, M.D., Assumes Office of APA President 
At the conclusion of the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, Theresa M. Miskimen Rivera, M.D., DLFAPA, began her one-year tenure as the organization’s new president. With more than 30 years of public sector clinical practice, Miskimen Rivera intends to focus her presidential year on empowering and advancing the needs of the psychiatric workforce. 
Mark Rapaport, M.D., is Named APA President-Elect
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) members have chosen Mark Rapaport, M.D., as the medical society’s next president-elect. Rapaport is the Founding CEO, Emeritus, of the Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah, the William H. and Edna D. Stimson Presidential Endowed Chair, and professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah.
Pandemic Experience Shows Benefits of Telepsychiatry in Increasing Access to Care
New research finds that after the shift to mostly remote appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance at psychiatric appointments increased significantly, potentially leading to more effective treatment. The research was published online in March in Psychiatric Services, a journal of the American Psychiatric Association.
Adam Nelson, M.D., Assumes Post as APA Assembly Speaker
At the close of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2022 Annual Meeting, Adam Nelson, M.D., assumed the role of Speaker of the APA Assembly of District Branches.
Special Issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry Examines Structural Racism and Mental Health Disparities, Offers Solutions
A special issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, released today at the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Meeting, highlights the pervasive negative consequences of structural racism on mental health and the importance of community and system-wide interventions and proposes mental health inequity research priorities.
Women’s History Month: Spotlighting the Women Leaders of APA
March is Women’s History Month and we’re highlighting several women currently leading the organization: APA President Vivian Pender, M.D., President-Elect Rebecca W. Brendel, M.D., J.D., and Assembly Speaker Mary Jo Fitz-Gerald, M.D., M.B.A.
American Psychiatric Association Honors Washington State Senator Manka Dhingra with Jacob K. Javits Public Service Award
On Tuesday, the American Psychiatric Association conferred the highest award it gives a public servant, the Jacob K. Javits Public Service Award, to Washington State Senator Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond) at an event jointly hosted by the Washington State Psychiatric Society, the Washington State Medical Association and NAMI Washington. Sen. Dhingra is being honored for her tireless dedication to ensuring patients, families, and communities have access to the best possible mental health care from wel
Helping Children Through Play
Play is natural and fun for children and an important part of learning and development. Play therapy is a therapy used by licensed mental health professionals to help children to better express their thoughts and emotions and to address a variety of problems. When children are unable to put into words their feelings or concerns, play can help them express themselves and learn ways to cope.