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An Epidemic of Anxiety and Depression Requires a Reevaluation of Conventional Treatment
The field of psychiatry has been governed by a medical model of illness in recent decades. This model posits behavioral health conditions, including anxiety and depression, are manifestations of biological abnormalities that may be corrected through interventions commonly employed in other branches...
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A Harm Reduction Approach to Informed and Compassionate Care
Harm Reduction allows us to consider and implement practices that help individuals make safe, viable choices in support of overall wellness. Harm Reduction is also “a movement for social justice built on a belief in, and respect for, the rights of people who use drugs”1 and is “a key pillar...
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The Overlapping Roots of Mental Health Disparities: Poverty, Racism, and Trauma as Social Determinants
Mental health cannot be fully understood — or effectively addressed — without considering the powerful forces that shape people’s everyday lives. Poverty, racism, and trauma are more than just challenges individuals face; they are deeply embedded social determinants of mental health that...
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Maternal Mental Health Is Societal Health
An emerging crisis in maternal mental health may be attributed to innumerable causes, many of which have been implicated in other behavioral health crises. Recent epidemics of Suicidality and Substance Use Disorder are the most notable and tragic manifestations of human distress that attend the...
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Findings from New York State’s Report on Postpartum Depression Screening
Postpartum depression (PPD)—the most common perinatal mood and anxiety disorder—is a debilitating condition affecting at least one in eight people who give birth. PPD is more than just the “baby blues.” It is a more severe mood disorder that can last for many months. PPD may impair a...
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Teen Mothers: When Stigma Trumps Compassion (and Research)
Key points: Many teen mothers succeed but do so despite the stresses that stigma imposes on them. Stresses on both mothers and babies are associated with severe health consequences, sometimes affecting their entire lives. Healthcare providers are often experienced as stigmatizing by teen...
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Stretching Medicaid Dollars: How Behavioral Health Providers Can Stay Afloat
Many behavioral health providers around the country are trying to establish and implement alternative payment models in hopes of focusing on reducing costs and improving outcomes, especially for more acute patients. However, many states and health plans lag, creating a disincentive for already...
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Suicide Prevention and Response: Fostering Trust and Safety in Vulnerable Communities
Suicide carries grief and mourning and encompasses assumptions, histories, and fantasies. It holds the dialectic of abbreviated narratives and hope-filled storylines for those who survive. 2022 U.S. data from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) indicates that 1.6 million adults...
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Addressing Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults
Social isolation and loneliness are health risks that affect a quarter of American adults 65 and older (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2020). Social isolation is defined as the objective state of having few social relationships or infrequent social contact with others,...
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Supporting Seniors: Challenges and Solutions for Tomorrow
As the United States undergoes a profound demographic transformation, the aging population poses unprecedented challenges and opportunities. The proportion of individuals over 65 is projected to swell from 18% today to 23% by 2054, with the number of centenarians set to quadruple. This...
