DSM-5 Task Force Chair David Kupfer, M.D. Provides Updates

Better Evaluating, Treating Psychological Effects of War

Military mental health was a top priority for doctors at last week's APA Annual Meeting. Elspeth C. Ritchie, M.D., M.P.H., and Marvin A. Oleshansky, M.D., (back) chaired a symposium on Evaluating and Treating the Effects of War at the American Psychiatric Association 164th Annual Meeting. Also presenting were CPT Michelle Hornbaker, M.D.; John C. Bradley, M.D.; Brett Schneider, M.D., and Scott C. Moran, M.D. Research about PTSD, the impact of deployment on families, and treatment of serious mental illnesses were among many topics addressed.

Psychiatric Symptoms Prior to Deployment Predict Risk of New Onset PTSD in a Cohort of National Guard Troops

A poster presented in the final poster session of the APA's 164th Annual Meeting in Honolulu discussed research that looked at whether individual symptoms associated with PTSD could be predictors of whether full PTSD would develop. Predeployment depression and alcohol dependence were not associated with increased risk of PTSD after deployment but risk was significantly elevated in the case of somatization. Subclinical symptoms of PTSD and somatization assessed prior to military deployment appear to be antecedent risk factors for new onset PTSD. Despite the fact that depression and alcohol dependence are frequently comorbid with PTSD neither acted as a risk factor in this study. The presence of multiple, nonspecific ailments, however, consistent with a somatization‑like process, was associated with increased vulnerability.

Protein Decline May Link to Depression in Pregnancy

Research presented at the American Psyciatric Association Annual Meeting shows a potein important to fetal development may play a role in depression in pregnancy. Read the press release.

Gender Differences in Combat Stress

Anna Kline, PhD, presented in the New Research poster session at the APA Annual Meeting. Her study is titled Gender Differences in the Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Combat Stress Disorder.

New Research Poster: Impact of Shift Work

Research examining effects of shift work found that both excessive sleepiness and insomnia associated with shift work seriously impacted the lives of shift workers.

The research was presented Tuesday, May 17, at the American Psychiatric Association’s 164th Annual Meeting which runs Saturday, May 14, to Wednesday, May 18, 2010 in Honolulu.

The studies found shift workers do not always recognize their own symptoms of shift work disorder; and healthcare professionals believe that shift work disorder is missed two-thirds of the time.

One study used a structured online survey of 260 shift workers and 673 healthcare professionals to examine the impact of excessive sleepiness associated with shift work and diagnosis of shift work disorder.

Shift work negatively impacted respondents’ lives by affecting energy level (72 percent of respondents), emotional health (52 percent), and physical health (51 percent). As a result of their excessive sleepiness, 69 percent had made mistakes at work; 43 percent said their ability to care for dependents had been compromised; and 10 percent had had at least one work-related accident. Half of respondents wanted to change their jobs or work hours and did not feel it was possible to do so.


A second study looked at how shift work disorder was diagnosed from the perspective of healthcare professionals and shift workers. When excessive sleepiness was discussed with health professionals, shift workers initiated the conversation 82 percent of the time, while healthcare professionals initiated it 13 percent. Healthcare professionals believed that 67 percent of shift work disorder is never detected by physicians and that half is undiagnosed because it is often masked by other conditions, including depression.

Both studies were sponsored by and conducted in collaboration with Cephalon, Inc., Frazer, Penn.

The new research posters (#NR10-49 and NR10-39) were scheduled Tuesday, May 17, at the Hawaii Convention Center.

Women with History of Childhood Abuse At Greater Risk for Aggression in Relationships

Women with a history of childhood physical abuse may be at greater risk than men for aggression, as a victim or as a perpetrator, in adult intimate relationships, according to a study released at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.

The research was scheduled for presentation Sunday, May 15, at the 164th American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, which is in Honolulu May 14-18.

Researchers said the findings also suggest that anger suppression could play a role in the link between aggression in relationships and abuse history.

Details of this study, along with five other new research studies, will be presented at a press briefing from the APA Annual Meeting. Members of the media can attend in Room 307 of the Hawaii Convention Center at 8 am Hawaii time, Monday, May 16, or participate online at 11 AM PDT/2 pm EDT by registering at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/341505819.

Protein Decline May Link to Depression in Pregnancy

Research from the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting shows that a protein important to fetal development declines significantly in the mother’s bloodstream during pregnancy which can cause depression in some pregnant women.

These findings were presented Tuesday, May 17, at the 164th American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, being held in Honolulu May 14-18.

Researchers looked at levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, known as BDNF, a growth-related protein important to healthy fetal development, in the bloodstream of a group of healthy women who were pregnant and compared BDNF levels to women who were not pregnant. Serum BDNF was significantly lower in pregnant women.

Authors concluded that BDNF may be sequestered by the fetus during pregnancy, and that low levels of the protein during pregnancy could put some women at risk for developing depression during pregnancy. The presenters suggested future research on BDNF levels in depressed pregnant women.

The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders. Visit the APA at http://www.psych.org/  and http://www.healthyminds.org/.

Study Looks at PTSD Risk Factors

National Guard troops who had some symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder but not enough to receive a diagnosis before deployment were more vulnerable to PTSD when exposed to combat trauma than other troops, according to a new study released at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting. Researchers found pre-deployment depression and alcohol dependence were not associated with an increased risk for PTSD.

The longitudinal study was scheduled for presentation Tuesday at the 164th American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, which is in Honolulu May 14-18.

Researchers from the University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey, surveyed National Guard Members before and after deployment and compared pre-deployment and post-deployment data for 922 Guard members. The researchers looked at symptoms like intrusive memories, hyperarousal, and avoidance of stimuli associated with a trauma as well as for symptoms of depression and alcohol dependence.

When any of the PTSD symptoms were present prior to deployment, Guard members were at higher risk for a new onset of PTSD after exposure to combat trauma. Guard members screening positive for two out of three components prior to deployment had higher risk than those screen positive for one.

Despite the fact that depression and alcohol dependence frequently found with PTSD, neither was a risk factor in the study.

Study Shows Relationship Between Low Unit Cohesion, Suicidal Thoughts

Unit cohesion appears to be an important factor in determining whether soldiers think about suicide during a period after combat exposure, according to a study presented at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.

U.S. Army researchers surveyed more than 1,600 soldiers from two combat brigades who had been deployed once. The survey was designed to measure of combat exposure, unit cohesion and self-reported thoughts of suicide. Soldiers who reported higher combat exposure and lower unit cohesion had the greatest odds for reporting suicidal thoughts during the previous four weeks. In addition, soldiers with similar combat exposure were more likely to have suicidal thoughts if they reported less unit cohesion.

The research was scheduled for presentation Tuesday, May 17, at the 164th American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, which is in Honolulu May 14-18.

Annual Meeting Course Simulates Chaos of Disaster Mental Health Interventions

In a year of disasters that has included tornados, fatal floods of the Mississippi River, Japan’s nuclear crisis, and the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Disaster Psychiatry is more relevant than ever. This morning at the Annual Meeting, the Committee on Psychiatric Dimensions of Disasters sponsored a basic course on Disaster Psychiatry.

Highlights included a role play featuring Colonel David Benedek of USUHS playing a stressed pilot, Dr. Kristina Jones of NYU as a well-intended but hyperactive flight attendant, and Dr. Anand Pandya of UCLA as a traumatized whiskey-gulping bereaved man. Dr. Fred Stoddard of Harvard Medical School came to the rescue as the Disaster Psychiatrist. Audience members helped simulate the chaos of disaster mental health interventions.

“If only our new book, Disaster Psychiatry : Readiness, Evaluation and Treatment, were available in these kinds of situations!” said Dr. Stoddard, lead editor of the book, co-authored by the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry and Disaster Psychiatry Outreach. “The role play exercise certainly engaged the audience and stimulated discussion, and as a career Army guy, I was happy to play a flyboy for a brief moment,” said Dr. Benedek.

Questions from national and international members of the audience from the Netherlands, Denmark, and Haiti highlighted that American Psychiatry has developed a strong body of knowledge for how psychiatry can intervene in human-made and man-made disasters.

“Given all the tragedies that have occurred this year, it is tempting to want to believe that we have somehow reached our quota, and can now rest easy. But the course helped the audience to consider how to prepare for future disasters and ensure that psychiatry is appropriately integrated into response and aftercare," said Dr. Pandya.

Delirium Following Cardiac Surgery Common in Older Patients

Delirium following cardiac surgery, a serious postoperative complication, is fairly common in older patients, affecting more than one-third of those over 70 according to research being presented at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in Honolulu.

The research poster (NR01-37) is scheduled for presentation on Saturday, May 14, at 10:00 a.m. at the 164th American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, which is in Honolulu May 14-18 at the Hawaii Convention Center.

Delirium is characterized by reduced clarity of awareness of the environment with reduced ability to focus, sustain, or shift attention. The presence of delirium after cardiac surgery has been associated with increase in intensive care stay, in length of hospital stay, sternal wound stability, sternal wound correction, and increased incidence of intubation. Previous research has found rates of delirium following cardiac surgery from two percent to 73 percent.

Researchers led by Adam Lau, M.D. evaluated 50 patients following cardiac surgery and found an overall incidence of delirium of 20 percent with a significant increase in incidence with age. For those over 70 years old, the incidence was 38 percent and for those over age 80, 43 percent. No patients under age 70 developed delirium.

Study: Peer-Led Therapy May Reduce Suicide Risk

Participation in peer-led therapy groups can help at-risk patients become less vulnerable for suicide according to new research to be presented at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in Honolulu.

Suicide risk assessment has become increasingly refined and utilized in public and private medical and psychiatric facilities across the nation including within the military where high suicide rates have been reported among recently returning military and older veterans.

The research examined whether identifying and reinforcing a primary care patient’s suicide protective factors, such as responsibilities toward children and family, optimism, hope, and positive coping skills, spiritual, moral, and religious factors, and social supports, may help lessen the impact of crises and depression and reduce the risk for suicide.

The study involved screening primary care patients at Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers for suicide risk using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. Patients identified as at-risk were invited to a 4-week peer-led therapy group aimed at providing social support and educating patients on the importance of these protective factors and ways to integrate the factors more fully into their lives and ongoing awareness.

Data collected thus far, author Shabnam Balai, M.D., reports, are encouraging and show that by participating in a low-intensive, peer-led therapy group, primary care patients can become less vulnerable for suicide.

The research was presented at the APA Annual Meeting in Honolulu. The meeting was May 14-18, 2010.

Fascinating Science and Networking in Paradise

By Iqbal “Ike” Ahmed, M.D.

I am writing from the perspective of an APA member who lives in Honolulu. I am excited about so many fellow psychiatrists and other mental health providers visiting my home town and enjoying what it has to offer-Aloha, warm hospitality, friendly people, interesting culture, great weather, and beautiful surrounding such as our beaches and mountains.

My own experience of the meeting has been one of trying to make the meeting informative and enjoyable for my friends and fellow psychiatrists visiting the island. In between, I have had the opportunity to chair a few fascinating scientific sessions. In one of those a study suggests that a cognitive screening instrument, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) was better in the recognition of cognitive impairment in depressed patients. The importance of this is that cognitive impairment can affect function in depressed patients. I also heard that loneliness appears to be associated with increased development of dementia in a Dutch population. In another session, I heard about use of PHQ-9 used as a screening instrument to recognize depression in Kaiser patients with medical problems and then having them followed by care managers.

The most interesting thing I learnt was about the development of serum biomarkers to distinguish schizophrenia from patients with other psychiatric disorders, and from those without mental illness. This was presented by Prof. Sabine Bahn, of Cambridge and Erasmus Universities as a “Frontiers of Science Lecture”. I was fascinated about the underlying science behind this about insulin resistance, glucose uptake in the brain, oxidative stress in the neurons, and the associated changes in the serum of patients leading to a biomarker fingerprint. It is amazing, that this biomarker test is already commercially being marketed.

Well, it is now time to run along and try to get in to hear Rev. Desmond Tutu, talk about his work on the reconciliation commission in South Africa at the Convocation of Fellows. Hope to then spend an evening with friends from Mainland attending the meeting-one of my favorite parts of the Annual Meeting.

Children of Deployed Parents More Likely to Experience Psychiatric Hospitalization

Children of military service members are more likely to be hospitalized for a psychiatric condition when a parent has been deployed, according to a new study presented at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.

The research was scheduled for presentation in a press briefing Monday, May 16, at the 164th American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, which is in Honolulu May 14-18

Researchers looked at records for nearly 380,000 children ages 9 to 17 years of active duty military personnel. The children’s data was linked to the parent’s deployment records.

The odds of psychiatric hospitalization increased by 10 percent among children age 9 to 17 years when a military parent was deployed, according to the study. The odds of hospitalization increased with increasing length of a parent’s deployment.

Details of this study, along with five other new research studies, will be presented at a press briefing from the APA Annual Meeting. Members of the media can attend in Room 307 of the Hawaii Convention Center at 8 am Hawaii time, Monday, May 16, or participate online at 11 AM PDT/2 pm EDT by registering at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/341505819.

The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders. Visit the APA at http://www.psych.org/ and http://www.healthyminds.org/.

Hawaii Study Shows Increasing Psychiatric Emergency Room Visits Among Elderly

A study of emergency room visits by elderly patients in Hawaii shows an increase in geriatric psychiatric visits with longer stays, a trend that suggests a coming mental health crisis for an aging population and a need for services for this population.

The research was scheduled for presentation Monday, May 16, at the 164th American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, which is in Honolulu May 14-18.  Researchers from The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu showed psychiatric emergency room visits by elderly patients increasing by 30 percent from 2008 to 2009.

Details of this study, along with five other new research studies, will be presented at a media briefing from the APA Annual Meeting. Members of the media can attend in Room 307 of the Hawaii Convention Center at 8 am Hawaii time, Monday, May 16, or participate online at 11 AM PDT/2 pm EDT by registering at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/341505819.

The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders. Visit the APA at www.psych.org and www.HealthyMinds.org.

Study Looks at Connection between Economic Stress, Suicide

If the United States follows the pattern that occurred after the economic crisis in Japan, public health officials should watch for a significant increase in suicides, particularly among Baby Boomers, concluded a study scheduled for presentation at the American Psychiatric Association's Annual Meeting.

The new research was scheduled for presentation Sunday, May 15, at the 164th American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, which is in Honolulu May 14-18.

Researchers looked at suicide rates in Japan during the late 1990s when that country experienced an economic downturn similar to recent trends in the United States and Europe. The study examined suicides in Japan by age, gender, and year in relation to a series of economic variables. If the U.S. rates of increased suicide approximate those in Japan, the country would experience a yearly increase of deaths due to suicide estimated at 14,610 per year, the study concluded.

Details of this study, along with five other new research studies, will be presented at a press briefing from the APA Annual Meeting. Members of the media can attend in Room 307 of the Hawaii Convention Center at 8 am Hawaii time, Monday, May 16, or participate online at 11 AM PDT/2 pm EDT by registering at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/341505819.

The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders. Visit the APA at http://www.psych.org/ and http://www.healthyminds.org/.

Case Studies: Synthetic Cannabis Linked to Extended Psychosis

Case studies indicate the recreational use of synthetic cannabis may in some cases lead to psychosis that can last for days or months in some cases, according to a study at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in Hawaii.

Researchers at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego followed ten patients hospitalized for psychosis apparently induced by the use of synthetic cannabis, commonly known as “Spice,” “K2,” “Blaze,” and “Red X Dawn.” These are plant material coated with varying combinations of synthetic cannabinoids, which act on the body in a similar way to chemicals found in cannabis. The compounds have not been approved by the FDA for human consumption and little is known about their safety.

The ten patients studied ranged in age from 21 to 25 years old and after use of “Spice” experienced ongoing psychotic symptoms, including auditory and visual hallucinations, paranoid delusions, odd or flat affect, thought blocking, disorganized speech, thoughts of suicide, insomnia, slowed reaction times, agitation and anxiety. Psychotic symptoms generally resolved between five and eight days after admission, but in some cases continued three months or longer.

The research was scheduled for presentation at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at the American Psychiatric Association 164th Annual Meeting, which runs May 14-18 at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu.

Electronic Patient Records used to help Identify Biological Causality

Research demonstrating the use of data mining of electronic patient records to study co-morbidity, family predisposition, and finding biological causes for medical conditions otherwise hidden to the eye will be presented at the APA Annual Meeting in Honolulu.

The APA’s 164th Annual Meeting, the world’s largest psychiatric meeting, will run Saturday, May 14 to Wednesday, May 18, 2010 at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu.

The study looked at 10 years of records from Mental Health Centre Sct. Hans, a regional psychiatric hospital in Denmark, on 3,290 patients’ records involving 674 different diagnoses. Of the assigned diagnoses 24% were mental and behavioral disorders. Researchers identified about 270 co-morbidities as unexpected with no know relation. These unexpected co-morbidities were further analyzed to examine whether the co-morbidity could be explained by shared genes, gene-complex, or biological pathways.

For one of these, researchers discovered a previously unrecognized shared biology underlying the two clinical conditions which can be interpreted as a shared genetic predisposition to side effects or to an autoimmune condition.
The new research posters (#NR02-60) were scheduled for presentation Saturday, May 14, at the Hawaii Convention Center.

Gaming, Internet Have Negative Impact on Teen Sleep

Gaming and Internet activity are more likely to have a negative impact on self-reported teen sleep duration than watching television, according to a study presented at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.

The research was scheduled for presentation Saturday, May 14, at the 164th American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, which is in Honolulu May 14-18.

Researchers analyzed data about media usage and physical activity from the 2009 Youth Risk Behavioral Survey maintained by the Centers for Disease Control. The researchers found different types of media exposure have different impact on self-reported teen sleep patterns. Gaming and Internet usage negatively impacted reported sleep time, while television had no impact, and physical activity improved sleep time.

Details of this study, along with five other new research presentations, will be addressed at a press briefing from the APA Annual Meeting. Members of the media can attend in Room 307 of the Hawaii Convention Center at 8 am Hawaii time, Monday, May 16, or participate online at 11 AM PDT/2 pm EDT by registering at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/341505819.

The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders. Visit the APA at http://www.psych.org/ and http://www.healthyminds.org/.

Placebo Treatment: Informed Consent not to be Informed

Research examining attitude about use of placebos found people very willing to accept the use of placebos for first line treatment of depression and for other medical conditions. The research will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in Honolulu, Hawaii on May 14.


Researchers led by Uri Nitzan, M.D., used a cross sectional survey to investigate whether subjects suffering from medical conditions in general and depression in particular would consent to receive placebo, and whether receiving placebo would negatively affect their autonomy or doctor patient relationship.

Study participants, 344 college, medical and law school students from Israel, were provided a thorough explanation about the placebo effect and its efficacy and limitations in the treatment of depression and then completed a self report questionnaire.

Seventy percent of study participants expressed consent to receive placebo as a first line treatment if they were they to suffer from depression in the future and 73 percent consented to receive placebo treatment for other medical conditions. Nearly 90 percent did not consider a physician administering a placebo deceitful, nor the act of prescribing it a deceit.

The researchers concluded that “despite the declared disapproval of placebo treatments by the medical establishment, the majority of our study population was willing to use placebo medication in general, and as first line treatment for depression in particular.” The authors invite physicians to rethink and discuss the legitimacy of administering placebos in clinical practice.

The study (NR01 44) will be part of the new research poster session scheduled for May 14, 10 to 11:30 a.m., in room Kamehameha Hall 3, Level 1 (adjacent to the exhibits) in the Hawaii Convention Center at the APA Annual Meeting in Honolulu.

The APA’s 16th Annual Meeting, the world’s largest psychiatric meeting, will run Saturday, May 14 to Wednesday, May 18, 2010 in Honolulu.

Traumatic Brain Injury in Student Athletes Among Topcs Address by Sports Psychiatrists at APA

By Claudia L. Reardon, MD

The International Society for Sport Psychiatry (ISSP) has a full line-up of events to satisfy those with dual interests in sport and psychiatry and the intersections between the two. These ISSP events are open to all Annual Meeting registrants:

Saturday, May 14, 2-5 p.m.: ISSP Scientific Session, South Pacific I/II, Mid-Pacific Conference Center, Hilton Hawaiian Village. Come to hear the latest and greatest in sport psychiatry. Topics to be presented include: concussion management in sport psychiatry (Eric Morse, MD), Ta Kwon Do combined with group therapy (David Conant-Norville, MD), and psychiatric medication use by athletes (Claudia Reardon, MD).

Sunday, May 15, 12-3 p.m.: ISSP Symposium on the hot topic of “Traumatic Brain Injury in the Athlete: Psychiatric Implications”, 319 A/B, Convention Center. The Symposium will be moderated by ISSP Board Member Toni Baum, MD. Speakers include David Baron, DO (concussion in sports and experience with the NFL), William Tsushima, PhD and Vincent Tsushima, PhD (father/son team of Hawaiian neuropsychologist speaking on the use of a computerized neuropsychological test battery for the evaluation of concussions in Hawaii high school athletes), Ira Glick, MD and Claudia Reardon, MD (the role of the sport psychiatrist in concussion management), and Brandon Cornejo, MD, PhD (an athlete-psychiatrist’s personal experience with traumatic head injury).

For more information on the ISSP, check out the group’s website at www.theissp.com or join their Facebook page.

Dr. Reardon is a Board Member, International Society for Sport Psychiatry and APA Member Expert in Sport Psychiatry.



 

Women-Focused Sessions at 2011 APA Annual Meeting

Maternal Mental Health and Menopause Myths Addressed Next Month

Research has shown that nearly twice as many women as men are affected by a depressive or anxiety disorder. Sessions and workshops at the 2011 APA Annual Meeting in Honolulu will explore transitions in a woman’s reproductive life cycle linked to mood disorders and uncover ways to optimize overall mental well-being.

Sexuality and aging is one of several topics featured at the American Psychiatric Association’s 2011 Annual Meeting, when presenters examine moods, memory, and menopause. Related sessions look to debunk popular gender myths and identify effective treatments for depression, insomnia, and hot flashes. The APA’s 164th Annual Meeting, the world’s largest psychiatric meeting, will run Saturday, May 14, to Wednesday, May 18, 2011 in Honolulu at the Hawaii Convention Center.

Improving the mental health care of pregnant women and new mothers is another focus. Not always recognized as a mental health concern for women, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is acknowledged by some as an issue new moms can face following a traumatic birth. The presidential symposium on translating neuroscience for advancing PTSD prevention, which is scheduled for Monday, May 16, will include a presentation on treating maternal PTSD. Another Annual Meeting session on optimizing maternal care will present research on treating pregnant women with bipolar disorder.

Reproductive concerns will also be addressed in a series of sessions examining the psychiatric effects of infertility, abortion, miscarriage, and genetics on women’s mental health. Gisele Apter, M.D., Ph.D. will chair a presentation on how to identify and manage antenatal maternal mental health dilemmas. Presentations on prenatal and newborn genetic screening will highlight the ethical and legal challenges surrounding psychiatric and behavioral genetics.

Several sessions focus on women’s mental health and cancer diagnosis, including new research on the psychological impact of cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. David Spiegel, M.D. will lead a presentation on how a woman’s mood can predict her survival rate with metastatic breast cancer. Additional studies showing the link between the mental attitudes of breast cancer patients and their cellular immunity will be discussed.

Online advanced registration for journalists is open. Review the guidelines for press participation in the meeting.

Psychiatry's Role in Trauma, Disaster Response Explored in Honolulu

Sessions Offered on Integrative Treatments for PTSD, Childhood Adverse Experience and Trauma 

Mental health workers who treat victims of mass traumatic events can experience psychological distress similar to those who experienced trauma themselves, according to researchers who will present a discussion at the Annual Meeting in Honolulu.

 

Several sessions promise to be especially relevant in light of the recent disasters in Japan. The presentation on vicarious trauma among mental health providers is one of several sessions addressing trauma and disaster issues in psychiatry. Other sessions look at resilience, risk and protective factors, and the impact of historical trauma.

The course Disaster Psychiatry: Readiness, Evaluation, and Treatment examines systems issues that affect psychiatric practice after a disaster. Copies of the course textbook have been donated to the Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology as the APA continues its outreach and support for mental health needs of Japan. 

The APA’s 164th Annual Meeting will run Saturday, May 14 to Wednesday, May 18, at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu.

Early Career Psychiatrists Provided ECP-Focused Sessions, Networking During Next Month's Annual Meeting

Social Media and an Update on Internet, Video Games, and Mental Health Among Highlights

The 2011 Annual Meeting features sessions dedicated to the needs of Early Career Psychiatrists (ECPs) as well as special opportunities for ECPs to connect with their peers and APA leadership.

What Have You Done for Me Lately: Identifying Early Career Psychiatrists ' Needs and Resources within the APA, Responding to the Impact of Suicide on Clinicians, and an update on psychiatry certification and its subspecialties from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology are some of the ECP-specific workshops and sessions offered next month.

On Monday, May 16, the ECP Caucus will host a networking event at the Ala Moana Hotel (1:30 pm - 2:30 pm) for ECPs to meet with their local DB and national representatives.

Visit psych.org for Annual Meeting registration and for the latest news on sessions, special events, and more.

CME at the APA

Continuing Medical Education credit is earned on an hour-for-hour basis by attending scientific sessions. Signing into sessions is not necessary nor is having your attendance verified by the APA. The APA does not keep records of registrants' attendance at individual sessions; physicians are responsible for maintaining their own records. A Log Sheet for recording the individual sessions you attend is located in the Program Book. There are two ways for a physician to receive a CME Certificate.

1. Complete the General Evaluation at the Convention Center, available Saturday-Wednesday, or
2. Complete the online General Evaluation, which will be available at and after the meeting until mid August. This evaluation is identical to the evaluation available at the CME Certificate of Attendance booth.

Actress Lorraine Bracco is Special Guest at Annual Meeting Event

Actress Lorraine Bracco will share her story of depression and mental health recovery at Conversations, The American Psychiatric Foundation’s feature event held during the Annual Meeting. The APF created Conversations 10 years ago to present well-known personalities who are candid about their mental illnesses and how mental health treatment works for them.

Bracco is probably most famous for playing the role of psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi on the HBO television series The Sopranos. She was diagnosed with depression and, in 2006, made the decision to open up to the public through her memoir On the Couch.

Free to all APA Annual Meeting attendees, Conversations will be held on Tuesday, May 17 from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Kalakuna Ballroom, Level 4, Hawaii Convention Center.

Online Advance Registration for APA in Hawaii Ends April 8

Save money by registering online for the APA Annual Meeting. Visit the Annual Meeting website for more information. Advance Registration ends April 8.

Human Rights Award

Purpose: The Human Rights Award was established to recognize an individual and an organization whose efforts exemplify the capacity of human beings to act courageously and effectively to prevent human rights violations, to protect others from human rights violations and their psychiatric consequences, and to help
victims recover from human rights abuses.

Nomination Procedures: APA members are asked to submit nominations by July 1, 2011 to:

Council on Psychiatry and Law
American Psychiatric Association
c/o Lori Klinedinst, Staff Liaison
1000 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1825
Arlington, VA 22209
E-mail: advocacy@psych.org

The nomination letter should succinctly describe the contributions that are the basis for the nomination and be
accompanied by a curriculum vitae of the nominee. The Council on Psychiatry and Law will serve as the award review panel in determining the recipients of this award.

The recipients will receive a plaque which will be awarded during the Convocation at the APA’s Annual Meeting in May.

APA Annual Meeting Sessions to Highlight DSM-5 Development

DSM-5 Track Schedule Includes Symposium on

Using Patient-Reported Outcomes

An update on field trials of proposed revisions to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders will be among seven sessions at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in Honolulu in May that highlight the development of the fifth edition of the manual.

The DSM-5 track at the meeting will also include a symposium supported by the National Institutes of Health on the use of patient-reported outcomes and another session that will examine proposals to incorporate dimensional assessments of psychopathology and disability in DSM-5. A session on the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in military populations will address recent and ongoing research on evidence-based treatment and improving patient care among service members and veterans with the disorder.

In another session, members of the Mood Disorders Work Group will address the diagnosis of major depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders across the lifespan, including diagnosis in children and adolescents and in older adults.

In addition, an interactive workshop will solicit audience feedback on proposed DSM-5 diagnostic criteria; and a research forum will address ongoing collaborative efforts between the APA and the World Health Organization in activities to revise the International Classification of Diseases.

The proposed revisions to DSM are available online at http://www.dsm5.org/.
Online advance registration for journalists is open. Review the guidelines for press participation in the meeting.

Military Mental Health Sessions Coming to APA Annual Meeting

APA Works with Military to Reduce Stigma of Mental Illness 

Sessions to address the mental health needs of service members and their families will be part of the APA Annual Meeting in May in Honolulu. The sessions include workshops on topics like substance use for returning Iraq and Afganistan veterans and a variety of reports, including sleep disruption among returning combat veterans and PTSD among American Indian veterans.

The opening symposium on Saturday, May 14, will address new approaches in managing PTSD, and a small interative session is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17, on the psychological effects on military service members and their families. Additional sessions will focus on advances in suicide prevention and how military leaders may optimize mental health of service members.

Credentialed news media are invited to register online by May 6, 2011. Registered press will have interview access to leading APA decision makers, leaders in research and other key members of other mental health agencies and organizations.  An opening press briefing highlighting the APA's 164th Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, May 15, at 8 a.m. More information will be provided on site.

Online Pressroom and Registration Open for World's Largest Psychiatric Meeting

APA’s 164th Annual Meeting Saturday, May 14 to Wednesday, May 18, 2011 in Honolulu at the Hawaii Convention Center.

Register for APA 2011 today!  APA President Carol Bernstein, M.D., worked with the Scientific Program Committee to recruit prominent speakers, including:

·         Thomas Insel, M.D., director of the National Institute of Mental Health and David Lewis, M.D., director of the Translational Neuroscience Program at the University of Pittsburgh headlining the NIMH-sponsored track;

·         John Walkup, M.D., New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, discussing new research on anxiety disorders in children and adolescents;

·         Dilip V. Jeste M.D., University of California, San Diego, presenting the latest research on successful cognitive aging and wisdom;

·         Wayne Katon M.D., University of Washington Medical School, addressing the link between depression and diabetes and its implications.

The theme of the meeting is “Transforming Mental Health through Leadership, Discovery and Collaboration,” and the program will feature lectures, continuing medical education courses, as well as hundreds of educational sessions and new research posters.

Convocation Speaker: Desmond Tutu

World-renowned human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Archbishop Desmond Tutu will present the William C. Menninger Memorial Convocation Lecture at the APA Annual Meeting in Hawaii.

The convocation will be on Monday, May 16, 2011, 3:30-5:00 p.m. Beginning with his opposition to apartheid in South Africa, Tutu has worked tirelessly to spread peace, justice and democracy, and to end racial divisions throughout the world.

Facts about the APA Annual Meeting

The APA Annual Meeting is booked at least ten years in advance to obtain the necessary meeting space and sleeping rooms. Dates are held through 2024 now. When choosing a site, the APA strives for a geographical rotation based on adequate accommodations and availability.

• Approximately 7,500 hotel sleeping rooms are needed on peak night to house meeting participants and staff.
• The commercial and educational exhibits, APA Member Center, APPI Bookstore, and the registration area require a minimum of 340,000 gross square feet of space. 
• Between 125-145 meeting rooms are used concurrently for scientific sessions, courses, allied and committee activities, and operational office space.

Hawaiian Style/Hawaiian Time

  Attire for the 2011 APA Annual Meeting in Honolulu is “aloha business/casual.”  This means no suits, ties or fancy dresses.  

An exciting meeting is planned on one of the most beautiful islands in the world. The meeting schedule will be adjusted with earlier start times - the day begins by 7 a.m. to make the schedule adjustment a little easier and to allow some beach time in the afternoon.

Aloha! Join us for the 2011 Annual Meeting in Honolulu

Aloha! Attend the 2011 Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, from May 14-18, 2011, and earn up to 40 Continuing Medical Education credits. Hear Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Convocation. Learn about the latest evidence-based practices, translational research from the National Institues of Mental Health and the latest on the development of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.