APA leadership reports progress, challenges faced
Although the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of in-person presentations for the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting, the organization hosted presentations in a virtual format.
In the meeting’s opening remarks, Saul Levin, MD, MPA, CEO and medical director of APA, noted the organization will meet virtually through the end of the year, after which its leadership will reassess the status of COVID-19 to make a decision regarding an in-person meeting in Los Angeles in May 2021.
“Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis, I want to reassure you all that APA is strong,” Levin said. “At times, some parts of our membership want us to do what they believe should or needs to be done, but in the end, with our checks and balances in APA, we are an association that needs to ensure that psychiatry, psychiatrists, patients and the public are better for care.”
Levin provided an overview of some of APA’s recent advocacy achievements.
“Despite considerable polarization in the current political environment, APA has worked across party lines to ensure that the country has a strong advocacy voice at the national and state levels,” he said. “APA successfully advocated against a proposal to weaken Medicare’s six protected classes, which would have undermined our patients’ access to the full range of medications.”
Further, Levin highlighted major progress in advancing the Mental Health Parity Compliance Act in Congress. The bill, which is positioned for possible enactment this year, requires insurers to “show their work and demonstrate how their practices comply with federal parity law requirements,” Levin said.
According to Levin, the following factors are important for the psychiatric field to prioritize:
- disparities in treatment and access to care for members of minority and underrepresented groups, especially African American, Hispanic and Native American populations in the United States;
- high rates of individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders being incarcerated vs. diverted into community treatment;
- barriers that prevent individuals from accessing care;
- the need for more research funding for NIMH, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA);
- ending stigma regarding mental illnesses and substance use disorders; and
- the need for “true” mental health parity and equity.
Psychiatrists should also focus on doing what they can to help mitigate the mental health effects of the current pandemic, according to Levin.
“As psychiatrists, we will treat the short-, mid- and long-term ramifications of COVID-19,” Levin said. “Together, we are stronger, and we'll step up to help our colleagues, the health care system and the public get through this difficult period.”
Bruce Schwartz, MD, APA president, provided opening remarks as well. He referenced three priorities that guided him during his presidential term — improving quality, promoting access and reducing stigma. The focus on quality was incorporated into the theme of this year’s meeting.
Schwartz outlined some of the events in which APA played a role during his tenure as president-elect and president.
“We've seen bipartisan decisions to fund research about gun violence, something we and other physicians have backed for a very long time,” Schwartz said. “We've seen strong funding for minority fellowships, NIMH, NIAAA and SAMHSA. We have seen H.R. 6 pass [SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act], which made strong steps to combat the opioid epidemic.”
Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, Schwartz emphasized the importance of the psychiatric profession in moving society forward during and after the crisis.
“For the frontline responders, the trauma of witnessing so much illness and death will have lasting effects for many,” Schwartz said. “Amid the epidemic, one of the greatest needs of our fellow health care professionals, after their need for personal protective equipment. was for counseling and treatment. We were there, as well as psychologists, social workers, nurses, nurse practitioners, counselors and support staff, to continue to meet the needs of our patients and colleagues. The entire mental health workforce had to be mobilized, and interdisciplinary collaboration was all that allowed us to cope with the health and mental health emergency. We will need this full workforce to cope with the psychiatric effects after this [pandemic] passes.”
In his portion of the opening remarks, Jeffrey Geller, MD, MPH, APA president-elect, highlighted the plight of individuals with serious mental illness.
“APA members understand the consequences of the marginalization of persons with serious mental illness,” Geller said. “It's time we move away from a discussion of stigma and move on to a discussion of prejudice. Discrimination against those with serious mental illness is no different than prejudice against other groups deprived of equal opportunities due to their genetics, infections or accidents.” – by Joe Gramigna
Reference:
Levin S, et al. Opening session, Presented at: American Psychiatric Association Spring Highlights Meeting; April 25-26, 2020 (virtual meeting).
Disclosures: Healio Psychiatry could not confirm relevant financial disclosures at the time of publication.