‘Connecting’ With Social Media

The future of our field lies not only in its science and practice, which of course count, but in the newest members to join our profession as residents and fellows in psychiatry and its subspecialties. Thanks to Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, the editor-in-chief of Psychiatric News, residents and fellows on the APA Council on Communication now have a place to share what they are learning as communicators. It was Dr. Seuss who said, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” You will be hearing from residents and fellows who stand out in all the best ways as contributors to this column. —Lloyd I. Sederer, M.D. (Vice Chair, Council on Communications)

Social media has become one of the cornerstones of modern communication, making it easier to instantaneously connect with people all around the world. There are various outlets, particularly in the field of psychiatry, that have allowed users to connect and expand communication platforms. The Psychiatry Network and Women’s Psychiatry Group on Facebook, originally started by Dr. Christina Girgis, are examples that have gained a large social following. The Facebook pages provide a private, secure forum for psychiatrists to learn about job opportunities and referral sources and to receive feedback and suggestions on difficult clinical cases; in short, to share, learn, and grow.

In this article, I highlight an example of how social media can be used to enhance clinical and advocacy work in psychiatry and provide support networks for psychiatrists. The following answers are provided by Dr. Girgis, consultation-liaison service medical director at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital and associate program director for the Loyola University Medical Center General Psychiatry Residency Program.

Social media has great potential for education and communication across the world. By using its features to our advantage, it is possible to encourage professional networking, clinical discussion, and advocacy for both patients and ourselves.

Q: Please describe how you came up with the idea of starting the Psychiatry Network and Women’s Psychiatry Group.

A: Over the last couple of years, there has been a proliferation of physician groups on Facebook. One of the largest—with more than 66,000 members—is the Physician Moms Group (PMG), founded by Dr. Hala Sabry. I was added to this group and saw that it’s a great resource for women physicians to connect with each other. I looked for a similar group for psychiatrists and could not find one, so in 2015 I decided to start the Women’s Psychiatry Group. Initially I added around 50 psychiatrists or so, thinking the group would remain fairly small, but it grew quickly and now has almost 3,000 members.

In the meantime, however, I had a number of requests from residents who wanted to join the group, and I also realized it would be valuable to have a group that was open to both men and women psychiatrists. In January 2016, I formed the Psychiatry Network (nicknamed PsychNet) and opened it to all psychiatry residents, fellows, and attendings. An international group, it has members in the United States, Canada, South and Central America, the Middle East, Europe, Australia, and Asia. It’s been amazing to have psychiatrists from all over the world connected with each other in this way.

Q: How have people benefited from participation in your groups?

A: I think the major benefit is being able to learn from others’ knowledge and experience. The most common type of posts is clinical, with someone either asking a general question (for example, “What’s everyone’s experience with using vitamins and supplements to augment treatment for depression?”) or presenting de-identified cases and asking for feedback. One of the great features of the group is the range of expertise among members—we have psychiatrists in all subspecialties, working in all types of settings. There are generally multiple responses in real time, and it’s interesting to see the way that the original poster incorporates the feedback into his or her practice. I love hearing updates on cases that benefited from feedback from the group.

Members also get ideas and recommendations from each other for patient and educational resources, such as pharmacology conferences, books for patients on specific topics, and suggestions for free and useful CME.

Another benefit of the group is providing a platform for networking for jobs. Recently, for example, members have inquired about jobs in certain regions and asked for feedback about contract negotiations and salary expectations. Members are also able to compare how their jobs are structured with others’ and get ideas about ways to run their own clinics and practices.

Finally, one of the more intangible but extremely valuable benefits of the group is having so many members who can identify with each other, whether it is dealing with a patient suicide or difficult patient interactions or spending hours on the phone on prior authorizations. It can be tremendously helpful and supportive to not feel alone when we are going through our day-to-day struggles as psychiatrists.

Q: How would you like to see the group develop in the future?

A: One thing I would like to see is the formal organization of the group in which we come together and start advocating on issues important to us, such as fair reimbursement for mental health care, health insurance reform, and simplification of the board recertification process. Members have also requested CME to be available through the group, which is currently cost-prohibitive, but this would be a wonderful way to formalize the education that members receive from the group.

Q: Do you have any advice for colleagues who are thinking about ways to incorporate social media into psychiatric practice/outreach?

A: Just do it—reach out to colleagues! I have made a number of colleagues/friends over the past two years through the groups, both locally and otherwise, and have met some fantastic people in person at conferences and events as a result of networking through the groups. I have also had the opportunity to collaborate on various academic endeavors and am working on several projects that were initiated through these groups.

I would also encourage colleagues to take advantage of the various social media educational forums. Some members of the groups read the daily posts but tend to refrain from participating in the discussions. While it may seem intimidating or daunting to engage in the vast world of the Internet—and certainly some precautions should always be taken when online—these forums offer privacy and a range of personal and professional benefits. ■