Board of Trustees Takes Action on Major Issues
Abstract
Trustees approved a position statement on preventing Black youth suicide that includes addressing social determinants of health as factors in suicide and low engagement with mental health services.
Climate change, structural racism, and the passage of nine new position statements—including statements addressing suicide among Black adolescents and the impact of cannabis on adolescents—were at the top of the agenda at last month’s virtual Board of Trustees meeting.
Trustees also received a report from past APA President Anita Everett, M.D., on the Presidential Task Force on Assessment of Psychiatric Bed Needs in the United States. The task force aims to develop a model for determining the number of psychiatric inpatient beds that any community needs. The initial model, which will be released later this year, will likely be fairly basic, but it can evolve to incorporate greater complexity and can be refined to reflect the needs of the community where it is used.
The Board approved the creation of the Committee on Climate Change and Mental Health. They also approved publication of the “Manuscript on Climate Change, Psychiatric Service Needs, and the Psychiatric Workforce: A Commentary.” This seven-page document was written by psychiatrists and APA staff (including APA Director of Research Nitin Gogtay, M.D., and Diana Clarke, Ph.D., deputy director of research and senior epidemiologist/research statistician).
The manuscript outlines five areas related to psychiatry and the psychiatric workforce affected by climate change: labor and resource shortages, gaps in education and training, prevention and intervention needs, advocacy and public awareness, and direct efforts to reduce climate change. “[R]esearch consistently and overwhelmingly reflects an association between climate change and adverse effects on mental health. With an expected increase in the frequency and severity of climate events, one of the challenges for psychiatry moving forward is determining the next best steps in preventing and mitigating poor mental health outcomes.”
The Board also approved several recommendations from the Presidential Task Force to Address Structural Racism Throughout Psychiatry. These included the following:
Developing a formal sponsorship program for minority and underrepresented psychiatrists. Sponsors will include members of the Board, Assembly leaders, council chairs, and other component leaders.
Requiring the Nominating Committee to reach out annually to all council chairs, Assembly leaders, and district branch leaders to solicit suggestions for psychiatrists from minority and underrepresented groups appropriate for nominations for national office.
Creating a database to track the pool of potential minority and underrepresented nominees for national office.
Nine new position statements were approved by Trustees last month. These include a new position statement titled “Impact of Cannabis on Children and Adolescents,” which states, “Given the lack of scientific support for safe cannabis use, and the known adverse impacts and risk for addiction, APA opposes the use of cannabis by children, adolescents, and young adults up to age 25.”
Trustees also approved a position statement titled “Suicide Among Black Youth in the United States.” That statement calls for further research on the specific risk factors associated with suicide in Black youth and the implementation of effective interventions to address this issue. The statement also calls for the following:
Increased funding for health disparities research, with an emphasis on assessment, prevention, and intervention to develop best practices to address suicidal behavior in Black youth.
Removing structural barriers faced by the Black community in accessing treatment.
Exploring the role of social determinants as potential factors in understanding the increasing rate of suicide and low rate of mental health engagement in Black youth.
Trustees voted to approve U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey to receive the 2021 Jacob K. Javits Award for Public Service. The Javits award acknowledges a public servant who has made a significant contribution to the mental health community, such as ensuring access to quality services for individuals with mental illness. It is the highest award APA confers on a public servant.” ■
