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American Psychiatric Association Urges Psychiatrists To Focus On Skin Color, Race In Clinical Work
On the anniversary of George Floyd’s death this Tuesday, The American Psychiatric Association (APA) sent an email to all members calling for psychiatrists to use “anti-racism” in their profession, as reported by The Daily Wire.
Psychiatrists were encouraged to implement “anti-racism” initiatives and commit to fostering “mental health equity for all.” The email referenced an article in Psychiatry News titled “How to Incorporate Anti-Racism Into Psychiatric Practice.”
Ibram X. Kendi, a prominent figure on the left, accelerated the conversation about anti-racism after the publishing of his book “How to Be an Antiracist.” Kendi claims America is systemically racist and argues the way individuals should be treated is based on their skin color. One of the primary tenets of critical race theory that in order to not be racist, one must be “anti-racist.”
April 24, 2021
Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, PhD, Associate Professor Adjunct of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), has been nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Delphin-Rittmon faces confirmation in the next six to eight weeks. If confirmed she will lead the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which works to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.
Delphin-Rittmon has had several positions at the national and state level. At Yale she maintains a faculty appointment in the Yale Department of Psychiatry and has been Director of Cultural Competence and Health Disparities Research and Consultation at Yale’s Program for Recovery and Community Health (PRCH), which is affiliated with the Connecticut Men
Brain tissue analysis may help explain enduring mysteries about PTSD
A post-mortem analysis of brain tissue from people who had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may help explain enduring mysteries about the disorder, such as why women are more susceptible to it and whether a dampened immune system response plays a role in dealing with stress, a team headed by Yale University researchers has found.
The analysis of gene expression patterns in brain tissue located in four regions of the prefrontal cortex areas of the brain associated with higher cognitive function and executive control revealed distinct differences in those who had been diagnosed with PTSD and those who had not. Major differences in gene activity particularly affected two cell types in PTSD patients interneurons, which inhibit neural activity, and microglia, immune system cells in the central nervous system, the researchers report Dec. 21 in the journal
PTSD seems to be tied to gene expression changes in the brain
Still a ways to go, but it’s an important step.
Image via Pixabay.
Post-mortem analysis of the brain tissue of patients who had been diagnosed with PTSD are helping us better understand the condition. There’s still a lot we can’t make sense of with PTSD, including why women seem to be more susceptible to it, and whether an impaired immune system plays a part.
The brain of the matter
The analysis was led by researchers from the Yale University, finding differences in gene expression patterns between patients with PTSD and healthy people in four regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The PFC is associated with higher cognitive functions. These differences affected two types of cells in patients: interneurons, which inhibit neural activity, and microglia, immune system cells in the central nervous system, the researchers report.