The Mental Health Social Worker

News is often about human behavior, thus there’s a natural role for psychologists and other mental health professionals to work with the news media to help people understand behavior and other mental health issues. Bringing their knowledge to the millions of media consumers can help demystify mental health issues and give valuable mental health advice to people who might not otherwise seek or have access to such care. However, there are also professional and ethical obligations for psychologists doing media work. (more…)

Arlington, Va.- The American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) today renewed their call for a mandatory public registry for clinical trials in light of a study that shows medical research is published selectively, effectively suppressing and misrepresenting studies deemed negative. (more…)

Calls on APA To Develop Further Policies, Education To Protect Integrity of Research, Practice and Applications

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WASHINGTON, DC—Corporate funding – particularly from pharmaceutical companies – has the potential to create both individual and institutional conflicts of interest and could pose a threat to the integrity of psychological research and practice, according to a special task force of the American Psychological Association.APA’s Presidential Task Force on External Funding reviewed research, media reports and other sources to conclude that strong policies, education and continuing education are necessary to protect the integrity of the science and practice of psychology. The eight-member task force has recommended that APA set clear limits on its dealings with pharmaceutical companies and other corporate entities in specific ways, including disclosing relationships between these companies and any research published in APA journals. (more…)