Psychiatric-mental health nurses on a roll!
APNA President Joyce Shea counts some of the ways APNA members stand out to benefit our profession.  Discover how you can too!

Paw-some session on service dogs
Laura A. Curtis fundamentally reshaped her understanding of psychiatric-mental health nursing through the use of service dogs in her practice. Now, she encourages other PMH nurses to take the leap. Dig in!

“We need to understand that youth are in a vulnerable place…”
What does Lisa C. Farmer, the subject matter expert behind the new APNA course Additional Strategies in Suicide Prevention: Youth, hope training participants gain? Find out how to expand your care

Overheard at APNA Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute
Attendees at CPI last month shared tried and true resources while attending virtual sessions. Find something new for your practice!

APNA Advocacy
This month APNA joined mental health and nursing organizations to support the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization, urge protections for Medicaid for persons with mental health disorders, and welcome new leadership to the National Institute of Nursing Research. See the letters

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released the results of the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which shows how people living in U.S. reported their experience with mental health conditions, substance use and pursuit of treatment. The survey found that among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years in 2024, 18.8% (nearly 1 in 5) had moderate or severe symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) including 10.6% who had moderate symptoms and 8.2% who had severe symptoms. Full story

FDA is taking a bold step to protect Americans from dangerous, illegal opioids by recommending a scheduling action to control certain 7-hydroxymitragynine (also known as 7-OH) products under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The FDA is specifically targeting 7-OH, a concentrated byproduct of the kratom plant; it is not focused on natural kratom leaf products. 7-OH is increasingly recognized as having potential for abuse because of its ability to bind to opioid receptors. The FDA is releasing a new report to educate the public about the health concerns of 7-OH and its distinction from the kratom plant leaf. Full story

Mental health hospitalizations are more common among adults with autism, with more than one-third of all admissions tied to mental health conditions for those with autism, reported Neurology Advisor. Full story

Information on mobility, phone usage, sleep-wake patterns, and other passive data collected by smartphones is associated with behavioral markers linked to multiple forms of psychopathology, including general mental health burden, reported MedScape.com. In a large observational study of community-based adults, researchers found that smartphone sensors that measure daily activities captured distinct behavioral signatures that may help identify when mental health symptoms are worsening. Full story

Quest Diagnostics will offer a newly FDA-cleared blood test to aid in the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD) before the end of the summer. The company will begin providing laboratory testing based on the Lumipulse G pTau 217/β-Amyloid (Aβ) 1-42 Plasma Ratio test developed by Fujirebio, the first blood-based in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test authorized by the FDA to help detect the amyloid pathology characteristic of AD in adults aged 50 years and older exhibiting signs and symptoms of cognitive decline. Full story

Adolescents belonging to racial minority groups are significantly less likely to receive mental health care than white adolescents, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study found that white teens were far more likely to access mental health care than racial minority teens. Across all mental health care settings, nearly 32% of white adolescents had visited a mental health care provider compared to 22% of Black adolescents, 24% of Asian adolescents, and 26% of Hispanic adolescents. Full story

Members of the U.S. House and Senate have reintroduced the Medicaid Bump Act, legislation that would increase the federal reimbursement rate for mental and behavioral health care services under Medicaid. Full story

FDA announced that the modification to the Opioid Analgesic (OA) Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) is complete. Pharmacies and other opioid analgesic dispensers can order prepaid mail-back envelopes from the OA REMS manufacturers at no cost. Prescribers and other health care professionals can learn more, including information on how to order prepaid MBEs, by visiting the OA REMS website. Full story

President Trump has signed an executive order that seeks to overhaul the way the U.S. manages homelessness, reported NPR. The order calls for changes to make it easier for states and cities to remove outdoor encampments and get people into mental health or addiction treatment. That includes involuntary civil commitment for those "who are a risk to themselves or others." Full story

The American Nurses Association has released a summary of nursing-related provisions within the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”. Access the summary

Several Representatives introduced the National Nursing Workforce Center Act to address the nationwide nursing shortage and sustain a resilient healthcare workforce. The National Nursing Workforce Center Act would establish a pilot program to support the development of state-based nursing workforce centers. These centers serve as critical hubs for research, planning, and programs that strengthen the nursing pipeline and improve workforce planning across states. Full story

APNA was one of the stakeholders selected to inform the Government Accountability Office on the study Medicare Advantage: CMS Oversight of Prior Authorization Criteria Should Target Behavioral Health Services. The recently released document says the GAO recommends CMS target behavioral health services in its audits. Read more

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) released new resources highlighting the continued need for policymakers across the country to invest in and expand mental health crisis services. While awareness of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has risen to its highest level since NAMI began tracking in 2021, new NAMI polling and a state legislation brief both highlight opportunities for policymakers to better support people experiencing a mental health crisis — amid broader concerns about the state of mental health care in the U.S. Full story

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.