Today the American Psychiatric Association issued the following statement from its president, Renee Binder, M.D., in reaction to President Obama’s announcement today on gun violence and mental health:
“We welcome the announcement from President Obama to make needed investments in mental health and curb the epidemic of gun violence in our country. Gun violence is a public health problem and needs to be addressed as such. We support the president’s efforts to expand background checks, propose policies that respect physician-patient confidentiality, and increase funding for mental health services by $500 million. We will work with Congress to make that funding proposal a reality, as we also work with allies in Congress who are championing comprehensive mental health reform.”
The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders. Visit the APA at www.psychiatry.org.