Mental Health

Includes the topics of psychological and psychiatric disorders including substance abuse, psychological and psychiatric responses to systemic disease, posttraumatic stress disorder, dementias, and the effects of stress on the human body and mind. Includes drug treatment for mental health disorders as well as substance abuse issues.

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SMJ Article | Original Article

Associations between Sexual Minority Identities, Heterosexism, Identity Concealment, and Depression in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Emerging Adults: Adjusting for the Effects of General Stressors

Objectives: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals experience stressors distinctively tied to their sexual identities, such as externalized and internalized heterosexism and identity concealment, which are correlated with increased psychological distress, including depression. The present study examined the variance in depression scores resulting from heterosexism, LGB identity concealment, and minority...

SMJ Article | Original Article

Relationship between Baseline Physical Activity and Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder Treatment Outcomes

Objectives: Generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder often benefit from medication and psychotherapy. Our aim was to determine whether a correlation exists between patient baseline physical activity and response to treatment. Methods: This was a retrospective study that included adult patients with anxiety and depression who received outpatient care...

SMJ Article | Invited Commentary

Commentary on “Burnout, Resilience, and Mindfulness in Healthcare Workers in a Medically Underserved Region During the COVID-19 Pandemic”

Burnout remains a significant issue among US healthcare workers. According to a recent study, 62.8% of practicing physicians report one symptom of burnout, and satisfaction with work-life integration dropped to 30%.1 Although alarming, these numbers do not indicate the other costs of healthcare worker burnout, including worse patient outcomes, healthcare...

Posted in: Infectious Disease120

SMJ Article | Original Article

Burnout, Resilience, and Mindfulness in Healthcare Workers in a Medically Underserved Region during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives: To evaluate employee burnout, work conditions, resilience, and mindfulness at an academic medical center in a US medically underserved region during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Methods: We surveyed employees from August 7, 2020 to January 17, 2021. Respondents completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the Areas of Worklife...

Posted in: Infectious Disease120

SMJ Article | Original Article

Characteristics of a Southern Intensive Trauma- and Psychiatric-Focused Recovery Program

Objectives: Treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs) is complex, involving biological, psychological, and social factors to be considered when designing effective programs. Trauma-informed psychiatric care integrated with a developmentally appropriate intensive 12-step approach is being used at A Reprieve for Women (Reprieve), a long-term intensive residential recovery program for female...

Posted in: Psychiatry4

SMJ Article | Original Article

Impact of COVID-19 Policies on Hospitalists’ Psychological Safety

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic brought about many changes in work environment and interpersonal interactions to prevent the spread of infection. Policies such as ubiquitous masking, virtual meetings, physician distancing, and decreased communal eating changed the inpatient work environment. This study aims to look at the impact of these...

Posted in: Infectious Disease120

SMJ Article | Letter to the Editor

Statewide Crisis Intervention Team Data

To the Editor: The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model1 of addressing interactions between law enforcement and citizens with mental illness has demonstrated efficacy in reducing the criminalization of mental illness and increasing safety.2,3 Nearly all of the datasets regarding CITs have been obtained from individual municipalities. In 2007 the Kentucky...

SMJ Article | Original Article

CME Article: Barriers to Mental Health Care Identified by Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals in Georgia and South Carolina

Objective: Geographic location can affect access to appropriate, affirming mental health care for sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals, especially for those living in rural settings. Minimal research has examined barriers to mental health care for SGM communities in the southeastern United States. The objective of this study was to...

Posted in: Mental Health22

SMJ Article | Original Article

CME Article: Association between Financial Barriers to Healthcare Access and Mental Health Outcomes in Tennessee

Objectives: A large number of people cannot afford healthcare services in the United States. Researchers have studied the impact of lack of affordability of health care on the outcomes of various physical conditions. Mental health disorders have emerged as a major public health challenge during the past decade. The lack...

Posted in: Mental Health22

SMJ Article | Original Article

Retrospective Study of Psychiatric Hospitalizations in a West Texas Mental Health Treatment Facility during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives: The association between the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and adverse mental health outcomes has been well documented; however, little is known about its impact in rural areas of the United States. This study aims to characterize and compare inpatient psychiatric admissions in West Texas before and during the initial...

Posted in: Infectious Disease120 Mental Health22

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