Therapist Unlimited Blog

 

The American Psychiatric Association is a medical specialty society recognized world-wide.
Its over 38,000 U.S. and international member physicians work together to ensure humane care and effective treatment for all persons with mental disorder, including mental retardation and substance-related disorders. It is the voice and conscience of modern psychiatry.
Its vision is a society that has available, accessible quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment.

 

 

 

Members

 

 

The APA is an organization composed primarily of medical specialists who are qualified, or in the process of becoming qualified, as psychiatrists. The basic eligibility requirement is completion of a residency program in psychiatry accredited by the Residency Review
Committee for Psychiatry of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPS(C)), or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Applicants for membership must also hold a valid medical license (with the exception of medical students and residents) and provide one reference who is an APA member.

 

 

Vision

 

 

The American Psychiatric Association is an organization of psychiatrists working together to ensure humane care and effective treatment for all persons with mental disorders, including mental retardation and substance-related disorders. It is the voice and conscience of modern psychiatry. Its vision is a society that has available, accessible quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment.
 

Mission

 

 

The mission of the American Psychiatric Association is to promote the highest quality care for individuals with mental disorders (including mental retardation and substance-related disorders) and their families;promote psychiatric education and research; advance and represent the profession of psychiatry; and serve the professional needs of its membership.

Get to know more about the organization by visiting their official website http://www.psych.org.

 

 

 

 

The American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry (AAPDP) is a forum for physician psychoanalysts and psychodynamic psychiatrists to exchange ideas, find a voice within the American Psychoanalytic Association (APA) to advocate psycho dynamic understanding in the evaluation and treatment of patients, and take a leadership role in promoting the importance of psycho dynamic training in residency and medical education. Founded in 1956, the AAPDP is an affiliate organization of the APA.
The organisation publishes a Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry.

 

Mission
 

 

The American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry is an organization of psychiatrists interested in the application of psycho dynamic psychotherapy in clinical practice and in understanding emotional aspects of culture and art.
The aims of The American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry are:
•To provide a forum for the expression of ideas, concepts, and research in psycho dynamic psychiatry and psychoanalysis.
To constitute a forum for expression of and inquiry into the phenomena of individual motivation and social behavior.
•To encourage and support research in psycho dynamic psychiatry and psychoanalysis.
•To advance the development of psycho dynamic psychiatry and psychoanalysis in all other aspects.
•To develop communication among psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, and their colleagues in other disciplines in science and in the humanities.
 

 

 

Learn more about the organization by visiting their website http://aapdp.org/.

 

 

 

 

The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) is the alliance of state, provincial, and territorial agencies responsible for the licensure and certification of psychologists throughout the United States and Canada.
ASPPB was formed in 1961 to serve psychology boards in the two countries. Much of the impetus for its founding related to mobility for practitioners. By consensus, the first step was to create and maintain a standardized written Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). ASPPB has done so since 1965.

Today, in addition to creating the EPPP, ASPPB coordinates cooperative efforts of boards, facilitates communication among boards, maintains a Disciplinary Data Bank, issues a Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology (CPQ), advocates for the advancement of mobility by encouraging board acceptance of the CPQ and the ASPPB Agreement of Reciprocity (AOR), maintains a Credentials Verification Program (CVP), and provides a Score Transfer Service. ASPPB acts as a voice for those responsible for the regulation of the practice of psychology.
ASPPB has drafted a Model Act, Model Regulations, a Code of Conduct, and guidelines for the use and/or adoption by state and provincial psychology boards.
ASPPB also generates a number of publications to aid psychology students in preparing for licensure, as well as publications for practitioners. Several of ASPPB’s publications have proven to be of great interest to individuals preparing to practice psychology, to
licensed psychologists, and to academic and private institutions. Two of ASPPB’s most popular publications are Items from Previous Examinations, and Psychology Exam Scores by Doctoral Program (Previously: Educational Reporting Service).

 ASPPB Vision Statement:
 

 

 ASPPB is the international leader and knowledge resource in the regulation and credentialing of psychologists.

 In order to reach this vision, they commit their efforts to the following four activities:

       1. Offering exemplary examination and credentialing programs.
       2. Providing state of the art programs and services to all our stakeholders.
       3. Serving as the source for the most current and accurate information about the regulation of psychologists.
       4. Advocating for the critical consumer protection perspective in the on-going development of the profession.

 

 

Annual and Midyear Meetings
 

 

ASPPB hosts two membership meetings each year: the Midyear Meeting, normally held in April and an Annual Meeting, normally held in October.
These meetings take place at different venues each year. The meetings feature speakers who are experts in professional regulatory law, testing, issues facing regulatory boards, and administrative matters. The meetings are designed to offer educational and interactive
sessions for psychology board members, administrators, and attorneys engaged in regulating the profession.
The Annual and Midyear Meetings provide an opportunity to gain continuing education credits. ASPPB is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education (CE) credits for psychologists.
The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP).
ASPPB creates and maintains the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). The EPPP is used by 59 agencies in assessing entry-level knowledge to practice. ASPPB has an ongoing research and development program to ensure that the EPPP is valid and legally defensible.

For more information and queries their website is http://www.asppb.net.

 

SIOP is the premier membership organization for those practicing and teaching I-O psychology.  While an independent organization with its own governance, SIOP is also a division within the American Psychological Association and an organizational affiliate of the Association for Psychological Science.
I-O psychology is a dynamic and growing field that encompasses workplace issues at the individual and organizational level.

 

I-O psychologists apply research that improves the well-being and performance of people and the organizations that employ them.
This involves everything from workforce planning, employee selection, and leader development to studying job attitudes and job motivation, implementing work teams, and facilitating organizational change.
If this is your first time visiting our site, we invite you to browse through the wealth of information and resources available to visitors and members alike.

 

Mission Statement
 

 

The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology is a Division within APA that is also an organizational affiliate of APS.
The Societys mission is to enhance human well-being and performance in organizational and work settings by promoting the science, practice, and teaching of industrial-organizational psychology.  Towards this end, SIOP:

 

 

* Supports SIOP members in their efforts to study, apply, and teach the principles, findings, and methods of industrial-organizational psychology.
* Provides forums for industrial-organizational psychologists to exchange research, insights, and information related to the science, practice, and teaching of industrial-organizational psychology.
* Identifies opportunities for expanding and developing the science and practice of industrial-organizational psychology.
* Monitors and addresses challenges to the understanding and practice of industrial-organizational psychology in organizational and work settings.
* Promotes the education of current and future industrial-organizational psychologists.
* Promotes public awareness of the field of industrial-organizational psychology.
 

 

For better information on the organization simply visit their website http://www.siop.org/ now.

 

 

 

 

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) is a medical professional membership association representing the majority of child and adolescent psychiatrists in the United States.
Established in 1953, the AACAP is the leading national medical association dedicated to the advancement of medical contributions to the knowledge, diagnosis and treatment for the estimated 7—12 million American youth under 18 years of age who are affected by emotional, behavioral, developmental and mental disorders.
In addition to providing print resources to mental health professionals and the general public, the AACAP also works with government agencies and mental health groups to improve mental health care and influence public policy.
The Academy publishes the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry monthly.

Federal Advocacy
 

 

Despite treatment advances and better early identification, most youth with mental illnesses do not receive treatment. Some of the barriers to treatment include: a sever shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists, lack of adequate coverage of services within health care systems, lack of research funding, lack of community mental health services. The AACAP has a legislative agenda to help eliminate these barriers.

 

Member Benefits
 

 

The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry by far the most prestigious in its field, the monthly Journal is a primary source for the latest research and studies in child and adolescent psychiatry.
Members also have access to the complete Journal online archive as well as articles published online ahead of print.
 

 

To learn more about the organization you can visit their official website at http://www.aacap.org/.

 

Those frequent users of acetaminophen, a known pail reliever should avoid getting hooked with the medicine.
A new study has shown that acetaminophen may be associated with an increased risk of asthma and wheezing in both children and adults exposed to the drug.
The data was taken from a recent study made by researchers from the  University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, who conducted a systematic review and metaanalysis of 19 clinical studies (total subjects=425,140) that compared the risk of asthma or wheezing with acetaminophen exposure.

Based on the study, the pooled odds ratio (odds ratio for all studies combined) for asthma among users of acetaminophen was 1.63.
The risk of asthma in children who used acetaminophen in the year prior to asthma diagnosis or in the first year of life was elevated to 1.60 and 1.47, respectively.
Moreover, the study revealed a slight increase in the risk of asthma and wheezing with prenatal use of acetaminophen by mothers.
With the relevant data they gathered, the researchers speculate that acetaminophen’s lack of inhibition of cyclooxygenase, the key enzyme involved in the inflammatory response of asthma, may be one explanation for the potential link between acetaminophen use and asthma.

 

Mothers who are using microbicide-soaked vaginal and infant wipes to protect their babies from neonatal sepsis are in for a nightmare.
A recent medical study has shown that  microbicide-soaked vaginal and infant wipes to protect their babies from neonatal sepsis or transmission of disease-causing bacteria.
With this finding, medical experts suggested that other interventions are needed to target child mortality.
It is said that 900 000 sepsis-associated neonatal deaths per year arise in developing countries, mainly in the first week of life.
Early-onset sepsis poses unique opportunities for prevention because of intrapartum, vertical transmission of bacteria to newborn babies. For example, widespread use of targeted prophylaxis with intrapartum antibiotics in the USA coincided with a 70% reduction in early-onset group B streptococcal disease. Logistical and resource limitations, however, prevent use of intrapartum antibiotics in developing countries.In this randomised controlled trial, the authors (led by Dr Clare L Cutland, Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa) assessed the efficacy of intrapartum and neonatal chlorhexidine coated-wipes in reducing early-onset neonatal sepsis and vertical transmission of group B streptococcus.

 

 

 

Mothers seeking to protect their babies from neonatal sepsis could not find relief from microbicide-soaked vaginal and infant wipes.

 

 

The trial took place in Soweto, South Africa, and 8,011 women (aged 12-51 years) were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to chlorhexidine vaginal wipes or external genitalia water wipes during active labour, and their 8,129 newborn babies were assigned to chlorhexidine full-body (intervention group) or foot (control group) washes with chlorhexidine at birth, respectively. In a subset of mothers (n=5144 lower vaginal swabs and neonatal skin swabs were gathered after delivery to assess colonisation with potentially pathogenic bacteria. Primary outcomes were neonatal sepsis in the first 3 days of life and vertical transmission of group B streptococcus.
The researchers found that rates of neonatal sepsis did not differ between the groups (chlorhexidine 3% vs 4%). Rates of colonisation with group B streptococcus in newborn babies born to mothers in the chlorhexidine (54%) and control groups (55%) did not differ.
The authors say: "Use of maternal and neonatal chlorhexidine wipes did not prevent the occurrence of early-onset sepsis. This absence of benefit was corroborated by the lack of effect on vertical transmission of the main sepsis-causing pathogens, and on serious maternal post-partum sepsis."
They conclude: "Although several trials have raised hopes that chlorhexidine vaginal and neonatal cleansing would be beneficial in saving the lives of newborn babies, the results from our trial suggest that use of chlorhexidine wipes is unlikely to reduce neonatal mortality from vertically acquired sepsis. Other neonatal interventions are needed to achieve the Millennium Developmental Goal of reduction in childhood mortality."

A recent medical study has shown that mangosteen juice has anti-inflammatory properties which could prove to be valuable in preventing the development of heart disease and diabetes in obese patients.
Based on the study, medical experts discovered that the juice of the exotic ’superfruit’ can lower levels of C-reactive protein.
To get the data,Dr. Jay Udani, M.D. from Medicus Research, California, worked with a team of researchers to carry out a randomized, double-blind placebo controlled trial.
He said, "For people drinking over half a liter of mangosteen juice a day, the degree of reduction in CRP levels was statistically significant a reduction of 1.33mg/L compared to an increase of 0.9mg/L in the placebo group".

 

 

 

Mangosteen Juice offers rewards to obese persons against heart disease and diabetes.

 

 

Inflammation, as measured here by CRP, is a predictor of cardiovascular disease and a precursor of metabolic syndrome.
Reducing inflammation in obese people is a treatment goal, and a natural treatment may be preferable to other treatments which may carry the risk of side effect. According to Udani, "Further studies with a larger population are required to confirm and further define the benefits of this juice, which was safe at all dosages tested".

 

 

 

Here is a piece of good news to all those patients suffering from heart disease and cancer.
A recent medical research has shown that eating soybeans could cure and prevent heart ailments and cancer.
According to the study, soybeans contain high levels of several health-beneficial compounds including tocopherols, which have antioxidant properties.
These molecules can be used in the development of functional foods, which have specific health-beneficial properties and can be used in the treatment or prevention of diseases.
Tocopherols exist in four forms (a, ß, ?, and d) of which tocopherol is found in greatest concentration in soybeans.
However, a-tocopherol has the greatest antioxidant activity, and is the form converted to vitamin E in the human body. Thus, most interest for soybean tocopherols resides in a-tocopherol; however, certain health-properties have also been attributed to other tocopherol forms and interest for these remains. It has been suggested that all tocopherols could play a role in cardiovascular diseases and cancer prevention.
Although few studies have determined soybean tocopherols concentration in a range of genotypes or environments, none has investigated differences among several early-maturing genotypes grown in multiple environments.

 

 

Eating soybeans in a regular basis could keep you away from heart disease and cancer.

 

Such study allows for the determination of the tocopherols concentration range found in soybean, but also to determine how genotypes perform and compare to each other in contrasting environments. Such information is vital for both plant breeders and agricultural producers.
Researchers at McGill University, the Centre de Recherche sur les Grains, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Quebec have investigated tocopherols concentration and stability, with an emphasis on a-tocopherol, among early-maturing genotypes grown in multiple environments, and determined the relationship between tocopherols concentration and other important seed characteristics.
Their study was funded by research grants from the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries, et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Results from the study are published in the September-October issue of Agronomy Journal. The research was also presented in Beijing, China at the 8th World Soybean Research Conference in August 2009.
Philippe Seguin, who led the study, stated "The large variation observed among genotypes for a-tocopherol, the relatively high stability of genotypes performance across environments, and the lack of negative correlation with other important seed characteristics suggest that selection for high a-tocopherol will be possible. Such characteristics will also help in the development of functional foods, which requires consistency in concentrations of health-beneficial compounds." Research is ongoing to identify factors affecting soybean tocopherols concentration.
Preliminary results suggest that both specific environmental factors and management practices, such as seeding date, could significantly affect concentrations.
Getting a better understanding of factors affecting soybean tocopherols concentration will help in the development of a new value-added use for soybean and thus to diversify markets for soybean producers.

 

 

A recent study has recently uncovered the linked between kidney disease and depression.
Based on the result of the research it was discovered  that 20% of patients with early stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) also suffered from depression.
The research made by Susan Hedayati, MD, at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, has showed that the prevalence of major depressive episodes in chronic kidney disease patients is greater than those reported for patients with other chronic diseases including diabetes (11%), congestive heart failure (14%) and coronary artery disease (16%).
To get the data, the researchers studied 272 patients with CKD in stages two through five who they categorized as depressed or nondepressed based on the presence or absence of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) diagnosis of a current major depressive episode.
One in five patients met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria for a major depressive episode.

 

 

 

 

 

A recent study has shown that kidney disease and depression are linked together.

 

 

Hedayat revealed unemployment, psychiatric illness and diabetes were factors that seemed to contribute to depression in the chronic kidney disease patients they studied.
Moreover, Hedayat said patients with chronic kidney disease should understand that they are at increased risk for depression and ask physicians to monitor them regularly for signs of depression.
She said early screening is especially important since depression is associated with poor outcomes in patients with end stage kidney disease.
She added long term dialysis patients with clinical depression are twice as likely to die or require hospitalization.