A nice summary, with comments by my colleague Matt Lebowitz, of our research on perceptions of genetics as the cause of good and bad behaviors: www.psypost.org/why-people-t...

At the Univ. of Virginia, the Institute of Law, Psychiatry & Public Policy is conducting an oral history project on mental health & law to mark its 50th anniversary. Check out my recollections here: avalon.lib.virginia.edu/media_object...

New Publication from our faculty affiliate, @appelbap.bsky.social Can a person still claim the insanity defense if their mental state was affected by not taking prescribed medication? 📘doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.20250438

This Friday! Join our Journal Club to discuss the implications of subcontinental genetic variation.

“...the available data do not suggest that SSRIs make them more likely to engage in mass shootings. Indeed, to the extent that SSRIs alleviate their distress, they may reduce the risk of violence.” www.factcheck.org/2025/10/rfk-...

An excellent overview of laws on involuntary commitment of drug users. As I said, “Passing a law doesn’t create a system. Treatment of addiction is difficult and takes time. It is not something that’s going to be solved in 30 days.” www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/h...

🧬 What happens when a genetic therapy is made for just one patient? How do we support and regulate development? @sandrasoojinlee.bsky.social and @appelbap.bsky.social from our Division discuss the ethical implication of “research-treatment hybrids”. 🔗https://jme.bmj.com/content/51/5/jme-2023-109729

New pre-print online: Imputing parental genotypes through Mendelian Imputation: Ethical and Legal Considerations osf.io/preprints/ps...

An important alert on the implications of an Executive Order on "gold standard science" that many of us may have missed: www.thehastingscenter.org/gold-dust/

What do we know about how mental illness affects pretrial defendants' chances of reoffending or failing to appear for trial? Answer: Not very much. See our new article: A Scoping Literature Review of Mental Illness in Decisions Regarding Pretrial Release jaapl.org/content/earl...

Our analysis of the impact of abortion restrictions on mental health in pregnancy, just out today: :https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2836537?utm_source=bluesky&utm_campaign=content-shareicons&utm_content=article_engagement&utm_medium=social&utm_term=071625

Our systematic review or the literature on the psychosocial impacts of autism-related genetic testing is now online (in preprint format) at JAACAP: doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...

The capacity of newborn genomic screening to identify risks for conditions without effective treatments, along with diseases that may develop much later in life, can create challenges for parents and offspring alike: www.nytimes.com/2025/06/05/h...

The new American Law Institute Restatement on Medical Malpractice portends changes in how the courts assess clinician liability, with more emphasis on evidence-based care. Neil Kaye and I discuss here: psychiatryonline.org/doi/epdf/10....

Most firearms used in mass shootings in the US are legally acquired--and legal guns are associated with higher number of fatalities. Another reason why focusing exclusively on illegal possession won't stop the violence epidemic. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Flying under the radar, HHS announces it no longer intends to enforce mental health insurance parity rules. The inevitable result: markedly reduced access to treatment. www.statnews.com/2025/05/13/h... via @statnews

"let’s be clear: It isn’t institutions that are being punished. It’s the researchers who are the future of science in this country" What am I supposed to say to this generation of young scientists? www.statnews.com/2025/05/07/u... via @statnews.com

No one dies of "complications of schizoaffective disorder." Disturbing questions about the quality of care rendered people in ICE custody, including people with mental illness: www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...

In this new article, Stephanie Rolin and I review the expansion of liability for colleges and universities in addressing students with mental health issues: rdcu.be/ekaDC

To what extent should childhood abuse be taken into account in sentencing for murder of the abuser? The Menendez brothers' case is dealing with exactly that question: www.thefp.com/p/the-menend...

A study of AI chatbots for treatment of mental disorders has gotten attention recently, but we should restrain our enthusiasm until some key questions are answered: selection bias? appropriate control? duration of effect? human supervision required? www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Social isolation and loneliness are common problems that bring people into psychiatric treatment--and are widely prevalent outside of treatment settings as well. Clinicians need to pay more attention to these factors and help patients break the cycle of isolation. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

How the NIH dominates the world’s health research — in charts www.nature.com/articles/d41...

A fascinating and terrifying look inside the chaos at NIH--and an answer to the question of why, despite court orders, grant funding has not started flowing again: www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...

[Off-topic alert] The loss of geographic mobility in America and its effect on economic prosperity, social solidarity, and political polarization. The Atlantic's March cover story, adapted from my son Yoni's new book: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

PubMed, the indispensable online index of medical literature--essential for all types of medical research--seems not to be accessible. Another effect of the freeze of federal funding? What's next? pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

This report on the effort to characterize psychiatric treatment of some chronic disorders as "palliative care" includes my thoughts on why that's a really bad idea. psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/...

Very interesting look at how treatment expectancies for psilocybin vs escitalopram for depression affected a trial outcome. Spoiler: the psychedelic was only superior for patients with low expectations for the antidepressant. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

The UK is considering a bill legalizing physician-assisted death (likely being considered this week). I joined a number of colleagues in noting that the provisions would allow patients with treatable eating disorders to qualify, poor public health policy: www.bmj.com/content/387/...

Manufacturers of drugs or devices don't have to disclose risks directly to patients because of the “learned intermediary rule.” But the Calif. Supreme Court recently expanded the ways patients can get compensated for undisclosed risks. My latest: psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/...