A Community Q&A and the Future of Psychiatry

Psychiatry & Society

H. Steven Moffic, MD, was recently asked to give a presentation for his local community of adults over 60 years of age. He suggested an "Ask the Psychiatrist Anything" session. Here's what they asked:

-Are boys being overdiagnosed with ADHD?
-Does psychiatric medication cause brain damage?

-Is electric shock treatment still used?

-Why are youth having so much trouble coping nowadays?

-Is stigma around psychiatry reducing?

-What do you think about 'woke-ism'?

-Does sleep and exercise help mental health?

-What do you think about the future of psychiatry?

He recommends other clinicians try this forum, as he found it fascinating and enlightening.

Dr Moffic is an award-winning psychiatrist who specialized in the cultural and ethical aspects of psychiatry and is now in retirement and retirement as a private pro bono community psychiatrist. A prolific writer and speaker, he has done a weekday column titled “Psychiatric Views on the Daily News” and a weekly video, “Psychiatry & Society,” since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. He was chosen to receive the 2024 Abraham Halpern Humanitarian Award from the American Association for Social Psychiatry. Previously, he received the Administrative Award in 2016 from the American Psychiatric Association, the one-time designation of being a Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Speaker of the Assembly of the APA in 2002, and the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in 1991. He is an advocate and activist for mental health issues related to climate instability, physician burnout, and xenophobia. He is now editing the final book in a 4-volume series on religions and psychiatry for Springer: Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, Christianity, and now The Eastern Religions, and Spirituality. He serves on the Editorial Board of Psychiatric Times.