APA’s Division of Public Affairs (DPA) has been busier than ever recently. In past years, the office handled around 2,500 contacts with the media regarding psychiatric issues. In 1999 that figure rose to more than 4,000. For the year 2000, DPA expects to handle more than 6,000 media contacts.

"That increase reflects our decision to concentrate on using media of all types, especially Internet media, to convey APA’s messages to the wider world," said John Blamphin, DPA director.

The DPA staff has been actively working to reorganize and redirect their efforts. "Our mission," said Lynn Schultz-Writsel, DPA deputy director for operations, "is to make ourselves the primary, credible resource for the media on psychiatrists and on psychiatric issues."

Being that kind of trusted resource, Schultz-Writsel told Psychiatric News, allows the office to effectively manage stories in the media regarding psychiatric issues and more positively promote APA’s position with regard to issues that occur daily in the popular press.

"Our members," added Blamphin, "are very concerned about their profession’s image—that many people do not know that psychiatrists are medically trained physicians, highly skilled in the diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. That is one of the major messages we are trying to communicate through the media."

Schultz-Writsel cited several recent events indicating that the staff’s efforts are moving in the right direction. DPA was able to respond quickly to a story on the ABC program "20/20" about "reparative" therapy that aired in February. DPA’s efforts included proactive, electronic distribution of a media advisory and fact sheet that affirmed APA’s position. The message was quickly delivered that APA "opposes any psychiatric treatment, such as ‘reparative’ or ‘conversion’ therapy that is based upon the assumption that homosexuality per se is a mental disorder. . . ."

When an article was published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) regarding the use of psychotropic medications in young children, DPA positioned APA as a resource to provide accurate information to the public. ABC again was the focus of attention when "Nightline" followed up the JAMA article with a story about ADHD and overuse of medications. DPA worked with David Fassler, M.D., chair of APA’s Council on Children, Adolescents, and Their Families, to provide a quick response to the program.

"DPA worked quickly," Fassler told Psychiatric News, "to facilitate media contacts that would ensure the perspective of psychiatrists and APA was accurately represented in both print and broadcast media." Although the issue remains controversial in the popular press, Fassler credited DPA’s efforts as helping to balance the information available to families. Schultz-Writsel notes that as a result of these efforts, DPA’s relationship with the ABC Television Network has developed into that of a trusted, primary resource, precisely the division’s goal.

In looking ahead, DPA has several goals. The division will devote more time and effort to revitalize and expand the Media Doc-on-call (MD-o-c) Program. The MD-o-c is a partnership between member psychiatrists and specific media contacts, usually reporters, editors, or producers. The doctors are the first-line contact for the media personnel any time they need information or resources on psychiatry and mental illness.

Carol A. Bernstein, M.D., a professor of psychiatry at New York University Medical Center and incoming APA treasurer, is a strong advocate for and participant in the MD-o-c program. "It’s an excellent way," Bernstein said, "to get our message out there into the public media."

DPA would like to have more than 100 active physician-media contact pairs by the end of this year. Also, Schultz-Writsel would like to develop more pairings between local physicians and local media outlets, as well as with the national networks.

Another issue that DPA will be working on in the next year is psychopharmacology, producing a fact sheet for the media. Additional items of interest include addressing appropriate and accurate psychiatric diagnosis as the cornerstone of treatment, research and the use of patients in psychiatric studies, parity between mental health benefits and other medical benefits, and confidentiality issues. Each of these items has gained the attention of the popular press, so it is vital that APA’s position on each is clearly spelled out in to the media.

With the world becoming increasingly connected via electronic media sources, DPA’s job will indeed shift to more electronic measures. "Regardless of the medium, the issues will never end," said Schultz-Writsel. "So there’s plenty of work for us to do."