The APA's Two Medical Journals

Stephen Raffle, MD, is an experienced psychiatrist and forensic psychiatrist based in Kentfield, CA. In addition to managing Stephen M. Raffle, MD, & Associates in Kentfield, CA, he spends time engaging with a number of professional organizations, including the American Psychiatric Association.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) maintains two monthly journals: The American Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Services. The American Journal of Psychiatry stands as the most widely read journal of its kind in the world, exploring relevant psychiatric topics such as the impact of cardiovascular disease on individuals living with psychiatric disorders and improved treatment outcomes for alcohol use disorder, anorexia, opioid use disorder, and more. Recent articles include mental health perspectives on the discussion surrounding modern police reform.

Psychiatric Services, meanwhile, was established in 1950 and emphasizes research reports regarding the delivery of mental health services. The journal is particularly focused on individuals living with serious mental illnesses and the treatments they receive through community programs.

Both the American Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Services are available to read online at www.psychiatry.org. The website features a variety of related services, ranging from psychiatric podcasts to Editor’s Choice, which is a collection of articles from around the web on a specific psychiatric topic.

A Brief Overview of Chronic Pain

Kentfield, CA, psychiatrist Stephen Raffle, MD, has made several presentations and lectures for law offices and firms. In his time as a psychiatrist, Stephen Raffle, MD, has also spoken to many patients with chronic pain to understand their experiences.

Chronic pain is one of the most common reasons a person decides to visit a medical professional. Some studies estimate that 20 percent of adults worldwide suffer from chronic pain, and 7 percent of American adults say that pain interferes with their daily life. Chronic pain increases opioid addiction and suicidal tendencies. Those with Lyme disease see a 28 percent increase in suicide and mental disorders post-infection.

To help chronic pain patients, doctors use pain maps. Pain maps are an anatomical diagram of the human body with many different common pain sites, such as the neck, lower back, and shoulders. The patient rates the pain intensity by site, giving doctors and psychiatrists an overview of the symptoms. Descriptions of pain are subjective, which leads to misdiagnoses.

Sometimes health data tracking algorithms exacerbate the problem. They automatically flag patients with large amounts of controlled substances. For example, cancer patients were flagged 20 percent of the time because they see multiple specialists. Therefore seem suspicious to the algorithm.