During the COVID-19 pandemic, more adults in the U.S. have reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, up from one in ten adults to about four in ten. The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on mental health on communities of color, particularly African Americans, with 48% more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder than Non-Hispanic white adults (41%). In addition to increased anxiety and depression, other social burdens such as job loss have impacted other adverse mental health outcomes, such as substance use disorder. This program will discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of African Americans with two prominent leaders in their respective fields - Dr. Cynthia Turner-Graham, a board-certified psychiatrists and President-Elect of Black Psychiatrists of America, and Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, a key scientist behind the development of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine - will examine strategies and opportunities to improve the mental health of African Americans during the pandemic while also raising awareness and building trust in the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this educational activity, the learner will be able to:

• Provide an overview of the mental health inequities experienced by African Americans and their relation to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Dispel COVID-19 vaccine misinformation through the lens of a researcher and a practicing psychiatrist
• Communicate to current and new advocates about APA's existing resources supporting physician involvement in patient care, as well as resources on safely increasing access to care

Target Audience

Psychiatrists, medical students, residents/fellows, non-psychiatrist physicians, nurses, other mental health professionals

Estimated Time to Complete

Estimated Duration: 1 hour
Program Start Date: April 26, 2021
Program End Date: April 26, 2024

How to Earn Credit

Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™ or a certificate of participation may do so by completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned.

Continuing Education Credit

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The APA designates this enduring CME activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Faculty and Planner Disclosures

Presenters

• Regina James, M.D., Chief, Division of Diversity and Health Equity, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Cynthia Turner-Graham, M.D. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Kizzmekia Corbett, Ph.D. Dr. Corbett discloses the following relationships: Patent pending technology in many COVID-19 vaccines

Program Planners

• Regina James, M.D., Chief, Division of Diversity and Health Equity, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities

The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.

Technical Requirements

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:

• The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
• Internet Explorer 11+

This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Flash, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.

Optimal System Configuration:

• Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher

Minimum Requirements:

• Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
• Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content

For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance