Psychiatry and Mental Health

Mental health disorders are sometimes described as “silent” or “invisible” conditions because they are often not readily apparent or discussed openly and are underreported and undertreated. Nevertheless, in the United States, mental health concerns accounted for over 57 million doctor visits in 2019, and almost 6 million emergency department visits in 2021 [1]. About 1 in 5 U.S. adults are affected by mental illness, and 6% have a severe mental illness that limits life activities [2 3]. Over 49,000 suicides were documented in the U.S. in 2023 [4]. Rates of suicide, depressive symptoms, and other mental health metrics have increased over the past 10 years in U.S. youth [5].

Although therapy and treatments are effective in most cases, there is a large group for whom current treatments do not lead to full remission. There is a tremendous need to better understand the neurobiology of these illnesses and to find novel, effective treatments.

Neurostimulation techniques are one area with vast potential to shift the paradigm of psychiatric treatment. This treatment class includes transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), an FDA-approved treatment for major depressive disorder that is being investigated for efficacy in other mental health conditions [6], and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), which has shown great promise in major depressive disorder in preliminary studies[7]. Mind/body or integrative interventions like mindfulness meditation, yoga, and applied relaxation may provide promising therapeutic avenues [8 9]. Wearable electronic devices are providing the ability to gather real-time physiologic data that can be used in research and has the potential to inform diagnosis and treatment [10].

The Department of Psychiatry serves as the home department for numerous research faculty in centers across UNC to develop new treatments for people affected by mental health disorders. Psychiatry researchers collaborate with over 43 schools, departments, clinical divisions, centers, and programs at the University. By partnering with the Department of Psychiatry, the CRA partners with leaders in the field across UNC.