Psychiatric-Mental Health Monthly News Digest September 2026

Key Developments:

• New research and evidence in JAPNA provides PMH nursing perspectives and suggestions regarding suicide risk and prevention.
• A national report identifies major and worsening workforce shortages in mental health crisis settings, including PMH-RNs and APRNs.
• One large study found modest advantages for video-based mental health services.

Clinical Practice & Care Delivery

JAPNA Study Examines Psychiatric Professionals’ Experiences Caring for Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth

• A JAPNA mixed-methods study of 31 pediatric acute psychiatric professionals examined knowledge, attitudes, comfort, and experiences providing care to transgender and gender diverse youth. Although 71% reported prior training or education, only 23% considered the amount adequate.

Nursing Homes Encounter Growing Behavioral Health Complexity Amid Antipsychotic Scrutiny

• In Skilled Nursing News, nursing-home leaders described rising demand involving psychiatric conditions, dementia-related behaviors, and substance use disorders as federal scrutiny of schizophrenia diagnoses and antipsychotic use impacts quality and reimbursement.

Hospitals Expand Team-Based Approaches to Substance Use Disorder Care

• Fierce Healthcare reported on hospital-based care models at Oregon Health & Science University and Yale New Haven Hospital that use multidisciplinary teams to assess and treat substance use disorders, initiate medications, and connect patients with ongoing care after discharge.

Suicide Prevention & Risk

Highlights from the Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Special Issue

Substance Use Was Associated With Suicidality Among Women Veterans:

• An analysis of 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data found that women Veterans had increased odds of suicidality compared with peers, and that substance use may predict suicidality for this population.

Review Examines Suicidal Ideation and Suicide in the Nursing Profession

• A review synthesized evidence on suicide risk in nurses, identifying chronic occupational stress, compassion fatigue, workplace bullying, moral distress, limited autonomy, and stigma around mental health help-seeking among contributing factors.

Study Identifies Proximal Suicide-Risk Indicators in Black Youth With Family History of Mood Disorder

• A longitudinal study followed 156 Black youth age 17 or younger who had a parental history of mood disorder. Twelve participants experienced suicide-related behavior during follow-up, with a depression diagnosis being the strongest indicator.

Artificial Intelligence

American Nurses Enterprise Establishes AI and Digital-Health Leadership Role

• American Nurses Enterprise appointed its first vice president of AI and digital health programs to coordinate nursing standards, ethics, education, research, advocacy, and implementation.

Kaiser Nurses Raise AI Concerns During Contract Talks

• California nurses held informational pickets at Kaiser facilities over staffing and concerns about the use of AI in patient care. KQED reported that nurses sought better staffing levels and limits on AI and raised concerns that AI could influence staffing decisions and care.

APA Examines Reports of AI-Associated Delusions

• Monitor on Psychology examined reports of delusional or destabilizing experiences associated with intensive chatbot use. The article discusses whether questions about AI use may be relevant during some psychiatric assessments.

Treatment & Clinical Evidence

Video Mental Health Care Shows Small Outcome Advantages Over Phone and In-Person Care

• A comparative effectiveness study published in JAMA of 813,699 Veterans found that outpatient video-based mental health care was associated with slightly lower expected rates of hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and suicide behaviors, as well as higher rates of completed appointments, when compared to those receiving care by phone or in person.

Serial Ketamine Infusions Reduced Symptoms in Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression

• In a randomized trial of 68 adults with treatment-resistant bipolar depression out of the University Health Network in Toronto, Canada, four ketamine infusions over two weeks reduced depression symptoms more than midazolam at day 14.

Long-Acting Injectables Were Associated With Fewer Bipolar Relapses and Hospital Encounters

• In a case series study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers compared long-acting injectable and oral antipsychotic treatment periods among 2,086 people with bipolar disorder in Hong Kong. LAIA treatment was associated with less health care utilization and fewer manic and mixed episodes.

Trial Examines Oral Semaglutide for Alcohol Use Disorder

• A Phase II randomized clinical trial published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that oral semaglutide was associated with reducing heavy drinking days and alcohol-related consequences among 50 adults with alcohol use disorder, though it did not significantly reduce craving or drinks per day when compared with the placebo.

Workforce & Practice environment

Global Evidence Brief Says Nursing Shortages Require Retention Policy, Not Recruitment Alone

• An International Council of Nurses evidence brief drawing on research from 42 countries found that working conditions, compensation, professional respect, career development, flexibility, and the ability to provide quality care shape both entry into nursing and retention. Purpose remains the biggest reason why people choose to enter the profession.

NRI Reports Worsening Workforce Shortages Across Behavioral Health Crisis Settings

• NRI’s 2026 Behavioral Health Crisis Workforce Shortages Report identifies major shortages in 988 and other contact centers, mobile crisis services, crisis stabilization programs, and short-term crisis residential settings, with nurses being among the occupations most frequently reported as being in shortage. These shortages have also increased in severity since the 2023 report.

VA Inspector General Reports Severe Staffing Shortages Across All Facilities

• VHA facilities reported 4,712 severe occupational staffing shortages in fiscal 2026. All 139 facilities reported shortages, including severe nurse shortages at 86%.

This summary was informed by human-guided AI tools. Readers are encouraged to review the linked sources for full information.