APA President Calls Research Funding Cuts 'Devastating'

In today's edition of his video series addressing key issues in mental health and its treatment, APA President Jeffrey Lieberman, M.D., discusses important scientific advances in understanding mental illness over the last several decades and how cuts in research funding are likely to stall future advances. At a time when talented researchers are devoting their careers to uncovering more of the brain's mysteries and should be attracting increased funding, "Federal investment in research through the National Institutes of Health is currently $4 billion lower than the peak year of 2003 and at the lowest level since 2001. These deep cuts have forced hard choices," Lieberman emphasized, "destructive choices amounting to wide-scale de-emphasis of clinically oriented, disease-relevant research."

He called the funding cuts "devastating" since their effect could be to delay crucial discoveries and erode the cadre of researchers working in this field. "It's time that our government aligns its policies with our national interests and scientific opportunities. We need to prioritize the health of the nation to protect and to support biomedical research," he said.

View the entire video, as well as other videos in the series, here.