Advocacy, Transparency, and Transformation at Yesterday’s Opening Session

APA leaders struck a positive, forward-looking tone that emphasized advocacy, transparency, and transformation during yesterday’s Opening Session. Below are selected excerpts from their remarks:

MARKETA M. WILLS, M.D., M.B.A., CEO and Medical Director: “Our mission remains unwavering: to promote the highest-quality care for those living with mental illness and substance use disorders. We share a fundamental vision of a society where mental health is recognized as essential to overall health and well-being. This vision is vital to our future—and make no mistake: Through our shared strength, it is attainable.

“Our foundation is strong because of the work that has been done. But strength alone is not enough. To sustain our relevance, expand our impact, and deepen the trust placed in us by patients, partners, and the public, transformation is essential.

“That is why we are taking bold steps—not to abandon who we are, but to ensure APA remains a beacon of leadership, relevance, and trust for generations to come. We are sharpening our focus on financial transparency, maximizing our efficiency and impact, and renewing our business model to reflect the evolving needs of our members and our field.

“Future-proofing APA doesn’t mean dismantling our foundation. It means building with more clarity, consistency, and purpose. It means creating a culture of transparency, collaboration, and mutual trust across every level of this organization.”

RAMASWAMY VISWANATHAN, M.D., DR.MED.SC., 2024-2025 President: “Colleagues, we are in the best of times in psychiatry, and also the most challenging times. When I chose a career in psychiatry, switching from internal medicine decades ago, many of my colleagues were aghast. Psychiatry was a very stigmatized field at that time. How things have changed!

“Now, psychiatry is among the most sought-after and prestigious fields in medicine. Twenty-five out of 200 graduating medical students in my medical school are joining psychiatry in a highly competitive process. This is due in large part to the amazing scientific advances we have made, the dedication of people in our field, and our interest in the whole person. However, we are also facing significant challenges to the science and practice of our profession.

“If there is one phrase that I want you to remember from my speech today, that is ‘the power of agency.’ We all have the ability to effect change in ourselves and our world. This is the foundation of psychotherapy, education, and advocacy, and one of the main drivers of progress in our field.

“While some of the challenges we face now may make some feel helpless, it is important to counter that sense of helplessness, believe in one’s self-efficacy and also in the outcome of one’s planned course of action. If you look back at the history of our advocacy, we all can be very proud of APA’s achievements. Believe me, I have been part of these efforts with many others in this room for four decades and know how far we have come. Knowing the people I have been working with in our APA currently, I am confident our field will continue to navigate challenges and emerge even stronger.”

THERESA MISKIMEN RIVERA, M.D., 2025-2026 President: “We are living in unprecedented times. Our profession is being questioned in ways that, I believe, are unfathomable for most of us, from the efficacy of evidence-based care, such as the use of antidepressants, to the need to address health inequities, to the dismantling of public mental health federal organizations, among others.

“The American Psychiatric Association has a strong and longstanding history of advocating for its members and patients. This will not change; in fact, it should be augmented.

“We need to be at the table as the leaders and experts in mental health; we must continue to educate the public, our legislators, and policymakers, especially at this time in our history. I look forward to the opportunity to work with the APA administration on this front.

“However, one area in which APA members can improve upon is mobilizing our collective grassroots efforts. While I understand this is not the activism some members wish to see, I am convinced that at this time, this is the type of action that will allow our members to have a voice and at the same time keep our organization at the table, instead of being blocked out from important discussions over the coming years.” ■