what psychiatrists and physicians say, in their own words

Last updated September 20, 2026.

Read together, the 1,195 KevinMD posts on mental health say one thing consistently: the argument is no longer about whether mental illness is real but about who can get treated for it and whether the diagnosis is right. Posts mentioning shortage, waiting, or access rose from 4 percent before 2013 to 20 percent in 2023 and 2024. Psychiatrists on the site have argued for a decade that their own field overdiagnoses, and in the same years the posts about ketamine, psychedelics, ADHD, and autism have multiplied. Where they disagree, on stimulants, on antidepressants, on the DSM, and on what an AI chatbot should be allowed to do, both sides are on this page under their own names.

This page is a maintained record of what psychiatrists, other physicians, nurse practitioners, psychologists, patients, and parents have written about mental health care on KevinMD.com, a physician-authored publication founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, a board-certified internal medicine physician in Nashua, New Hampshire. It draws on 1,195 essays and podcast transcripts with a mental health term in the title, published between August 2004 and September 2026 by 505 named contributors, 627 of the posts bylined by physicians, 115 of them podcast episodes with transcripts, and 14 written anonymously. Of the 1,195, 398 were published from 2023 onward and 127 in 2026 alone, the most of any year. Every claim is attributed to a named author with the month it was published, quoted in the author’s own words, and linked to the original.

This record is about the care of patients. Physicians writing about their own burnout, depression, or suicide are on the Physician burnout: what physicians say, in their own words and Physician suicide: what physicians say, in their own words records, and the 236 posts of that kind were routed there rather than counted here. Opioid use disorder is on the Opioids: what physicians and pain patients say, in their own words record; the vaccine claim about autism is on the Vaccines: what physicians say, in their own words record; assisted dying is on the End of life: what physicians say, in their own words record. Each section opens with a direct answer, then what named authors have said, in the order they said it. Where authors cite studies or figures, the source is named alongside the author and the figures are theirs as of the date they wrote. Contributors who sell services into this subject are identified where they are cited. This is physician opinion and experience, not clinical guidance; anyone in crisis in the United States can call or text 988.

What do physicians say about getting mental health care?

Physicians on KevinMD say the same thing about access in 2014 and in 2025: parity is the law and not the practice, and the psychiatrists who exist are increasingly outside insurance. Posts mentioning shortage, waiting, or access rose from 4 percent before 2013 to 20 percent in 2023 and 2024, and posts mentioning insurance or parity have run near a fifth of the record since 2017.

Dinah Miller, MD, wrote in January 2014 from the patient’s side that “the hassle and financial risk are less if a patient sees doctors who participate with their insurance,” and that many psychiatrists do not, in “Why psychiatrists don’t take insurance.” Naomi Freundlich, a health writer, wrote in July 2016 eight years after the 2008 parity law that “we are not even close to achieving true parity,” in “We live in a culture of mental health haves and have nots.” Katherine Gantz Pannel, DO, wrote in October 2018 that “although the Parity Act guidelines are awash with great intentions, the enforcement has been abysmal,” in “Is there parity in mental health or are we still dealing with a paucity?” Glenn Mark Losack, MD, wrote in June 2022 of telepsychiatry in rural areas that “Because of the shortage of psychiatrists, these services may be the only option for psychiatric treatment,” in “How to fix the psychiatrist shortage in the U.S.” Alex Stavros, MBA, a health care executive, wrote in December 2023 that “youth mental health providers can’t make it work in-network,” in “To address youth mental health, we must address insurance barriers.” Steve Cohen, JD, an attorney, wrote in December 2024 of a mother whose insurer’s directory listed clinicians who were not in network that “Out-of-network mental health providers often charge hundreds of dollars per visit,” in “The hidden truth about ghost networks: one mom’s fight for mental health care justice.” Mitchell Berger, MPH, wrote in January 2025 that “Once informed about the concept of parity, Americans overwhelmingly support it,” in “Why the opioid crisis and youth mental health demand urgent parity reforms in 2025.”

What do psychiatrists say about their own field?

The sharpest criticism of psychiatry on KevinMD comes from psychiatrists. The recurring charges are that the diagnostic manual expanded faster than the science, that the field traded psychotherapy for prescribing, and that overdiagnosis is its central risk. The defenders answer that standardized criteria ended an era when two clinicians could not agree on the same patient.

David Kupfer, MD, wrote in July 2012 as chair of the DSM-5 task force that “Historically, disorders were classified in DSM by symptom manifestation and patient presentation,” and that the new edition would follow disorders across the lifespan, in “DSM-5 will capture the dynamic nature of mental illness.” Suzanne Koven, MD, wrote in May 2013 that “The DSM’s opponents have countered that this system is too subjective, not scientifically valid, and subject to abuse,” in “The controversy over DSM-5 and the cataclysm in mental health.” Allen Frances, MD, who chaired the DSM-IV task force, wrote in July 2013 that “the diagnostic system in psychiatry is broken and can’t be fixed internally by the American Psychiatric Association,” in “Why Congress should be responsible to fix mental health.” Steven Reidbord, MD, a psychiatrist, wrote in January 2015 that “critics often disagree about what is wrong with the field,” in “What does it mean to be a competent psychiatrist?” Dr. Saurabh Jha, a radiologist, wrote in November 2015 that “avoiding overdiagnosis is psychiatry’s biggest challenge,” in “DSM-5 is psychiatry’s maladaptation in the grey zone masquerading as science.” Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA, a psychiatrist, wrote in March 2024 of his colleagues that “They have become psychopharmacologists, content to let the drugs do all the work,” in “Psychiatry in 1984 vs. now: Has progress come at a cost?” Richard A. Lawhern, PhD, wrote in July 2026 of the DSM-5 that “in practice, it created incentives for overdiagnosis,” in “Why psychiatric overdiagnosis fails the students who suffer.” Laurel A. Coons, PhD, a psychologist, wrote in August 2026 of the years before DSM-III in 1980 that “clinicians could disagree substantially about the diagnosis of the same patient,” in “The limits of psychiatric diagnosis require honesty.”

What do physicians say about antidepressants?

Physicians on KevinMD defend antidepressants against the claim that they are a conspiracy and, in the same posts, concede their limits: a third of patients get no relief, pregnancy exposure is argued both ways, and patients describe adverse effects their physicians dismiss. Posts mentioning antidepressants or SSRIs ran at 19 percent in 2017 to 2019, fell to 2 percent in the pandemic years, and are back to 15 percent.

Dheeraj Raina, MD, a psychiatrist, wrote in October 2010 that “SSRIs and the antidepressants that followed them are a lot safer than tricyclics,” and listed the warning signs of a patient made worse by one, in “How an antidepressant can hurt your patient.” Elana Miller, MD, a psychiatrist, wrote in November 2013 after listing the objections she hears that “So as you might be able to tell, I am not anti-antidepressants,” in “How to know whether antidepressants will help.” Adam C. Urato, MD, a maternal-fetal medicine physician, wrote in October 2017 that “The second misconception is the notion that antidepressants might somehow not have effects on the developing baby or pregnancy,” in “Antidepressants and pregnancy: Let’s examine the misconceptions.” Christy Huff, MD, a cardiologist who went through it, wrote in March 2018 of benzodiazepines that “physiologic dependence and benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome are real and can present with a host of symptoms,” in “10 tips to help patients through benzodiazepine withdrawal.” Martha Rosenberg, a health writer, wrote in June 2018 that “The use of antidepressants almost tripled after direct-to-consumer drug advertising began,” in “Antidepressant use and the climbing rate of the suicide.” L. Joseph Parker, MD, wrote in November 2023 that “Thirty-five percent of patients will not go into remission or get any relief at all from SSRIs and SNRIs,” in “Can ketamine and SSRIs offer a complete depression treatment?” Tomi Mitchell, MD, a family physician, wrote in May 2025 asking “what would life look like without antidepressants,” and answering that the cracks in the system would split open, in “A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?” Scott McLean, a patient, wrote in November 2025 of a single dose of escitalopram two years earlier that “there are others who describe persistent adverse effects after SSRIs,” in “My persistent adverse reaction to an SSRI.” Mona Potter, a child psychiatrist, said on The Podcast by KevinMD in November 2025 of the trial that set the standard for childhood anxiety that “the combined CBT plus SSRI outperformed all of the other arms,” in “Helping children overcome anxiety [PODCAST].”

What do physicians say about ketamine and psychedelics?

No physician on KevinMD wrote about ketamine for depression before 2019 and posts mentioning ketamine or psychedelics reached 10 percent of the record in 2025 and 2026. The physicians who use them say the effect is real and fast; the same physicians say the marketplace of clinics and retreats has outrun the evidence and the regulation.

Erik Messamore, MD, PhD, a psychiatrist, wrote in March 2019 that “Esketamine is the left-handed subtype of the very old, very cheap, and very generically-available drug ketamine,” in “Esketamine is not a breakthrough new drug: Why the nasal spray for depression is old news.” Theodore Klug, MD, an otolaryngologist, wrote in June 2021 despite the patient reviews that “research into ketamine’s non-anesthetic powers is somewhat limited,” in “Ketamine’s non-anesthetic powers: Please wait for the science.” Lynn Marie Morski, MD, JD, wrote in February 2022 that “right behind MDMA in the line for FDA approval is psilocybin,” in “What doctors need to know about psychedelic medicine.” Corina Fratila, MD, an endocrinologist, wrote in May 2022 that “I had my first psychedelic experience in the middle of the pandemic,” in “Are psychedelics the heroes or villains?” L. Joseph Parker, MD, wrote in November 2023 that “Ketamine seems to be able to give substantial relief to some patients suffering from depression within an hour of administration,” in “Can ketamine and SSRIs offer a complete depression treatment?” Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA, a psychiatrist, wrote in September 2024 after sixty years of research that “there are currently no FDA-approved psychedelic medications on the market,” in “The long strange trip of psychedelic drugs.” Muhamad Aly Rifai, a psychiatrist, said on The Podcast by KevinMD in September 2025 that “Our work at the National Institute of Mental Health found that an intravenous infusion of ketamine at low doses,” had an antidepressant effect, in “A psychiatrist reflects on two decades of treating depression with ketamine [PODCAST].” Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD, a psychiatrist, wrote in January 2026 that “Psychedelics sit at the center of this pressure, with hope on one side and hype on the other,” in “Psychedelic-assisted therapy: science, safety, and regulation.” Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA, a psychiatrist, wrote in January 2026 that “The science behind psychedelics is more real than ever,” and that the retreats selling them are loosely regulated, in “Psychedelic retreat safety: What the latest science says.”

What do physicians say about ADHD and stimulants?

ADHD is the diagnosis physicians on KevinMD have argued about longest. In 2012 and 2014 the argument was overdiagnosis in children and the marketing behind it; since 2023 it is adult diagnosis, the stimulant shortage, and whether a clinician may decline to prescribe. Posts mentioning ADHD or stimulants fell to 5 percent in 2020 to 2022 and are at 18 percent in 2025 and 2026.

Emily Gibson, MD, a family physician, wrote in June 2011 of college campuses that “It’s as easy as bargaining with a roommate for one of their prescribed stimulant pills for $5,” in “Adult ADHD and academic performance in college.” Steve Balt, MD, a psychiatrist, wrote in February 2012 relaying Alan Sroufe’s argument that “ADHD symptoms may not entirely (or at all) arise from an inborn neurological defect,” in “Why we should eliminate the diagnosis of ADHD.” Allen Frances, MD, who chaired the DSM-IV task force, wrote in January 2014 that drug companies had run a disease-mongering campaign, “selling the ADHD ill to push their stimulant pills,” in “It is time to re-evaluate ADHD and return to safe practice habits.” Deenuka Kasinather, MD, wrote in March 2018 asking “Why do we turn a blind eye to adults that believe they suffer from ADHD,” in “Don’t ignore ADHD in adults.” Sara C. Mednick, PhD, a sleep researcher, wrote in October 2019 that “Nonprescription use of stimulants is a growing problem for young people,” in “Don’t use stimulants to cram for exams. It ruins sleep and doesn’t help test scores.” Christine Tran-Boynes, DO, a psychiatrist, wrote in February 2023 that “one situation has been stressful for my patients and me: the current nationwide stimulant shortage,” in “The effects of the nationwide stimulant shortage on a private psychiatry practice.” Emma Hostetter, MD, MPH, a family physician, wrote in September 2024 as the parent of a child with it that “I was struck by the complexity of the ADHD nervous system,” in “What medicine never taught me about parenting a child with ADHD.” Morgan S. Hardy, MD, MPH, an adult psychiatrist, wrote in October 2024 that “In the last ten years, rates of ADHD diagnoses in the United States have exploded,” and that patients arrive having read about it online, in “Is the surge in adult ADHD diagnoses helping or harming patients?” Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD, a psychiatrist and internist, wrote in November 2024 that “it is now widely accepted that ADHD continues into adulthood,” in “Why ADHD in adults is more common than you think.” Carrie Friedman, NP, who runs a psychiatry practice, wrote in November 2025 that in her functional and integrative practice “I do not prescribe stimulants for ADHD,” and refers patients who want them, in “Rethinking stimulants for ADHD.”

What do physicians say about autism?

Physicians on KevinMD have written about autism as a diagnosis that changed definition three times in one career, as an epidemic of concern that outran the condition, and, since 2024, as a neurotype rather than a disease. The vaccine claim is on the Vaccines: what physicians say, in their own words record and is not argued here. Posts mentioning autism fell to 3 percent in 2020 to 2022 and returned to 18 percent in 2025 and 2026, when federal officials revived the causation question.

Lisa Shulman, MD, a developmental pediatrician, wrote in March 2014 after 700 diagnoses that “a large and growing number of children referred for possible autism do not warrant that diagnosis,” and that “the definition of autism has changed three times during my professional career,” in “The difficulty in diagnosing autism: Feeling like judge and jury.” Wendy Sue Swanson, MD, a pediatrician, wrote in April 2014 of the 2014 CDC estimate of one in 68 that “Children who aren’t white don’t get identified as having autism as often,” in “Is autism diagnosed more frequently? Making sense of a recent study.” Britt Marie Hermes, ND, a former naturopath, wrote in October 2016 that “For kids with autism, I frequently prescribed very expensive supplements,” in “When naturopaths treat autism, children suffer.” Jessica Berthold wrote in January 2017 as the parent of an autistic son that “we should use our resources to assist the millions who live with autism every day,” in “Let’s spend money on autism support, not conspiracy theories.” Alycia Halladay, PhD, a research scientist, wrote in March 2017 that “questions about a purported connection between autism and vaccines have been asked and definitively answered: There is no link,” in “What are the real environmental factors linked to autism? Let’s focus on those.” Sharon McCarry wrote in April 2019 of preschools that close their doors that “kids with autism are a delight and full of potential,” in “Autism and advocacy go hand in hand.” Carrie Friedman, NP, who runs a psychiatry practice, wrote in January 2026 that “there has been a marked rise in adolescents and adults seeking autism evaluations,” in “Adult autism assessment: ADOS-4 vs. narrative interviewing.” Carrie Friedman, NP, who runs a psychiatry practice, wrote in August 2026 that autism is a neurotype and “It is not a disease to be cured, and autistic people do not require treatment,” in “Oxytocin for autism is the wrong question to ask.” Ronald L. Lindsay, MD, a developmental pediatrician, wrote in August 2026 that “For decades, I used a structured DSM-5 table that broke each criterion into its component behaviors,” in “Why clinical judgment alone is not enough for autism.”

What do physicians say about children’s and teens’ mental health?

Child psychiatrists and pediatricians on KevinMD describe a rise in adolescent depression and anxiety that began before the pandemic and was made worse by it, and they name social media, schools, and insurance as the places to act. Posts mentioning teens or adolescents rose from 9 percent before 2013 to 19 percent in 2023 and 2024.

Claudia M. Gold, MD, a pediatrician and the most frequent contributor on the subject, wrote in April 2013 that any plan to put mental health care in pediatric offices is incomplete without “preventive care focused on infancy and early childhood,” in “The co-location of mental health care services in pediatric practices.” Mary Giliberti and Stuart Lustig, MD, MPH, wrote in July 2014 that “School-linked mental health programs make it possible for children and families to receive help in a familiar, non-stigmatized setting,” in “3 innovations to improve mental health treatment.” Christopher Johnson, MD, a pediatric intensivist, wrote in April 2017 citing a study in Pediatrics that found “a nearly 50 percent increase in adolescent depression over the past 11 years,” in “The suicide rate is increasing. Why is that?” An anonymous physician, wrote in March 2021 that “Every week, I see a teen with depression and/or anxiety,” and then that the teen was their own, in “When the teen with depression and anxiety is yours.” Rachel Kowalsky, MD, Mary Birmingham, MD, and Shari Platt, MD, pediatric emergency physicians, wrote in April 2021 of children and adolescents in the pandemic that “Our patients are victims of COVID-19, and we must bear witness to their particular grief,” in “Dying of loneliness: the COVID-19 epidemic in children and adolescents.” Ruhi Saldanha, a high school student, wrote in September 2023 that “More schools around the country must recognize the benefits of integrating the option of mental health days,” in “A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools.” Ellen K. Feldman, MD, a child psychiatrist, wrote in March 2025 that “the average teen spends 4.8 hours on social media every day as of 2023,” in “How social media is shaping teen mental health and what we can do about it.” Mona Potter, a child psychiatrist, said on The Podcast by KevinMD in November 2025 that “by age 18, about a third of kids will at some point have had a diagnosis of anxiety or OCD,” in “Helping children overcome anxiety [PODCAST].”

What do physicians say about serious mental illness and psychiatric emergencies?

For schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and psychosis, physicians on KevinMD describe a system that lost its beds and replaced them with emergency departments, jails, and the street. Posts mentioning jail, prison, police, or homelessness have run between 6 and 13 percent of the record since 2004. The newest arguments are about cannabis and about chatbots as a cause of psychosis.

Steve Balt, MD, a psychiatrist, wrote in August 2012 of two faculty members in one journal issue that “One argued that it’s overdiagnosed; the other advocated for broadening our definition of bipolar disorder,” in “Why the diagnosis of bipolar disorder isn’t clear.” Allen Frances, MD, a psychiatrist, wrote in September 2013 that “We still have no biological tests for schizophrenia and no real understanding of what causes its symptoms,” in “The voices of schizophrenia: Treatment still has a long ways to go.” Janice Boughton, MD, an internist, wrote in January 2017 that as psychiatric beds closed “The number of severely mentally ill people who are homeless increased significantly,” in “Why America fails at psychiatric care.” Aida Cerundolo, MD, an emergency physician, wrote in August 2018 that “Mental health patients lacking adequate outpatient services often wind up in jail, emergency rooms, or prisons,” in “Let’s talk about the psychiatric boarding crisis.” Deepika Parmar, MD, a pediatrician, wrote in November 2018 that “The impact of imprisonment itself on mental health is worsened by conditions of confinement,” in “The problem with mental health funding and prisons.” Ken Finn, MD, a pain physician, wrote in January 2023 that “Cannabis-induced psychosis has been subject to debate but is becoming more prevalent in areas where use rates are increasing,” in “The dark side of cannabis: increased risk of psychosis.” L. Joseph Parker, MD, wrote in November 2023 citing the Department of Justice that “37 percent of the people in prison have a history of mental health problems,” in “From mental health facilities to prisons: a concerning shift.” Brooke Kempf, PMHNP-BC, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, wrote in June 2024 that “Here are five common myths about schizophrenia and the truth behind them,” in “Debunking the top myths about schizophrenia.” Ethan Evans, MD, a psychiatrist, wrote in May 2026 of mania that “It can involve psychosis, hospitalization, legal consequences, and financial devastation,” and that bipolar II carries its own risks, in “Why bipolar II is not just a milder version of bipolar I.” Carrie Friedman, NP, who runs a psychiatry practice, wrote in July 2026 of two hospitalized young patients, asking “Was this the onset of a primary psychiatric disorder, or was it cannabis-induced psychosis,” in “Is it cannabis-induced psychosis or bipolar disorder?” Nicole Drapeau Gillen wrote in September 2026 citing a King’s College London team that found “AI psychosis looks clinically different from schizophrenia,” in “AI psychosis is not schizophrenia. The difference matters.”

What do physicians say about preventing patient suicide?

This section follows safe-messaging standards: it records what physicians say about scale, contagion, and prevention and reproduces nothing about methods. Physicians on KevinMD have tracked a national rate that rose for two decades and now write about means, media, and machines. Posts mentioning suicide have held between 24 and 29 percent of the record since 2013. Physician suicide is on the Physician suicide: what physicians say, in their own words record.

Albert Fuchs, MD, an internist, wrote in June 2013 citing the CDC on 1999 to 2010 that “The number of suicides increased by almost a third over that decade,” in “Suicide in baby boomers: Convince them that hope is not lost.” Albert Fuchs, MD, an internist, wrote in August 2014 of contagion that “the idea that the romantic or idealized description of a suicide could trigger suicide in a susceptible person,” in “Broadcasting suicide in social media: A failure of responsibility.” Christopher Johnson, MD, a pediatric intensivist, wrote in April 2017 of adolescents that “Actual suicide is just the tip of the iceberg,” in “The suicide rate is increasing. Why is that?” Maureen O’Hagan, a journalist, wrote in September 2019 of a county that reversed its rate with local data that “national suicide rates have risen despite decades-long efforts to reverse the deadly trend,” in “To reduce suicides, follow the data.” Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA, a psychiatrist, wrote in May 2022 that obituaries avoid the word because “mental disorders remain the most stigmatized of all illnesses,” in “Why can’t we say the word, ‘suicide?’” Shivana Naidoo, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, wrote in August 2024 that “we always need to involve the parents or guardians so that they can be a part of safety planning,” in “Prevent youth suicide: essential steps for parents to secure their home.” James Barrat, an author, wrote in September 2024 of ages ten to twenty-four that “By 2018, suicides in this age group had increased 57.4 percent from 2007 levels,” in “Is social media fueling the teen suicide crisis?” Robert Pak, MBA and Thomas Pak, MD, PhD, wrote in August 2026 of a 23-year-old who died in 2025 that “Shamblin had talked with ChatGPT for hours on the day of his suicide,” in “AI chatbots and suicide: what our tests found.”

What do physicians say about AI and apps in mental health?

Psychiatrists on KevinMD went from scoffing at AI therapy in 2023 to writing, in 2026, about patients whose delusions a chatbot co-authored. The argument is not whether people will use the tools, which they already do, but what the tools should refuse to do. General AI in medicine is on the Artificial intelligence: what physicians say, in their own words record.

Jay Spence, PhD, a psychologist, wrote in November 2021 that “Many people are willing to use technology such as apps, modules, chatbots, and videos,” in “Mental health and the balance between technology and the human touch.” Glenn Mark Losack, MD, a psychiatrist, wrote in June 2022 that “Both patient and provider acceptance of telepsychiatry is high when measured via surveys,” in “How to fix the psychiatrist shortage in the U.S.” Weisheng Mao, MD, a psychiatrist, wrote in September 2023 that “Like many psychiatrists, I have scoffed every time I’ve heard about artificial intelligence providing psychotherapy,” in “Artificial intelligence in mental health care shows how lonely we really are.” Tim Rubin, PsyD, a cognitive scientist who develops such applications, wrote in May 2025 that “A meta-analysis of multiple studies from 2023 found significant reductions in depression symptoms among people using AI-based mental health chatbots,” in “AI in mental health: a new frontier for therapy and support.” Ronke Lawal, MBA, who is building an AI mental health product, wrote in October 2025 that “Consent must be continuous, not just initial,” in “Ethical AI in mental health: 6 key lessons.” Ronke Lawal, MBA, who is building an AI mental health product, wrote in July 2026 that “accessible conversational AI has not eliminated the need for ongoing emotional support,” in “Why most AI mental health apps feel like a loop.” Nicole Drapeau Gillen wrote in July 2026 that “A chatbot that refuses to assist with self-harm planning but will coach a patient on concealing symptoms from their psychiatrist,” is a failure of design, in “AI chatbot guardrails are strong only for suicide risk.” Robert Pak, MBA and Thomas Pak, MD, PhD, wrote in August 2026 of the Shamblin case that “CNN published an investigation of the case in which it reviewed nearly 70 pages of chats,” in “AI chatbots and suicide: what our tests found.”

What do physicians disagree about?

On ADHD, Steve Balt, MD, in 2012 argued for eliminating the diagnosis, and Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD, in 2024 that it is underdiagnosed in adults; Carrie Friedman, NP, does not prescribe stimulants, and Morgan S. Hardy, MD, MPH, asks whether the surge in diagnoses helps or harms. On the DSM, David Kupfer, MD, in 2012 defended the fifth edition, and Allen Frances, MD, a year later called the diagnostic system broken. On antidepressants, Elana Miller, MD, in 2013 answered the critics, and Martha Rosenberg in 2018 tied rising use to advertising; on pregnancy, Adam C. Urato, MD, argues the risks are understated. On ketamine, Erik Messamore, MD, PhD, in 2019 called esketamine old news, and Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD, has used ketamine for twenty years. On guns, Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD, a psychiatrist, wrote in October 2025 that mental illness is not the explanation and “I am not here to carry water for either side of the gun debate,” in “Is mental illness the root of mass shootings?” The record does not resolve these; it dates them.

What would fix it? What physicians propose.

Asked what would fix mental health care, physicians on KevinMD do not propose a single reform. The proposals that recur are parity that is enforced, payment that covers the cost of care so clinicians stay in network, psychiatrists placed inside primary care, and a diagnostic system rebuilt outside the body that owns it.

Allen Frances, MD, who chaired the DSM-IV task force, wrote in July 2013 proposing an eight-item agenda, including that “Congress should set up an agency to ensure much more careful vetting of risks and benefits,” in “Why Congress should be responsible to fix mental health.” Jeffrey A. Katz, PA-C and James Cannon, PA-C, physician assistants, wrote in November 2015 that “Antiquated legislation, impractical insurance coverage practices, and an increasing patient population have created one of the most severe provider shortages,” in “Mental health in America requires a collaborative solution.” Jennifer Reid, MD, a psychiatrist, wrote in March 2021 that “reimbursement rates for behavioral health treatment must be increased to match the cost of care provision,” and that psychiatrists should be co-located in primary care, in “We need a mental health infrastructure bill.” Jameta Nicole Barlow, PhD, MPH, a community health psychologist, wrote in March 2023 that “we need a new approach to mental health for underserved communities that considers that community’s historical context,” in “We need a new approach to Black mental health.” Mitchell Berger, MPH, wrote in January 2025 that “MHPAEA and parity, in general, have traditionally had strong bipartisan support,” and that enforcement must reach visit limits and prior authorization as well as copays, in “Why the opioid crisis and youth mental health demand urgent parity reforms in 2025.” Timothy Lesaca, MD, a psychiatrist, wrote in August 2026 that with too few psychiatrists, “One answer lies in the model of collaborative care,” and that residents should be trained to supervise it, in “Collaborative care must reshape psychiatry training.”

How has the mental health conversation changed since 2004?

The record starts with Kevin Pho’s short commentaries on news and studies from 2006 to 2011, 178 of them, counted here but not cited. The 2012 to 2015 posts are psychiatrists arguing with their own manual: Balt, Frances, Koven, Reidbord, and Jha on the DSM-5, bipolar disorder, and ADHD. The 2016 to 2019 posts add parity, boarding, prisons, and the first ketamine essay. The pandemic years are about children and loneliness. Since 2023 the record is about access, adult ADHD and autism, ketamine and psychedelics, and AI, which is mentioned in 27 percent of the 2025 and 2026 posts against 1 percent in 2017 to 2019.

Two things did not change. Stigma is named in 17 to 27 percent of posts in every period since 2013. And the physicians who criticize psychiatry most sharply on this site are psychiatrists, in 2012 and in 2026.

Term
2004 to 2012 (279 posts)
2013 to 2016 (178 posts)
2017 to 2019 (137 posts)
2020 to 2022 (203 posts)
2023 to 2024 (170 posts)
2025 to 2026 (228 posts)

Access, shortage, or waiting
4 percent
12 percent
7 percent
15 percent
20 percent
16 percent

Insurance or parity
12 percent
15 percent
20 percent
14 percent
18 percent
20 percent

Antidepressants or SSRIs
11 percent
6 percent
19 percent
2 percent
10 percent
15 percent

Ketamine or psychedelics
0 percent
0 percent
4 percent
3 percent
7 percent
10 percent

ADHD or stimulants
12 percent
19 percent
7 percent
5 percent
12 percent
18 percent

Autism
11 percent
13 percent
4 percent
3 percent
8 percent
18 percent

Teens or adolescents
9 percent
15 percent
12 percent
13 percent
19 percent
18 percent

AI, chatbots, or apps
0 percent
1 percent
1 percent
24 percent
31 percent
27 percent

Stigma
5 percent
17 percent
27 percent
16 percent
27 percent
14 percent

Jail, prison, police, or homeless
6 percent
13 percent
14 percent
11 percent
7 percent
8 percent

Suicide
14 percent
24 percent
42 percent
31 percent
35 percent
29 percent

Term frequencies are the share of posts in each period whose text contains the term at least once, computed on the September 20, 2026 corpus of 1,195 posts with one stored expression per term.

The KevinMD mental health corpus by the numbers

These figures describe the set of KevinMD posts this page draws on. They are counts of what KevinMD has published, not prevalence or clinical data.

Measure
Value

Posts in the corpus
1,195

Published 2023 or later
398

Published in 2026 (through September)
127

Named contributors
505

Posts bylined by physicians (MD or DO)
627

Podcast episodes with transcripts
115

Written anonymously
14

Kevin Pho’s 2006 to 2011 commentaries, counted but not cited
178

Posts not indexed, counted but not cited
196

Most frequent contributors
Claudia M. Gold, MD (20); Greg Smith, MD (17); Carrie Friedman, NP (15); Maria Yang, MD (14); Allen Frances, MD (14)

Posts routed to other records
236: 97 to physician suicide, 139 to physician burnout

How this page was built and how it is updated

The corpus was assembled from title searches for psychiatry, psychiatrist, psychiatric, mental health, mental illness, depression, anxiety, antidepressant, SSRI, ketamine, esketamine, psychedelic, psilocybin, ADHD, stimulant, autism, bipolar, schizophrenia, psychosis, PTSD, psychotherapy, therapist, counseling, eating disorder, anorexia, OCD, panic, loneliness, suicide, involuntary, 988, boarding, parity, benzodiazepine, and youth or teen mental health. Grief and stigma were searched and not used as terms because most matches belong elsewhere. Posts in which physicians write about their own mental health were routed to the physician burnout and physician suicide records, 236 in all, and are not counted here. Term frequencies were computed against the full text of each post. Posts are counted whether or not they are indexed; citations on this page are limited to posts that are indexed and can be verified at the link. 196 posts in the corpus are not indexed, including Kevin Pho’s 2006 to 2011 commentaries and podcast episodes without transcripts; they are counted but not cited. Quotations are taken verbatim from the original posts and were checked against the source text by script. Author credentials are as they appeared in the byline at publication. Patients, parents, and a high school student are cited at the same weight as physicians and identified as such. Contributors who sell services into this subject are identified where they are cited: Carrie Friedman, NP, runs a psychiatry practice; Ronke Lawal, MBA, is building an AI mental health product; Tim Rubin, PsyD, develops AI mental health applications. The suicide section follows safe-messaging standards and reproduces nothing about methods. Every source is linked in the sentence that cites it, and the full list appears at the end of the page. The closest archive is the Physician Burnout and Mental Health tag, which holds both this subject and physician mental health. Related records: Physician burnout: what physicians say, in their own words, Physician suicide: what physicians say, in their own words, Opioids: what physicians and pain patients say, in their own words, and Artificial intelligence: what physicians say, in their own words.

This page is updated as new mental health essays are published on KevinMD. When it is updated, the date at the top changes, the counts in the tables are recomputed, and new named claims are added to the relevant section. Nothing is removed unless the original post is removed. An author who believes a quotation on this page misrepresents them can write to Kevin Pho and the page will be corrected.

To cite this page: Pho K. Mental health: what psychiatrists and physicians say, in their own words. KevinMD.com. Updated September 20, 2026. https://kevinmd.com/mental-health

The 87 KevinMD posts cited on this page, in order of publication

• Dheeraj Raina, MD. “How an antidepressant can hurt your patient.” KevinMD, October 2010.
• Emily Gibson, MD. “Adult ADHD and academic performance in college.” KevinMD, June 2011.
• Steve Balt, MD. “Why we should eliminate the diagnosis of ADHD.” KevinMD, February 2012.
• David Kupfer, MD. “DSM-5 will capture the dynamic nature of mental illness.” KevinMD, July 2012.
• Steve Balt, MD. “Why the diagnosis of bipolar disorder isn’t clear.” KevinMD, August 2012.
• Claudia M. Gold, MD. “The co-location of mental health care services in pediatric practices.” KevinMD, April 2013.
• Suzanne Koven, MD. “The controversy over DSM-5 and the cataclysm in mental health.” KevinMD, May 2013.
• Albert Fuchs, MD. “Suicide in baby boomers: Convince them that hope is not lost.” KevinMD, June 2013.
• Allen Frances, MD. “Why Congress should be responsible to fix mental health.” KevinMD, July 2013.
• Allen Frances, MD. “The voices of schizophrenia: Treatment still has a long ways to go.” KevinMD, September 2013.
• Elana Miller, MD. “How to know whether antidepressants will help.” KevinMD, November 2013.
• Allen Frances, MD. “It is time to re-evaluate ADHD and return to safe practice habits.” KevinMD, January 2014.
• Dinah Miller, MD. “Why psychiatrists don’t take insurance.” KevinMD, January 2014.
• Lisa Shulman, MD. “The difficulty in diagnosing autism: Feeling like judge and jury.” KevinMD, March 2014.
• Wendy Sue Swanson, MD. “Is autism diagnosed more frequently? Making sense of a recent study.” KevinMD, April 2014.
• Mary Giliberti and Stuart Lustig, MD, MPH. “3 innovations to improve mental health treatment.” KevinMD, July 2014.
• Albert Fuchs, MD. “Broadcasting suicide in social media: A failure of responsibility.” KevinMD, August 2014.
• Steven Reidbord, MD. “What does it mean to be a competent psychiatrist?” KevinMD, January 2015.
• Jeffrey A. Katz, PA-C and James Cannon, PA-C. “Mental health in America requires a collaborative solution.” KevinMD, November 2015.
• Dr. Saurabh Jha. “DSM-5 is psychiatry’s maladaptation in the grey zone masquerading as science.” KevinMD, November 2015.
• Naomi Freundlich. “We live in a culture of mental health haves and have nots.” KevinMD, July 2016.
• Britt Marie Hermes, ND. “When naturopaths treat autism, children suffer.” KevinMD, October 2016.
• Janice Boughton, MD. “Why America fails at psychiatric care.” KevinMD, January 2017.
• Jessica Berthold. “Let’s spend money on autism support, not conspiracy theories.” KevinMD, January 2017.
• Alycia Halladay, PhD. “What are the real environmental factors linked to autism? Let’s focus on those.” KevinMD, March 2017.
• Christopher Johnson, MD. “The suicide rate is increasing. Why is that?” KevinMD, April 2017.
• Adam C. Urato, MD. “Antidepressants and pregnancy: Let’s examine the misconceptions.” KevinMD, October 2017.
• Deenuka Kasinather, MD. “Don’t ignore ADHD in adults.” KevinMD, March 2018.
• Christy Huff, MD. “10 tips to help patients through benzodiazepine withdrawal.” KevinMD, March 2018.
• Martha Rosenberg. “Antidepressant use and the climbing rate of the suicide.” KevinMD, June 2018.
• Aida Cerundolo, MD. “Let’s talk about the psychiatric boarding crisis.” KevinMD, August 2018.
• Katherine Gantz Pannel, DO. “Is there parity in mental health or are we still dealing with a paucity?” KevinMD, October 2018.
• Deepika Parmar, MD. “The problem with mental health funding and prisons.” KevinMD, November 2018.
• Erik Messamore, MD, PhD. “Esketamine is not a breakthrough new drug: Why the nasal spray for depression is old news.” KevinMD, March 2019.
• Sharon McCarry. “Autism and advocacy go hand in hand.” KevinMD, April 2019.
• Maureen O’Hagan. “To reduce suicides, follow the data.” KevinMD, September 2019.
• Sara C. Mednick, PhD. “Don’t use stimulants to cram for exams. It ruins sleep and doesn’t help test scores.” KevinMD, October 2019.
• Jennifer Reid, MD. “We need a mental health infrastructure bill.” KevinMD, March 2021.
• Anonymous. “When the teen with depression and anxiety is yours.” KevinMD, March 2021.
• Rachel Kowalsky, MD, Mary Birmingham, MD, and Shari Platt, MD. “Dying of loneliness: the COVID-19 epidemic in children and adolescents.” KevinMD, April 2021.
• Theodore Klug, MD. “Ketamine’s non-anesthetic powers: Please wait for the science.” KevinMD, June 2021.
• Jay Spence, PhD. “Mental health and the balance between technology and the human touch.” KevinMD, November 2021.
• Lynn Marie Morski, MD, JD. “What doctors need to know about psychedelic medicine.” KevinMD, February 2022.
• Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA. “Why can’t we say the word, ‘suicide?’” KevinMD, May 2022.
• Corina Fratila, MD. “Are psychedelics the heroes or villains?” KevinMD, May 2022.
• Glenn Mark Losack, MD. “How to fix the psychiatrist shortage in the U.S.” KevinMD, June 2022.
• Ken Finn, MD. “The dark side of cannabis: increased risk of psychosis.” KevinMD, January 2023.
• Christine Tran-Boynes, DO. “The effects of the nationwide stimulant shortage on a private psychiatry practice.” KevinMD, February 2023.
• Jameta Nicole Barlow, PhD, MPH. “We need a new approach to Black mental health.” KevinMD, March 2023.
• Weisheng Mao, MD. “Artificial intelligence in mental health care shows how lonely we really are.” KevinMD, September 2023.
• Ruhi Saldanha. “A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools.” KevinMD, September 2023.
• L. Joseph Parker, MD. “Can ketamine and SSRIs offer a complete depression treatment?” KevinMD, November 2023.
• L. Joseph Parker, MD. “From mental health facilities to prisons: a concerning shift.” KevinMD, November 2023.
• Alex Stavros, MBA. “To address youth mental health, we must address insurance barriers.” KevinMD, December 2023.
• Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA. “Psychiatry in 1984 vs. now: Has progress come at a cost?” KevinMD, March 2024.
• Brooke Kempf, PMHNP-BC. “Debunking the top myths about schizophrenia.” KevinMD, June 2024.
• Shivana Naidoo, MD. “Prevent youth suicide: essential steps for parents to secure their home.” KevinMD, August 2024.
• Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA. “The long strange trip of psychedelic drugs.” KevinMD, September 2024.
• Emma Hostetter, MD, MPH. “What medicine never taught me about parenting a child with ADHD.” KevinMD, September 2024.
• James Barrat. “Is social media fueling the teen suicide crisis?” KevinMD, September 2024.
• Morgan S. Hardy, MD, MPH. “Is the surge in adult ADHD diagnoses helping or harming patients?” KevinMD, October 2024.
• Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD. “Why ADHD in adults is more common than you think.” KevinMD, November 2024.
• Steve Cohen, JD. “The hidden truth about ghost networks: one mom’s fight for mental health care justice.” KevinMD, December 2024.
• Mitchell Berger, MPH. “Why the opioid crisis and youth mental health demand urgent parity reforms in 2025.” KevinMD, January 2025.
• Ellen K. Feldman, MD. “How social media is shaping teen mental health and what we can do about it.” KevinMD, March 2025.
• Tomi Mitchell, MD. “A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?” KevinMD, May 2025.
• Tim Rubin, PsyD. “AI in mental health: a new frontier for therapy and support.” KevinMD, May 2025.
• The Podcast by KevinMD, with Muhamad Aly Rifai. “A psychiatrist reflects on two decades of treating depression with ketamine [PODCAST].” KevinMD, September 2025.
• Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD. “Is mental illness the root of mass shootings?” KevinMD, October 2025.
• Ronke Lawal, MBA. “Ethical AI in mental health: 6 key lessons.” KevinMD, October 2025.
• Scott McLean. “My persistent adverse reaction to an SSRI.” KevinMD, November 2025.
• The Podcast by KevinMD, with Mona Potter. “Helping children overcome anxiety [PODCAST].” KevinMD, November 2025.
• Carrie Friedman, NP. “Rethinking stimulants for ADHD.” KevinMD, November 2025.
• Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD. “Psychedelic-assisted therapy: science, safety, and regulation.” KevinMD, January 2026.
• Carrie Friedman, NP. “Adult autism assessment: ADOS-4 vs. narrative interviewing.” KevinMD, January 2026.
• Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA. “Psychedelic retreat safety: What the latest science says.” KevinMD, January 2026.
• Ethan Evans, MD. “Why bipolar II is not just a milder version of bipolar I.” KevinMD, May 2026.
• Richard A. Lawhern, PhD. “Why psychiatric overdiagnosis fails the students who suffer.” KevinMD, July 2026.
• Ronke Lawal, MBA. “Why most AI mental health apps feel like a loop.” KevinMD, July 2026.
• Carrie Friedman, NP. “Is it cannabis-induced psychosis or bipolar disorder?” KevinMD, July 2026.
• Nicole Drapeau Gillen. “AI chatbot guardrails are strong only for suicide risk.” KevinMD, July 2026.
• Robert Pak, MBA and Thomas Pak, MD, PhD. “AI chatbots and suicide: what our tests found.” KevinMD, August 2026.
• Carrie Friedman, NP. “Oxytocin for autism is the wrong question to ask.” KevinMD, August 2026.
• Ronald L. Lindsay, MD. “Why clinical judgment alone is not enough for autism.” KevinMD, August 2026.
• Timothy Lesaca, MD. “Collaborative care must reshape psychiatry training.” KevinMD, August 2026.
• Laurel A. Coons, PhD. “The limits of psychiatric diagnosis require honesty.” KevinMD, August 2026.
• Nicole Drapeau Gillen. “AI psychosis is not schizophrenia. The difference matters.” KevinMD, September 2026.