News

Thanks to 1,000,000+ veterans in the Million Veteran Program (MVP), Veterans Affairs (VA) researchers—including Duke Psychiatry's Jean Beckham, PhD, and Nathan Kimbrel, PhD—are helping to change the future of mental health care for veterans. Beckham and Kimbrel recently contributed to a video series that highlighted personal stories and experiences from veterans and how researchers are using MVP's data to advance mental health research.

As part of the thriving collaboration between Duke University and North Carolina Central University, three NCCU students recently completed internships facilitated and managed by the Duke-NCCU Bridge Office, housed within Duke CTSI. The scholars, who made up the fourth cohort of NCCU students to intern with Duke Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, presented on their internship experiences during the program’s closing ceremony in April.

A recent study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research revealed a concerning link between Gulf War Illness (GWI) and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among veterans who served in the Persian Gulf War. Researchers found that Gulf War veterans experiencing GWI are significantly more likely to report suicidal ideation and behaviors than those who don’t have GWI. Duke Psychiatry's Nathan Kimbrel, PhD, was the study's senior author.

Jeannie Beckham, PhD, professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, received the 2025 John B. Barnwell Award—the Veterans Affairs Office of Research & Development’s highest honor for outstanding achievement in clinical science. The award is given in recognition of scientific contributions that change clinical practice for veterans.

On Sunday, March 9, the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development collaborated with Duke University's Nasher Museum of Art to host a sensory-friendly event for local families, where children made crafts and took tours of the galleries led by Nasher staff. This story illustrates through photos what a great time was had by all.

A new national epidemiological survey provides a demographic and diagnostic picture of people living with mental ill health in prison, those with criminal legal involvement in the last year, and those with no criminal legal history in the last year—finding significantly higher rates of five mental health conditions in incarcerated individuals and individuals with recent criminal legal history. The results are described in a study published on April 9 by Duke Psychiatry's Jeffrey Swanson, PhD, and colleagues.

A new report released by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions recommends that more states adopt comprehensive firearm purchaser licensing laws based on years of evidence that these laws are effective in reducing gun violence. Duke Psychiatry's Jeff Swanson, PhD, co-authored the report.

Anyone can be autistic. You probably know a friend, family member, or co-worker who is autistic. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how people communicate and interact, and how a person’s brain develops and functions, from infancy through adulthood. On Autism Awareness Day, this Quick Learner video from Duke University and the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development explains the autism spectrum.

In January, Duke Health opened a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) clinic at Duke Regional Hospital. TMS is primarily used to treat major depressive disorder but has also proven effective in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder and helping people quit smoking. Duke Psychiatry's Jacob Feigal, MD, is the clinic’s medical director.

Duke University has awarded distinguished professorships to 32 faculty, including 17 from the School of Medicine. Two of them—Gary Maslow, MD, MPH, and department chair Moira Rynn, MD—are members of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences.