Laura Fuller writes, "During the COVID-19 pandemic, we all have taken a master class on living with ambiguity. We have had to pivot repeatedly, making many adjustments day after day and week after week. There have been challenges and opportunities during this time. In grappling with pandemic ambiguity, I have started to think of this time as “blursed.” Blursed is a combination of “blessed” and/or “cursed”—things that bring joy and comfort but also bother, confuse, or threaten us, which, in part, epitomizes the past 1.5 years. What do we do with this curse/blessing mashup?"

Students in the medical and physician assistant programs at University of Iowa will soon be learning more about addiction medicine. The intent is for more students at the Carver College of Medicine to learn about addiction-related topics, such as prescribing buprenorphine or taking an effective substance use history without judgement or stigma.

The Iowa Attorney General’s Office has signed an agreement with University of Iowa Health Care to develop a comprehensive, statewide opioid treatment program using $3.8 million in settlement funds. UI Health Care will be collaborating with a number of entities: state agencies, community mental health centers, harm reduction coalitions, healthcare collaboratives, county jails, medical societies, and more.

In collaboration with the University of Iowa Department of Psychiatry, alumnus Lucas Klein is working to support student mental health. He and Virginia Willour, PhD, will also collaborate with the new Iowa Center for School Mental Health which is housed in the College of Education.

A new study shows that individuals with bipolar disorder who are exposed to significant trauma may be at greater risk for suicide death, suggesting that clinical diagnosis of or genetic predisposition to trauma-related conditions could be important factors to consider in suicide prevention.

As we begin to return to the lives we lived before the pandemic, many of us are experiencing re-entry anxiety. Here is a breakdown of what re-entry anxiety is and some ways you can cope with this new mental health concern.

University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics psychologist Stacey Pawlak offers advice for a healthy return to routine following the COVID-19 pandemic.