Bio

Dr. Bhatia is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. She is a dual Board-certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist, specializes in treating anxiety disorders. Her work has been cited in Time magazine and Scientific American, and her professional opinions have been quoted in media such as CNBC, The Guardian, U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal, CBS News Bay Area, WUCF-TV (PBS), and others. Dr. Bhatia is President-Elect of Northern California Psychiatric Society. She is an avid advocate of improving mental health awareness and reducing the stigma surrounding psychiatric conditions and treatments. For her work in this arena, she was awarded the 2021 Jerilyn Ross Clinician Advocate Award by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and the Marian Butterfield award by the Association of Women Psychiatrists in 2018. Her other roles include serving as Section Editor for Current Opinion in Psychiatry, a Wolters Kluwer journal, for the last 7 years. She also served as Associate Editor of Current Psychiatry for 6 years. Additionally, she is a Compassion Educator and has received Teacher's Training in Compassion Cultivation Training. She is often invited to give talks at national, regional and local conferences and organizations. In addition to the key humanistic aspects of psychiatry, she also enjoys the academic and scientific aspects- during her residency training more than 14 years ago, she scored 94th to 98th percentile among all US psychiatry residents in the Psychiatry Residency In-Training Exams, and was selected as an Academic Chief Resident as a 3rd year resident.

She takes a whole-person biopsychosocial approach, aimed at understanding the biological, psychological, social, and other factors affecting an individual’s mental health. She integrates medication management (where needed) with psychotherapy. Her psychotherapy approach is informed by various evidence-based psychotherapies such as psychodynamic therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness-based, compassion-focused interventions. Dr. Bhatia’s other professional interests include ruling out medical conditions mimicking psychiatric disorders, effects of media and technology use in children and adolescents, mindfulness, bullying prevention, and compassion and empathy cultivation.

Clinical Focus

  • Psychiatry
  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Depression
  • Integration of Psychotherapy with Psychopharmacology
  • Psychotherapy
  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Compassion cultivation
  • mindfulness

Academic Appointments

Honors & Awards

  • Distinguished Fellow, American Psychiatric Association (2022)
  • Fellow, American Psychiatric Association (2015)
  • Jerilyn Ross Clinician Advocate Award, Anxiety and Depression Association of America (2021)
  • Marian Butterfield Award, Association of Women Psychiatrists (2018)

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations

  • President-Elect, Northern California Psychiatric Society (2024 - Present)
  • President Elect, Association of Women Psychiatrists (2023 - Present)
  • Corresponding Member, Council on Communications, American Psychiatric Association (2022 - Present)
  • Councilor at Large, Northern California Psychiatric Society (2022 - Present)
  • Secretary, Association of Women Psychiatrists (2021 - Present)
  • Newsletter Editor, Secretary-Elect, Association of Women Psychiatrists (2019 - 2021)
  • Associate Editor, Current Psychiatry (2018 - Present)
  • Executive Council Member, Association of Women Psychiatrists (2018 - Present)
  • Section Editor, Current Opinion in Psychiatry (2018 - Present)
  • Executive committee member, Global Mental Health caucus, American Psychiatric Association (2018 - 2019)
  • Editorial Board Member, Journal of Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry (2017 - 2018)

Professional Education

  • Residency: Saint Louis University School of Medicine (2010) MO
  • Board ReCertification, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Psychiatry (2022)
  • Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (2013)
  • Fellowship: Children's National Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship (2012) DC
  • Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Psychiatry (2011)
  • Chief Resident, Saint Louis University School of Medicine (2009)
  • Residency, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Psychiatry (2010)

Contact

  • Academic
    University - Academic staff Department: Psych/General Psychiatry and Psychology (Adult) Position: Clinical Associate Professor
  • Clinical (Primary)  Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences 401 Quarry Rd MC 5795 Stanford, CA 94305 (650) 724-9900 (fax)

Additional Clinical Info

Additional Info

  • Mail Code: 5722

All Publications

  • The impact of bullying in childhood and adolescence. Current opinion in psychiatry Bhatia, R. 2023

    Abstract

    Bullying is a common adversity affecting many children and adolescents. It has been shown to negatively impact the psychological well being not only of targets of bullying, but also that of bullying perpetrators and those witnessing bullying. Bullying is linked to depression and poorer mental health and functioning among children and adolescents. Given the high prevalence of bullying among children and adolescents and the negative mental health sequelae of bullying, this is an area of urgent public health concern. This narrative review brings forth recent research findings in this arena, which could help shape public health policies for addressing and preventing bullying.Recent findings demonstrate an association of bullying among children and adolescents with depression, nonsuicidal self-injury, sleep loss, reduced health-related quality of life, poorer rates of graduation from high school and later mental health problems. A recent systematic review also showed an association of peer-victimization among children and adolescents with activation of amygdala, left parahippocampal gyrus and fusiform gyrus, and alterations in other brain areas.Evidence indicates that bullying in childhood and adolescence is associated with higher odds of developing mental health problems; therefore, early identification and timely intervention is crucial.

    View details for DOI 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000900

    View details for PubMedID 37781982

  • Family Leave and Maternal Mortality in the US JAMA Bhatia, R. 2023; 330 (14)

    View details for DOI 10.1001/jama.2023.14933

  • Editorial: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of children and adolescents: updates from the last 2 years CURRENT OPINION IN PSYCHIATRY Bhatia, R. 2022; 35 (6): 390-394

    View details for DOI 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000822

    View details for Web of Science ID 000860865200007

    View details for PubMedID 36170240

  • Autism spectrum disorder in children and adolescents:Treatment options Current Psychiatry Bhatia, R. 2022; 21 (4): 13-39, 38

    View details for DOI 10.12788/cp.0234

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder: Keys to Early Detection and Accurate Diagnosis Current Psychiatry Bhatia, R. 2022; 21 (3): 10-13, 19-21
  • Editorial: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry CURRENT OPINION IN PSYCHIATRY Bhatia, R. 2021; 34 (6): 584-585

    View details for DOI 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000751

    View details for Web of Science ID 000700606300009

    View details for PubMedID 34507315

  • Editorial: Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on child and adolescent mental health CURRENT OPINION IN PSYCHIATRY Bhatia, R. 2020; 33 (6): 568-570

    View details for DOI 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000651

    View details for Web of Science ID 000587793200008

    View details for PubMedID 32858603

  • Micronutrient deficiency in childhood and ADHD ASIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY Bhatia, R. 2020; 49: 101959

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.101959

    View details for Web of Science ID 000528852400014

    View details for PubMedID 32086185

  • Editorial: prevention in child and adolescent psychiatry CURRENT OPINION IN PSYCHIATRY Bhatia, R. 2019; 32 (6): 525-527

    View details for DOI 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000553

    View details for Web of Science ID 000507378800009

    View details for PubMedID 31567531

  • Agitation in children and adolescents: Diagnostic and treatment Considerations Current Psychiatry Bhatia, R. 2019; 18 (6): 19-24,26,32
  • Editorial CURRENT OPINION IN PSYCHIATRY Bhatia, R. 2018; 31 (6): 471-473

    View details for DOI 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000459

    View details for Web of Science ID 000457131200007

    View details for PubMedID 30138137

  • Why We Need Compassion Training for Children in Schools: The Case for Compassion. World Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Bhatia, R. 2018
  • Providing Psychotherapy? Keep these principles in mind Current Psychiatry Bhatia, R. 2017; 16 (11): 35-36
  • Dozing off: Examining excessive daytime sleepiness in psychiatric patients Current Psychiatry Bhatia, R. 2017; 16 (7): 26-32
  • Rule out these Causes of Inattention before diagnosing ADHD Current Psychiatry Bhatia, R. 2016 ; 15 (10): 32-C3
  • The Impact of Paid Maternity Leave on the Mental and Physical Health of Mothers and Children: A Review of the Literature and Policy Implications. Harvard review of psychiatry Van Niel, M. S., Bhatia, R. n., Riano, N. S., de Faria, L. n., Catapano-Friedman, L. n., Ravven, S. n., Weissman, B. n., Nzodom, C. n., Alexander, A. n., Budde, K. n., Mangurian, C. n. ; 28 (2): 113–26

    Abstract

    For decades, national paid maternity leave policies of 12 weeks or more have been established in every industrialized country except the United States. Despite women representing 47% of the current U.S. labor force, only 16% of all employed American workers have access to paid parental leave through their workplace. As many as 23% of employed mothers return to work within ten days of giving birth, because of their inability to pay living expenses without income. We reviewed recent studies on the possible effects of paid maternity leave on the mental and physical health of mothers and children. We found that paid maternity leave is associated with beneficial effects on (1) the mental health of mothers and children, including a decrease in postpartum maternal depression and intimate partner violence, and improved infant attachment and child development, (2) the physical health of mothers and children, including a decrease in infant mortality and in mother and infant rehospitalizations, and an increase in pediatric visit attendance and timely administration of infant immunizations, and (3) breastfeeding, with an increase in its initiation and duration. Given the substantial mental and physical health benefits associated with paid leave, as well as favorable results from studies on its economic impact, the United States is facing a clear, evidence-based mandate to create a national paid maternity leave policy. We recommend a national paid maternity leave policy of at least 12 weeks.

    View details for DOI 10.1097/HRP.0000000000000246

    View details for PubMedID 32134836