Welcome to the 20th WCP Virtual Congress Program Scheduling

COVID-19 is emerging as a unique and possibly historic global health threat. The physical and emotional burden of the epidemic’s initial phase has been felt most in China. Struggling to restrain the illness’ spread, China enacted measures with broad psychological impact, distinct from the epidemiologic focus of most news coverage. Courageous frontline medical teams, and their loved ones, suffered with painful uncertainty, separation, dislocation, constant exposure to infection and fatigue; while families in affected communities coped with prolonged disruption in routines and social isolation. We realized the chaotic and desperate situation in Wuhan, China, and recognizing and formed teams of professionals to provide telepsychosocial and other support. We will discuss the psychological consequences of this outbreak and highlight our approaches to mitigating the mental health implications for various communities. Dr. Mehman will establish an understanding of the COVID-19 epidemic and various health and governmental responses to it. Dr. Su will share her first-hand account, serving as a frontline physician treating both the physical and emotional manifestations of the disease on patients and peers in Wuhan. Dr. Pang, who is involved with several mental health organizations providing outreach services, will provide deeper analysis of the different psychosocial interventions that were implemented. Lastly, Professor Christodoulou will share his expertise and analysis of these approaches and future implications for disaster psychiatry. Through this symposium, participants will benefit from review of the important lessons of this specific and unique crisis, and share strategies that may be fruitful for planning future disaster interventions.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a newly emerging infectious disease cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe conditions. The disease is now spreading from China and affecting many Asian countries, including the Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and worldwide. WHO Director-General declared the COVID-19 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. COVID-19 threatens in many ways, and not just at the physical health. It also threatens the mental health of individuals and of whole societies. It makes the rising of concerns of widespread panic and increasing anxiety in individuals and society to the threat of the COVID-19 on many levels. Panic, anxiety, and stress have also been linked to the outbreaks This might be followed by anxiety-related behaviors, sleep disturbances, increasing consumption of substances, and overall lower perceived state of health. Peoples with mental disorders may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of widespread psychological threat and anxiety. According to the role of mental health professions, to follow and understand the real situation of COVID-19 can help patients, peoples and communities understand the potential impact of outbreaks and help society deal with this situation. In this symposium, we would like to share the situation, the survey of the mental impact, and lessons learned from the high-risk Asian countries, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand. We expect that this symposium will help to understand the psychological impact to better respond to future unexpected infectious disease outbreaks.

Objectives:-To share and discuss the importance of early childhood experience in lifelong health and how adversity affects both the developing brain and other physiological as well as psychological systems-To share and discuss what Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) initiatives are doing to respond to COVID-19 and the opportunities and challenges the pandemic has produces for professionals in the field-To share and discuss lessons from a health plan’s investment in Family vaccine program for community, policy makers and health care professionalsWhile children are not at high risk for contracting COVID-19, the pandemic has disrupted their lives and exacerbated challenges to children’s health and well-being. The economic consequences include increased food insecurity, housing and job instability could cause increase domestic violence rates during the pandemic. The short- and long-term impact of this constantly evolving situation is not evenly distributed and may have massive consequences for the most vulnerable children. This panel discussion brought together experts to provide information and guidance on early childhood development, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), COVID-19’s impact on mental health in children as well as viewpoint on strategy child protection programming for further challenging situations.

We will be discussing the development in a policy actions of mental health preparedness and response to the COVID-19 outbreak. We’ll also consider the role of community resilience to response to public health emergencies, and how community mental health vaccine – as a community intervention to promote mental well-being were implemented COVID-19 pandemic severely affected psychological and social well-being on individuals, families and communities.Strengthening community and social considerations in basic services and security are the two foundations of mental health and psychosocial support to prevent mental health disorders and protect psychosocial well-being. There are many plans and strategies which guide global governments to respond the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the feasibility and comprehensiveness of mental health guidelines are not yet integrated in the national response to COVID-19. Having been aware of the mental health impact by the COVID-19 crisis, the Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, established an action plan on mental health responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. One of the key actions is focused on implementing community mental health vaccine strategy. The strategy called ‘Community mental health vaccine’- a similitude of mental illness prevention which was created for responding to the COVID-19 epidemic in Thailand. The main theoretical basis of this strategy is community resilience which have been used to response to previous crisis globally. However, developing a strategy based on this theory and implementing at the community rise many challenges including communication and response in timely way, training and rising awareness, engagement community, etc. The core activities to support people’ s mental and psychosocial needs at the community level regard to key human basic needs in crisis – safe, calm, hopeful, and socially connected. Low cost recommend activities with based-on community network and relationship and community efficacy were guided to leaders in the community.

Of a total world population of 8.1 billion, the urban population will rise to 5 billion by 2030, and slum dwellers will have doubled to as much as 2 billion by 2030 (UN-HABITAT, 2006). Urbanization brings with it a unique set of advantages as well as disadvantages. Urbanization initiated rapid social change, disintegration and dissolution of social relations and decreased social control, which would contribute to develop mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, drug, alcohol and tobacco use, new forms of addictions, social withdrawal and sexually risky behaviors, self-destructive behaviors as deliberate self-harm and suicide. Isolation of urban youth are sources for Hikikomori and internet addictions worldwide. In addition, both manmade and natural disasters bring catastrophic damage to the urban dwellers. Megacities are now easy and frequent targets of terrorism. After the disasters, weak social control in cities increases cases of crimes. Urbanization poses heavy burden to the poor elderly population. Isolation, financial difficulty and loss of dignity of elderly are commonplace in megacities. They are prone to physical as well as mental diseases. Urban settings all over the world are very vulnerable to and heavily affected by COVID-19. Three speakers will report their experiences of three major cities affected by COVID 10.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the delivery of healthcare worldwide. The use of telehealth has exploded as many regulatory barriers to its use have been temporarily lowered during the pandemic. Year 2020 seems to be the turning point for telepsychiatry (TP), especially the home-based one. Standardized expensive, stand-alone video equipment has been complemented by web-based video platforms. In many places, both professionals and patients used free video software, such as Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, etc. However, data security is the biggest obstacle to its permanent use, once the pandemic is over. Meanwhile, the technology enables affordable and easily accessible, qualified service at a distance in a familiar environment.

Biological and neuro-scientific developments in psychiatry and medicine including precision-medicine should be accounted for in a person-centered approach. The first presentation clarifies the concepts of person-centered medicine vs. personalized medicine, and how the latter would fit conceptually within the former but not vice versa. The second presentation builds on these concepts and argues that person centered medicine provides the framework to deliver a more coordinated systems based approach to care. By promoting this holistic approach, our efforts in health care delivery can focus on understanding transitions between well-being and disease. By recognizing the biological networks and lifestyle influences that maintain well-being we can promote preventative strategies as well as early interventions to improve outcomes. Practical guidance is essential including measuring and evaluating response and improvements as well as a providing a reality based approach to implementation of person centered care within our current health care structure. The third presentation expounds person-centered psychiatry as a framework within which neuroscience and hermeneutics may be connected practically. It illustrates this by applying hermeneutics to the practice of neuro-psychiatry in a university teaching and clinical neuroscience research hospital in Hong Kong.

The symposium will illustrate the ways and means to prevent and reduce specific problems of megacities. These topics will include rural to urban migration, formation of megacities worldwide, loss of community, isolation, problems of youth, women, and elderly. Also, positive aspects of urbanization will be presented. Urban settings all over the world are very vulnerable to and heavily affected by COVID-19. The pandemic showed how social inequalities were critical to define the obstacles of implementing quarantine in the outskirts of large cities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The economic losses, unemployment, food insecurity, and increase in social inequality is generating acute stress which did mostly affect the mental health of the underprivileged in big cities. These chronic stresses may be associated with increases in depression and suicide, in a large scale. The presentation will comprise an update of the pandemic effects in peoples lives and how mental health systems of big cities are responding to this emerging demand. Humanity has never needed mental health professionals as much as it does now, and many countries are not prepared to deal with this new post-pandemic scenario. Mental health professionals are expected, in addition to a solidary commitment to care for people in distress, is that they adopt practices based on solid scientific knowledge.