H. Herrman, Australia

Orygen and The University of Melbourne Centre for Youth Mental Health
Helen Herrman is Professor of Psychiatry at Orygen and The University of Melbourne, Australia, and Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre in Mental Health, Melbourne. She chairs The Lancet-WPA Commission on depression due to report in 2021, and is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Technology for Mental Health 2020-21. She has received the award of Officer of the Order of Australia and is past president of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) 2017-2020. She is also past president of the International Association of Women’s Mental Health and the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists. In the past, as Professor and Director of Psychiatry in St. Vincent’s Health Melbourne she led the development of an integrated area mental health service under Australia’s national reform of mental health care. For one year she acted as regional adviser in mental health for the WHO’s Western Pacific Region. Her research and practice interests in the fields of community mental health care, promoting mental health and women’s mental health include the mental health of marginalised groups such as young women and men living in state care. She led the WPA’s action plan 2017-2020, concerned with supporting the contribution of psychiatrists to global mental health.

Moderator of 1 Session

Date
Sun, 11.04.2021
Session Time
08:00 - 09:30
Room
Channel 3
Session Description
Proposed by the EPA section on Women, Gender and Mental Health -The first speaker will outline key areas where progress in women’s mental health has been made in recent years. They include an increasing recognition of the important role that maternal mental health in the perinatal period has for the developmental trajectory of children and family function, and an increasing awareness of the links between women’s physical and mental health and social determinants, including violence in the home and community. Effective mental health and other services that target affected women and their families are increasingly supported by policy makers. Intimate partner violence is widespread globally and the main burden is borne by women with a range of poor outcomes. The second speaker will present data of a recent population study that examines the strength of it’s association with mental disorders in in male perpetrators and will discuss implications for risk reduction. It is now well established that there are significant differences in the suicidality of men and women. The third speaker will examine what we have learnt so far about factors that may explain the higher risk of suicide attempts and lower risk of suicide in women and the implication for prevention strategies. Human trafficking affects an estimated 20 million people worldwide. The last speaker will present data on the prevalence of mental disorders in female victims. At least some women will come into contact with mental health services who have a key role in responding to their needs. The presenter will discuss appropriate assessment, interventions and training.
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Presenter of 4 Presentations

LIVE - Symposium: Recent Progress in Women's Mental Health (ID 253) No Topic Needed

Live Q&A

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Live, Section
Date
Sun, 11.04.2021
Session Time
08:00 - 09:30
Room
Channel 3
Lecture Time
09:08 - 09:28
LIVE - Symposium: Implementing Alternatives to Coercion in Mental Health Care (ID 635) No Topic Needed
LIVE - Symposium: Recent Progress in Women's Mental Health (ID 253) No Topic Needed

S0009 - Women's Mental Health: What Progress Have We Made?

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Live, Section
Date
Sun, 11.04.2021
Session Time
08:00 - 09:30
Room
Channel 3
Lecture Time
08:00 - 08:17

ABSTRACT

Abstract Body

Significant progress is being made in strengthening perinatal mental health support systems and in several related areas of women's mental health. Mental health support for women and families during pregnancy and the first year after birth – the perinatal period – remains a priority in most parts of the world. Mental disorders are among the most common perinatal health problems, with over 25% of women in many scarce resource countries and 10% in wealthy countries experiencing a disorder. There is growing recognition of feasible and effective ways to reduce the harm to women and children and their families through societal as well as health system initiatives. Successful initiatives including training and support for health workers and cross-sectoral work to prevent violence in families are operating in a number of countries. The presentation will consider how psychiatrists and other mental health professionals can contribute to the spread, scope and sustainability of this work, and other related contributions to women's mental health including the prevention of violence in the family.

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LIVE - Symposium: Implementing Alternatives to Coercion in Mental Health Care (ID 635) No Topic Needed

S0081 - The WPA Programme on Implementing Alternatives to Coercion

Session Icon
Live
Date
Mon, 12.04.2021
Session Time
08:00 - 09:30
Room
Channel 1
Lecture Time
08:00 - 08:17

ABSTRACT

Abstract Body

The call for alternatives to coercion in mental health care is growing both within the profession and among people with lived experience of coercion in mental healthcare. There is widespread agreement that coercive practices are over-used. Considerable work is warranted across the mental health sector and in communities and governments to ensure that people living with mental disorders and psychosocial disabilities uniformly have access to high-quality care and support that meet their needs and respect their personhood and human rights. The question of whether coercive interventions can ever be justified as part of mental health treatment, to protect rights holders’ own interests or on other grounds, is highly contested.

WPA issued a Position Statement and Call to Action in 2020: Implementing Alternatives to Coercion: A Key Component of Improving Mental Health Care after extensive consultation and review. The purpose is (1) to recognize the substantive role of psychiatry in implementing alternatives to coercion in mental health care and (2) to support action in this regard, essential to improving mental health treatment and care in all countries. The Statement recognises the diversity of views and experiences among mental health professionals, people with lived experience and their families and carers. This initial step is the beginning of a longer-term process, which requires continued engagement with WPA member societies, people with lived experience, families and other partners to encourage and support the implementation of alternatives to coercion in mental health care.

https://www.wpanet.org/alternatives-to-coercion

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