Welcome to the 21st WCP Virtual Congress Program Scheduling

The congress will officially run on Colombian Standard Time (UTC-5)

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Filter - Live Sessions: Plenary / Presidential Session   |   Courses   |  Special Sessions  |  Presidential Forum  |  Spanish Language Sessions |  State of the Art Sessions  |  Interorganizational Symposia  |  Original Sessions | Panel Discussions | Thematic Sessions

Filter - Recorded Sessions:  Accepted SymposiaFree Communications | WPA Distinguished Lectures

12 Sessions
Session Type
  • State of the Art Session
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Hall A

State of the Art Session
Session Type
State of the Art Session
Date
10/20/2021
Session Time
01:30 PM - 02:30 PM
Room
Hall A
Chair(s)
  • Kerim M. Munir (United States of America)
Session Description
People with DSM-5 intellectual disabilities/intellectual developmental disorders (ID/IDD) or ICD-11 disorders of intellectual development (DID) have multiple unmet healthcare and mental health needs that are either unrecognized or managed ineffectively. The overarching goal of the WPA Working Group on IDD is to develop a balanced framework for addressing global mental health priorities for persons with IDD with a focus on preventing the impact of stigma, discrimination, and social exclusion, especially in low-resource contexts worldwide. The presentations will highlight three major themes: 1) severe underestimation of prevalence and burden of mental disorder in persons with IDD with an example of Mexico and Latin America, akin to other low-resource settings, where the situation represents a “perfect storm” of population growth with gains in childhood survival accompanied with increasing disparities in the index of poverty, low workforce and inadequate psychiatric training (Katz); 2) the newly established WHO Rehabilitation 2030 process for the development of Package of Interventions on Rehabilitation (PIR) for IDD can be integrated as a basis for disseminating knowledge and trainee skill sets (Roy), and 3) the Global Framework for Action Report will explore global examples of effective awareness building, family and community supports, service access, and promotion of high-quality research and regional networks (Munir). The mental health systems need to adequately engage representative groups of persons with IDD whose care can no longer be delivered based on one-size-fits-all assumptions that have gone untested and undervalued, with a need to leverage available resources for the implementation of evidence-based cost-effective services.
State of the Art Session
Session Type
State of the Art Session
Date
10/21/2021
Session Time
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Room
Hall A
Chair(s)
  • Thomas Wenzel (Austria)
Session Description
Introduction: Human Rights play an increasingly important role also in mental health, though most health care workers including those active in mental health are often not aware of relevant challenges, solutions, and standards. Methodology: The symposium will give a state-of-the-art overview of the relevant standards and examples for their use in practical situations. Relevant areas in mental health care include that of equality of access to health, the protection, and support of survivors of severe human rights violations, issues of gender and LGBT-related challenges, situations where persons have been deprived of liberty including prisons, pretrial detention, and refugee camps, and of research ethics under repressive regimes. Special factors such as the present COVID pandemic will be considered in regard to their impact on the above situations. Special considerations will be given to the practical implication of UN and WMA standards, and of programs to implement them. Summary: the symposium will bring important information on standards all Psychiatrists might face in their practical work but are frequently underrepresented in medical curricula and CME programs.

Hall B

State of the Art Session
Session Type
State of the Art Session
Date
10/21/2021
Session Time
12:30 PM - 01:30 PM
Room
Hall B
Chair(s)
  • Henriette Raventos (Costa Rica)
Session Description
Genetic factors play a substantial role in the etiology and course of all mental disorders as well in the way patients respond to treatment. There has been long-standing hope that genetic research will eventually deepen our understanding of mental disorders; most importantly to translating benefit to patients. How this hope has finally started to materialize and which role the WPA may play in, not only furthering the process, but by establishing fair participation in research, will be illustrated in this lecture. The most prestigious representatives of their fields will cover in their talks the whole range of topics from genetic testing and counselling to the potential effects of psychiatric genetics on patients and society as a whole, as well as the role the WPA can take in this path. Prof. Brenda Finucane: Diagnostic genetic testing: closing the gap between recommendation and clinical implementation. Prof. Jehannine Austin: Genetic Counselling for Mental Health Disorders Prof. Henrietta Raventos: Effects of Psychiatric Genomics on Beliefs, Practices and Policies in Costa Rica.

Hall C

State of the Art Session
Session Type
State of the Art Session
Date
10/20/2021
Session Time
01:30 PM - 02:30 PM
Room
Hall C
Chair(s)
  • Jair De J. Mari (Brazil)
Session Description
Several stressors associated with the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic are expected to affect the mental health of global populations: the effects of physical distancing, quarantine, and social isolation; the emotional suffering of health and other frontline workers; neuropsychiatric sequelae in those affected by the virus; the impact to families of lives lost to the disease; differential effects for those with severe mental disorders; and the consequences of social and economic deterioration. The predictable, multiple psychological issues from COVID-19 will demand a much more organized response than is currently possible due to the lack of psychiatric care in many parts of the globe, especially in the low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). This symposium will focus on translating science into policy during and after the pandemic, the effect of cash transfer programmes and the actual COVID-19 response in African Cities. The example of translating science into policy will be presented by Dr. Jair Mari, who prepared guidelines for the Brazilian reality which could be extended to other LMIC. Moreover, Dr. Sara Evans-Lacko will display a summary of globally implemented cash transfer programmes to be adopted by LMIC. To overlook the pandemic situation in African cities, Dr. Palmira Santos will be presenting policies embraced by mental health systems in Africa to deal with the needs of these populations. Thus, the symposium will be presenting evidence based mental health policy responses that can be applied in LMIC urban sites.
State of the Art Session
Session Type
State of the Art Session
Date
10/21/2021
Session Time
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Room
Hall C
Chair(s)
  • Peter Falkai (Germany)
Session Description
State-of-the-Art Symposium (SoAS) on delivering best care for patients with schizophrenia. Veronica Larach Reports on "Suspected first episode psychosis and accessibility : the role of primary care and the health network”. Wolfgang Gaebel reports on "Guideline-based longterm Treatment". Peter Falkai reports on "From early intervention to effective long-term Treatment".

Hall D

State of the Art Session
Session Type
State of the Art Session
Date
10/19/2021
Session Time
01:30 PM - 02:30 PM
Room
Hall D
Chair(s)
  • Thomas Schulze (Germany)
Session Description
Globalization is exposing old and new forms of violations of human rights worldwide, particularly against people with severe mental illness. Global mental health efforts without discussions and actions to protect human rights would fail the purpose of caring for the most vulnerable. In general terms, there is global agreement on the need and importance of human rights, yet gross and subtle violations of those keep happening, sometimes justified with cultural relativism and nations’ sovereignty over ‘domestic affairs’. Complaints are frequently silenced and rarely followed by action. In this session, an international panel of speakers will hold an honest conversation on the current global state of human rights as they affect mental health, and will be a call for colleagues to become active advocates for social justice. At a clinical level, many psychiatrists are responsible for the care of victims of persecution, torture, and other violations, which take a toll on victim’s mental health. At global research, policymaking, and networking level, psychiatrists are required to engage in courageous cross-cultural conversations and actions to ensure the human rights of everyone, everywhere, especially of people with mental disorders. The session will be chaired by Prof. Schulze, Secretary of Scientific Sections of WPA; and the panel will include Prof. Wenzel, an expert in psychiatric care for victims of torture; Dr. Handuleh, a psychiatric trainee in Ethiopia with lived experience of war; and Dr. Pereira-Sanchez, a psychiatrist in New York, founder of the World Network of Psychiatric Trainees and the Global Mental Health Think Tank.
State of the Art Session
Session Type
State of the Art Session
Date
10/20/2021
Session Time
03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Room
Hall D
Chair(s)
  • Meryam Schouler-Ocak (Germany)
Session Description
Refugees, asylum seeker and immigrants across the world face social, psychological and economical challenges linked to their unsecure status, and there is evident that Covid-19 Pandemic acts as a burning glass and increases their burden and suffering. Findings highlight the need for mental health prevention strategies for populations at risk, who already were facing psychosocial adversities before quarantine or isolation including those with low income, lack of social networks, or mental health problems. People who are already facing psychosocial adversities before quarantine or isolation (including persons with low income, lack of social networks, or mental health problems) appear to be among those vulnerable groups at greatest risk for negative psychological outcomes of the pandemic. Refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants belong to vulnerable groups with a high risk for mental health problems associated with psychosocial adversities, such as social isolation, financial loss, inadequate supplies and information, stigma, and fear of infection. Most of them are living in very bad conditions in housings or camps, where they could not meet the basic measures of hygienic and the containment measures. Regardless, people who are quarantined or isolated are at increased risk of mental health problems, especially depression, anxiety, stress-related disorders and anger. In addition, they face many barriers to accessing health care and preventive measures. For these reasons, we will focus more on these vulnerable groups in this state of the art symposium of the TP-Section.
State of the Art Session
Session Type
State of the Art Session
Date
10/21/2021
Session Time
09:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Room
Hall D
Chair(s)
  • Umberto Volpe (Italy)
Session Description
Virtual clinics comprise the usage of interactive synchronous (i.e., 2-way) communication. Moreover, E mental Health may include the process of mental health assessment, diagnosis, online-based interventions, consultations, supervision, and information across distance. The real-time interaction is provided between a psychiatrist and a patient who is located at a distant site from the physician or other qualified health care professional. COVID-19 supported the Use of virtual care to be disseminated in each country worldwide, in order to guarantee the continuity of mental health care access, and supporting social distancing restrictions. Therefore, the present symposium aims at overviewing the current state-of-the-art about E Mental Health clinical practice, by providing the current landscape in each World Health Organization Regions.

Hall E

State of the Art Session
Session Type
State of the Art Session
Date
10/18/2021
Session Time
11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Room
Hall E
Chair(s)
  • Ann Færden (Norway)
Session Description
There are many differences between how mental health is handled in different countries, but there are also many things in common. Therefore, it is in our best interest to find a model that could be useful in many places of the world. This symposium draws on models of care from several countries, including Mexico, Germany, Norway and Australia. A country’s citizens have a right to the certainty of receiving good mental health services without discrimination or stigma. What are the characteristics of the similarities and differences and what do these countries have in common? We review the experiences of how people gain access to mental health services (or not) and what they can expect from these services. Mental health services in many countries are fragmented and, in some places, not accessible to those in need. We review some of this fragmentation and lack of access in several countries, and propose some key factors that could improve services. We will especially make examples from Australia with interdisciplinary teams, workforce team training, supervision, knowledge exchange and communities-of-practice systems and individual and group pastoral mentoring systems.
State of the Art Session
Session Type
State of the Art Session
Date
10/20/2021
Session Time
03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Room
Hall E
Chair(s)
  • Juan E. Mezzich (United States of America)
Session Description
This Intersectional Symposium entitled “Intersectional Symposium on the Historical, Philosophical and Anthropological Framework of Diagnosis in Psychiatry” is organized collaboratively between the WPA Section on Classification, Diagnostic Assessments and Nomenclature and the WPA Section on Philosophy and Humanities in Psychiatry. Presenters are officials of the corresponding Sections (Prof. Werdie Van Staden, WPA Section on Philosophy and Humanities in Psychiatry and Prof. Juan Mezzich and Prof. Lourdes Corado, WPA Section on Classification). This symposium will address crucial issues in psychiatric classification and diagnosis. Juan Mezzich will present a historical overview and analysis of the development of psychiatric classification and diagnosis, with a focus on the latest conceptualization of disease cantered vs. person-centered diagnosis. Lourdes Corado’s paper will address the anthropological and cultural contexts of psychiatric diagnosis. Werdie van Staden will present a critical analysis of several causal definitions adopted in current psychiatric classifications (ICD & DSM) and propose potential solutions to identified contradictions.
State of the Art Session
Session Type
State of the Art Session
Date
10/21/2021
Session Time
09:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Room
Hall E
Chair(s)
  • Frank Bellivier (France)

State of the Art

State of the Art Session
Session Type
State of the Art Session
Date
10/16/2021
Session Time
09:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Room
State of the Art
Chair(s)
  • Antonio Vita (Italy)
Session Description
Schizophrenia has long been known as a brain disease, but the question of whether it involved deterioration in the Kraeplinian sense has always been controversial and difficult to study. MRI has enabled many longitudinal studies to be performed that have shown how the brain seems to change over time significantly more in patients with schizophrenia than in controls. The debate still continues about whether these findings are partially related to the medications used to treat the illness, or the poor life's circumstances of patients, or whether it is a form of accelerated aging that is central to the disease process. The impact of potential moderators of brain morphology in schizophrenia will be reviewed with the aim to disentangle their potential specific contribution to brain dismorphology at different stages of illness starting from the onset of schizophrenia and over the entire course of the illness. As for functional neuroimaging, a special focus will be given to novel and heuristic studies on neurofeedback which allows a measure of control over one's cognitive processes. Evidence will be presented that neurofeedback relying on information from a brain region involved in processes targeted for clinical intervention, and based on the fMRI signal presented in real time to individuals helps them alter brain function in the targeted brain region: the brain changes are also associated with improvement in clinical symptoms. This Symposium is presented by the WPA Section of Neuroimaging