Welcome to the 22nd WCP Congress Program Scheduling

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Introduction: WPA Zone 18 includes diverse nations of Oceania with most communities outside of Australia, New Zealand being Indigenous. There are many distinct Indigenous languages in this region, for example over 820 Indigenous languages in Papua New Guinea alone.
Objectives: To highlight developments in mental health services in diverse Pacific settings since the onset of the Covid19 pandemic by use of video recordings from mental health leaders from 4 pacific nations.
Methods: Senior practitioners from Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Samoa and Cook Islands were asked to briefly describe developments of services in their nation since the onset of the Covid19 pandemic.
Findings/Conclusions: Many Pacific settings have been affected by other disasters such as cyclones and other epidemics. Despite the challenges there have been innovative approaches to advancing mental health care, reducing stigma and addressing disparities in mental health.

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On 13 January 2020, Thailand reported that a Wuhan resident who travelled to Bangkok on 8 January had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This was the first COVID-19 case detected outside China. After the outbreak of the COVID-19, mental health problems seem to increase in prevalence because of the consequences of COVID-19. The study in Thailand also showed an increase in suicidal behavior including suicidal attempts and suicides.

Although there has been an increase in demand for mental health services, Thai psychiatrists have encountered challenges in providing usual care for patients with pre-existing psychiatric conditions as well as helping people who develop mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, various services have been rapidly developed through telepsychiatry and have become more practical.

The Psychiatric Association of Thailand (PAT) has developed several strategies to support general people, patients with psychiatric problems, and health care workers during the pandemic, including hosting live educational talk regarding mental health, providing mental health hotlines, and organizing the online congress for the first time. This congress enabled psychiatric residents, psychiatrists, and mental health professionals from all over the country to get updated knowledge in clinical practice and research without traveling.

In conclusion, during the pandemic, Thai psychiatrists and other mental health professionals do not only play a key role in treating patients with psychiatric illnesses but also support other healthcare professionals as well as general people. Telepsychiatry has been rapidly developed for both services and education.