ABSTRACTS - World Psychiatric Association

CS1.3.
PSYCHIATRY AND THE PHARMACEUTICAL
INDUSTRY: AN ETHICAL ISSUE
S.A. Azim
University of Cairo, Egypt
The support given from the industry to prescribers, to researchers, for
conferences/congresses and related activities, although quite helpful,
still may influence the decisions of psychiatrists, which may sometimes
be not in the benefit of their clients. This conflicting situation is
usual nowadays, especially with the growing importance of pharmaceutical
products. The shortage of support from the government and
from other authorities to cover mental health activities and research
in this domain in quite evident. Psychiatrists should be oriented to
the ethical issues that arise in psychiatry’s relationship with industry.
The support provided by the industry should be unrestricted and
allowing more freedom and transparency. Some regulations can be
established between the industry and psychiatric institutions.
CS1.4.
ETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO PSYCHIATRIC
TREATMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
J.K. Trivedi, M. Dhyani
Department of Psychiatry, Medical University, Lucknow, India
Ethics is derived from the Greek word “ethicos”, which means “rules
of conduct that govern natural disposition in human beings”. It is the
body of moral principles or values governing a particular culture or
group. Ethics in psychiatry is always in a state of flux, adapting to
changes in the specialty and its place in the world at large. The ethical
issues that are relevant to the developing or low resource countries
are in contrast to the industrialized countries. Issues such as
euthanasia, surrogate motherhood, organ transplantation and gene
therapy, which are on the forefront in the industrialized countries,
are, for the moment, irrelevant in most developing countries. Ethical
dilemmas associated with the allocations of limited resources are
more important in the developing countries. Issues such as oppression
and corruption, along with cross cultural research and activities
of multinational companies, are relevant in developing countries. The
majority of population in these areas is illiterate and unaware of their
rights and is vulnerable to all sorts of allurements and or mistreatments.
There is lack of consensus on these ethical issues and well
defined ethical guidelines are needed.
WPA SECTION WORKSHOPS
SW1.
NEUROPHYSIOLOGY IN PSYCHIATRY:
STANDARDIZATION, TRAINING
AND CERTIFICATION
(organized by the WPA Section
on Psychophysiology)
S. Galderisi (Naples, Italy), N. Boutros (Detroit, MI, USA),
M. Brunovsky (Prague, Czech Republic), H. Soliman (Cairo,
Egypt), A. Mucci (Naples, Italy)
Standard EEG and evoked potentials are useful tools in the diagnostic
workup of patients with psychiatric or neurological disorders.
However, most psychiatrists and sometimes even neurologists are not
trained in electrophysiology and are not knowledgeable about its
applications in the differential diagnosis of psychiatric disorders,
monitoring of drug toxicity and neurofeedback. Contrary to the current
trend to reduce training in electrophysiology, the core curriculum
of psychiatrists should include education on the proper use of EEG in
diagnosis and management of patients with psychiatric disorders and
the acquisition of basic skills in qualitative and quantitative EEG and
evoked potentials recording and interpretation. The WPA Section for
Psychophysiology in Psychiatry started a discussion among world
leaders in the field on the possibility to create homogeneous electrophysiology
training for psychiatrists across the world. In this workshop,
experts from various countries describe the present state of
standardization of EEG and evoked potentials recording techniques
and of training and certification procedures in their national contexts.
Proposals for implementing homogeneous training programs and certification
procedures are discussed.
SW2.
INTEGRATING RURAL MENTAL HEALTH
WITH PRIMARY CARE IN DIVERSE CULTURES
(organized by the WPA Section on Rural Mental
Health)
S. Rajkumar (North Richmond, Australia), F. Hughes
(Porirua, New Zealand), T.A. Okasha (Cairo, Egypt), F. Kigozi
(Kampala, Uganda), M.S. O’Brien (Lawrence, KS, USA),
J.C. Anthony (East Lancing, MI, USA)
This workshop focuses on sparsely populated remote regions where
specialist services are minimal or nil. It covers different views of caring
disciplines such as nursing, social work and psychiatry. The concepts
and innovations have relevance to a vast population who are
rural and remotely based globally. The overall aim is to enhance rural
mental health and primary care in remotely based areas of the world
and tease out replicable models that are cost effective and yet beneficial
to the community.
SW3.
PREGNANCY RELATED PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS:
SORTING THEM OUT AND ADDRESSING REAL
ISSUES
(organized by the WPA Section on Perinatal
Psychiatry and Infant Mental Health)
G. Apter-Danon (Antony, France), N.L. Stotland (Chicago,
IL, USA), G. Robinson (Toronto, Canada),
N. Garret-Gloanec (Nantes, France), C. Nadelson
(Boston, MA, USA)
In the last years a number of studies have focused on psychiatric disorders
linked to reproductive issues. Pregnancy termination and
abortion have been linked to consequent mood and anxiety disorders
and eventually post-traumatic stress disorder. Past history of abuse
and trauma, as well as of depression, in women’s lives and its association
to depression in pregnancy, however, often goes neglected.
Abortion and its supposed psychiatric consequences have been subject
to heated debate often confounding examination of scientific
facts. On the other hand, the myth of pregnancy as a blessed period,
free of psychiatric disorders, is still strong though continuously
proved wrong whether it be for women with bipolar or major depressive
disorder. Recognition and assessment of symptoms during the
peri-partum is still insufficient. Links to past maternal history are not
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