The 2025 WPA Medical Student Essay Competition is now OPEN!
For the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) Medical Student Essay Competition, a WPA Presidential initiative
with the support of the United Nations Secretariat – Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for
Sustainable Development Goals, we invite medical students from around the world to address the 2025 theme:
Reducing Inequalities and Promoting Inclusion to Improve Mental Health.
Read about the Winners of the 2024 Medical Student Essay Competition and the Opening Ceremony at WCP
2024.
Write and submit an essay of up to 3000 words proposing innovative and actionable suggestions for
improving
mental health and fostering mental well-being on a local, national, or global scale by reducing
inequalities.
How can reducing disparities or promoting inclusion contribute to better mental health outcomes? Your essay should focus on concrete suggestions that align with the principles of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #10.
How can reducing disparities or promoting inclusion contribute to better mental health outcomes? Your essay should focus on concrete suggestions that align with the principles of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #10.
Submission Deadline and Schedule
All submissions must made online via the submission portal before midnight on 30 April, 2025. We cannot
accept any entries received after this date. The Winner will be announced by 30 May, 2025.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global framework of 17 goals designed to
achieve a better and more sustainable future for all, addressing critical challenges such as poverty,
health, education, and inequality by 2030. Goal #10, "Reducing Inequalities," is particularly important
because it seeks to ensure that no one is left behind, promoting social, economic, and political inclusion
regardless of age, gender, disability, race, or socioeconomic status.
Prizes & Recognition
Two Winners will each receive a Travel Award and Free Registration for the 2025 World Congress of Psychiatry
(WCP 2025) in Prague (5-8 October). The Winners will be acknowledged at WCP 2025, and their winning essays
will be translated into all six WHO official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, or
Spanish). All Finalists and the full text of their essays will be showcased on the WPA website, spotlighting
both the authors and their ideas.
Essay Formatting and Submission Requirements
Please download and read about the competition deadlines, the essay formatting, and the submission
requirements.
Before submitting, please pay attention to the requirements.
