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Women's Mental Health

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Three Women

About

The Women's Mental Health (WMH) Section main purpose is to provide objective research findings and to inform health practitioners, researchers, policy makers, and the public about disparities between women and men in regard to risk, prevalence, presentation, course, and treatment of mental disorders.

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The WMH section aims to promote international and interdisciplinary collaboration between psychiatrists , mental health practitioners and government institutions so that appropriate sex- and gender-based interventions can be developed and used to enhance women’s overall wellbeing.

The WMH section has already published a position statements on the role of violence and discrimination in the genesis of mental health problems in women as well as a curriculum to be used in clinical and academic centres. These 2 documents have been approved and published in 5 languages.

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Another matter of importance for the WMH section is that women’s mental health issues are always on the agendas of the thematic, regional and world WPA conferences. Finally the WMH targets to ensure a significant presence of women within WPA scientific and executive committees.

Section Officers

Chair:

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Florence Thibaut

Address: Psychiatry/Addictive Disorders
University Hospital Cochin (Site Tarnier)

89 rue d'Assas, 75006 Paris, France

University Paris 


E-mail: florence.thibaut@aphp.fr

Co-Chair:

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Mehnaz Zafar

Address: Consultant Psychiatrist and Head of Community Psychiatry Services
Al Amal hospital, Emirates Health Services 

E-mail: mehnaz.ali@ehs.gov.ae; mehnazdoctor@gmail.com

Secretary:

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Krishna Patel

Address: Psychiatrist (SAS Doctor - General Adult)

North Westminster CMHH,

7A Woodfield Road,

London W9 2NW

United Kingdom


E-mail: kkrruusshhnnaa@gmail.com

Section Advisors

Advisor

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Natalia Semenova

Address: Associate Professor
Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
Moscow
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Email: niyami2020@gmail.com

Advisor

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Gail Robinson

Address: Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Email: gail.robinson@utoronto.ca

>> Please click here to see the Section Members list

Upcoming Section Activities

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​Online Educational Course Run by the International Association for Women Mental health on Perinatal Mental Health

​Course title: Psychotropic Medications in Pregnancy and Lactation

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​Course description: The course provides you with in-depth and up-to-date information and tips of practice. It also offers a 15-hour CME credit hours granted by the American Association of Continuing Medical Education (AACME). As a self-learning online course, it gives you the advantage of learning at your own pace and to study as many times as you need in order to be able to upon successful scoring of the knowledge assessment test upon completion of your study.

 

These extensive modules were developed by:

  • Dr Gihan ELNahas, M.D., IAWMH Secretary and Member of the WPA Women's Mental Health Section

  • Prof of Psychiatry, Head of Liaison Psychiatry Unit, Head of Women Mental Health Program, Head of Tobacco Control and Cessation Unit, Chair CME Committee, Institute of Psychiatry-Ain Shams Medical School, Cairo, Egypt

  • Florence Thibaut, M.D., Ph.D., IAWMH Immediate Past President and Chair of the WPA Women's Mental Health Section and Professor of Psychiatry, University of Paris Cité, University Hospital Cochin, INSERM U1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Paris, France.

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To learn more about the course and how to register to the course please follow the links below:

​Or click on the QR code below:

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The 10th World Congress of Women's Mental Health

Bangalore, INDIA

Date: 5th to 8th March, 2025
Venue: Convention Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, INDIA
Theme: Inclusion and Integration across the Lifespan


Abstract Submissions are Open for Oral and e Posters until the 30th of September 2024

Early Bird Registration until the 31st of October 2024

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Highlights include:

  • Special program for Early Career Professionals including Registration Fee Bursaries for LAMIC 

  • Lived Experience presentations and discussions 

  • Multiple Session Formats highlighting recent themes in Women's Mental Health - Plenary talks, Ask the Expert, Panel Discussions, Workshops, Case Conference, Films, Conference Fringe with book readings and Art workshops 

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Website: https://www.iawmh2025.org/

Past Section Activities

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The WPA Women Mental Health Section will be running a number of Symposia at this years WPA 24th World Congress of Psychiatry in Mexico

The full details can be viewed here.

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WFP Regional Congress Psychotherapy, Creativity, and the Arts

Where: Palazzo Marco Polo, Aula Magna, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy

When: 18-19th October, 2024

Theme: Psychotherapy, Creativity and the Arts

Website: https://fondazionemassimofagioli.it/progetto/psychotherapy-creativity-and-the-arts/

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  • October 2023 - Scientific & Education Programme focusing on the International Collaboration in the field of Healthcare and Neuropsychiatry Supervised by: 

  • Republican Specialized Scientific & Practical Medical Center for Mental Health of the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan and the International Centre for Education & Research in Neuropsychiatry (ICERN) of the FBSEU Samara State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of Russia

  • The programme included:

  • Women’s mental health challenges in the XX1st Century and Women and Addiction, both by Prof. Florence THIBAUT (Chair of the Women's Mental Health Section of the WPA, University Paris Cité, University Hospital Cochin (AP-HP), Institute of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Paris, France)

  • 30th October 2023 - Varenna Foundation's event on the topic of "Female behavioural addictions" in Milan, Italy. To download the slides by Marc Potenza (Yale University (USA) professor) click here.​​​

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  • 14th November 2023 - Ruby Castilla was invited as a Keynote Speaker at the U23 Fest at Alma Mater in Colombia: Universidad Industrial de Santander. Her conference title was: "Glass ceilings: why despite our advances does the gap persist? " 

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  • 8th April 2024 (during the 32nd Congress of the EPA in Budapest) - Scientific meeting in collaboration with the Women's Mental Health Section of the European Psychiatric Association. The programme included:

  • Welcome and Introduction by Prof. Tamas Kurimay (Chair of the Women Mental Health Section of the European Psychiatric Association Head of the Buda Family Centered Mental Health Centre, Department of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Rehabilitation Teaching Department of Semmelweis University, Budapest Hungary)

  • Women’s mental health is everybody’s business: current challenges, some solutions by Prof. Florence Thibaut (Chair of the Women's Mental Health Section of the World Psychiatric Association, University Paris Cité, University Hospital Cochin (AP-HP) INSERM U1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurosciences Paris France

  • UEMS and opportunities to mainstream women's mental health across Europe by Dr. Marisa Casanova Dias (President of the European Union of Medical Specialists Psychiatry Section Secretary of the European Psychiatric Association Section of Women and Mental Health, Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK)

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