Here’s a First Look at APA’s 2002 Meeting

It is the middle of winter, and dreary February days are upon us. The month of May seems years away right about now. No better time than the present to make plans to attend the 155th APA Annual Meeting from May 18 to 23 in the city where APA was born in 1844—Philadelphia.

The headquarters for the meeting is the Pennsylvania Convention Center, which is located only a short walking distance from the Marriott and many of the other hotels available for the meeting.

Philadelphia has a tremendous amount to offer, a host of distractions from the wonderful scientific sessions that have been planned. There are numerous historic and cultural sites, a variety of types of entertainment, and culinary delights for every palate.

It is not possible to review all of the hundreds of sessions that the Scientific Program Committee has arranged for this meeting. The members of the committee and the APA staff have devoted thousands of hours of work that will culminate in what I expect to be one of the outstanding annual meetings of all time. I wish to express my personal gratitude to them for the remarkable effort it takes to plan this meeting. I would also like to thank our president, Dr. Richard K. Harding, for his confidence in appointing me to chair the committee and to work along with the Scientific Program Committee for this annual meeting.

Dr. Harding’s theme for the meeting, “The 21st-Century Psychiatrist,” has inspired all who submitted presentations, as you will discover when you are at the meeting. Dr. Harding’s Presidential Symposium, co-chaired by Lisa Mellman, M.D., and Ronald Rieder, M.D., will focus on the topic of core competencies: “What Will the 21st Century Bring to the Training of Psychiatrists?”

This year will mark a first collaboration between APA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to produce a special “track.” There have been similar special tracks in collaboration with NIDA, NIAAA, and NIMH in the past. Each of the three SAMHSA centers will present a variety of sessions focused on systems of care, current practices in substance abuse prevention and treatment, and diversity issues. Charles G. Curie, M.A., A.C.S.W, the recently appointed administrator of SAMHSA, will present a forum addressing the leadership challenges in mental health and substance abuse.

As part of the SAMHSA “track,” Mary Jeanne Kreek, M.D., will give a lecture in the Frontiers of Science series on the neurophysiology of opioids. If you have never heard Dr. Kreek speak, I urge you to attend.

There will be four other “must-attend” Frontiers of Science lectures this year. Gerald Fischbach, M.D., dean of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, will present “Neuroscience in the New Millennium,” addressing issues of stem cell research and other 21st-century technology. Richard Mayeux, M.D., will present his stellar research on Alzheimer’s disease (hint, wear a helmet when bicycle riding). Ira Byock, M.D., a well-known palliative care expert, will speak on “Dying Well: Beyond Symptoms and Suffering, Human Development at the End-of-Life.” Many of you have seen the articles in the news media and in the New England Journal of Medicine about the research on implantable left ventricular assist devices. We are most fortunate to have the opportunity to hear from an outstanding cardiac surgeon, Eric Rose, M.D., the lead author of this research.

The 21st century brings with it remarkable challenges and expectations for advances in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Sadly, the 21st century has also brought with it tragedy that we could not imagine. In keeping with Dr. Harding’s theme, and in response to the events of last September, the annual meeting will present several sessions on issues related to realities and myths regarding violence, terrorism, and PTSD.

John Monahan, M.D., will give the Guttmacher Award lecture, presenting the MacArthur Study of Mental Disorders and Violence. Lenore Terr, M.D., will give the Marmor Award lecture on “Terror, Horror, and Fright: Past and Current Perspectives.” Philip Zimbardo, M.D., will talk about “Evil in the World and Terror in Our Nation,” and Samuel Klagsbrun, M.D., will present a forum on evil. Elio Frattaroli, M.D., will discuss the meaning of psychiatry after September 11. Randall Marshall, M.D., will present the mental health community response to the disaster in New York City, and Frederic Kass, M.D., will talk about the innovative collaboration between Columbia University (and the many New York City mental health professionals who volunteered to participate in this program) and the New York Police Department. Jerrold Post, M.D., will share his clinical expertise in a forum titled “Killing in the Name of God: Osama bin Laden and Radical Islam.”

How do we aid in the response to terrorism? Ronnie Stangler, M.D., will present the forum “PSYOP: Psychological Operations in the War Against Terrorism.” Rachel Yehuda, M.D., an international figure in research on the impact of trauma, will be available in a special “meet the authors” session on the “Treatment of Trauma Survivors: Theory vs. Practice.”

There are many remarkable award lectures that will require planning if you wish to get a seat. Let me mention a few worth jotting down today. Don’t miss any of the lectures in the Distinguished Psychiatrist Lecture Series. More information on these will appear in a later issue. Also, David Satcher, M.D., who will receive the Patient Advocacy Award, will discuss the findings and implications of his Surgeon General’s report on mental health. Benedetto Saraceno, M.D., will fly to the United States to deliver the International Lecture and discuss the global implications of the “World Health Report 2001 on Mental Health.” James Comer, M.D., who will receive the Benjamin Rush Award, will speak on “Problems Facing Inner-City School Educators and the Role of Psychiatry in Addressing Them.”

A special treat will be the lecture by Sidney Lumet, the internationally acclaimed director of motion pictures, television programs, and stage productions, noted for his psychological dramas.

Each year the Convocation of Fellows features a special speaker. This year is no exception. We are most privileged that Rodger McFarlane will give the William C. Menninger Memorial Lecture on “Psychiatry and the Medical Consumer Movement.” He is the former executive director of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. He is also the author of the best-selling book The Complete Bedside Companion. Please note that the starting time of the Convocation is 6 p.m. this year.

The Master Educator Clinical Consultation sessions are limited in attendance to 30 people. You will find a broad range of topics including psychotherapy, treatment of addicted women, adult learning disabilities, the impact of childhood parental loss, integration of the bio-, psycho-, and social domains in child/adolescent clinical work, and the doctor-patient relationship in pharmacotherapy.

The other small-group format at the annual meeting is the discussion groups. We are starting a new feature this year: “Meet the Authors,” where APPI authors will discuss topics from their books. Stuart Yudofsky, M.D., will discuss neuropsychiatry; Glen Gabbard, M.D., will speak on psychodynamic psychotherapy, and Rachel Yehuda, M.D., will talk about the treatment of trauma survivors. I am very excited about this collaboration between APPI and the annual meeting and expect these to be dynamic sessions.

I realize that no matter how hard I try to include everything, many wonderful sessions will surprise you when you review the entire program in the next issue of Psychiatric News. However, I anticipate that this brief review of annual meeting sessions will whet your appetite and stir you to register for what I expect to be a most memorable annual meeting.

More information on APA’s annual meeting, including registration and housing forms, can be accessed on APA’s Web site at www.psych.org by clicking on the annual meeting logo. ▪