Thousands of psychiatrists seeking to improve the standards of psychiatric care throughout the world will gather in Yokohama, Japan, this summer for the World Psychiatric Association’s (WPA) XXII World Congress of Psychiatry. APA members are urged to attend.
The World Congress, which is being organized this year with the Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology, will be held August 24 to August 29 at the Pacific Convention Plaza Yokohama. The theme is “Partnerships for Mental Health.” The World Psychiatric Association has among its members 118 psychiatric societies, with APA being the largest. The organization is dedicated to the promotion of mental health throughout the world (Psychiatric News, January 18).
The World Congress is held every three years in a different host city. It is made up of symposia, forums, courses, plenary sessions, workshops, award presentations, and other events that address interdisciplinary and international mental health partnerships with the goal of improving the care of people with mental illness.
Psychiatrists aren’t the only ones who attend the World Congress; they are joined by consumers, families, politicians, and mental health professionals.
In addition to the regularly scheduled meeting events, there will be site visits at a Japanese psychiatric hospital and rehabilitation institute to help meeting attendees better understand how psychiatry is practiced in Japan. An art exhibition featuring the paintings and drawings of people with mental illness will offer attendees yet another perspective that can’t be found in meeting seminars.
Meeting goers can also kick back and have some fun while learning about Japanese culture. For instance, registered participants and guests can enjoy a natsu-matsuri, or summer festival, which will be held August 26. On the last day of the meeting is the bon-odori, a ceremonial dance held to pay respect to one’s ancestors.
Registration fees must be paid in Japanese currency, and fees differ by the economic status of the registrant’s country as defined by the World Bank. For instance, attendees from high-income countries such as the U.S. will pay 60,000 yen, or around $450 dollars. After July 1, those who wish to attend the World Congress must register on site.
More information on registration and other aspects of the XXII World Congress of Psychiatry can be obtained by e-mail at [email protected], on the Web at www.wpa2002yokohama.jp, or by telephone at (718) 334-5094. ▪
