Psychiatry Conference: 14 to 16 October 2009

Psychiatry Conference: 14 to 16 October 2009, Rotorua

AUCKLAND, Oct. 14 /Medianet International-AsiaNet/ --

Addiction, schizophrenia, suicide, psychosis, depression, self-harm and early intervention are just some of the topics which will be discussed by mental health experts at The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists' New Zealand Conference on 14 to 16 October 2009 in Rotorua. Here are some highlights; the full program is available at http://ranzcp.tcc.co.nz/.

Impact of depression on stroke recovery
21.7% of stroke sufferers experience major depression in the first year following the stroke, while 19.5% experience minor depression, with severity of impairment in activities of daily living being the major cause. ``The consequences of post stroke depression include delayed recovery in activities of daily living, extending from more than two years following stroke, greater degree of cognitive impairment lasting more than one year following stroke, and increased mortality lasting for more than ten years following stroke,’’ said Prof Robert Robinson. Studies show that antidepressants can be effective in treatment of post stroke depression and treatment can decrease mortality rates. (Wed 14 Oct 2.15pm)

What happens after depressed patients get treated?
The outcome of patients treated with antidepressants is usually assessed in short, single drug trials, however how many patients remain well, how many relapse and how many never recover? In a recent study 175 outpatients treated with antidepressants and clinical management were monitored prospectively for 18 months. ``Over 92% of patients recovered at some point over the 18 months but only 37% recovered and remained well for that period. The rest had periods of recovery and relapse while around 8% of cases were chronically unwell,’’ said Prof Roger Mulder. (Thurs 15 Oct 1.45pm)

Eminent international psychiatrists review International Classification of Diseases
Many eminent international psychiatrists who are part of the Global Scientific Partnership Network, convened by the World Health Organisation to inform the development of the 11th edition of Chapter 5 (Mental Disorders) of the International Classification of Diseases, are presenting at this conference. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the international standard diagnostic classification which is used to classify diseases and other health problems.

Sir David Goldberg will present on the possibility of combining the current separate classifications of affective disorders and anxiety neuroses into one broad group of common mental disorders called emotional disorders. The problematic diagnostic criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) will be discussed by Prof Luis Rohde, while Prof Wolfgang Gaebel will talk about the classification of schizophrenia, and Prof Ahmed Okasha will discuss diagnosis of patients who do not fit classification criteria.

Culture affects symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues
Culture influences the manner in which symptoms of disease are expressed and interpreted by those who have the disease and by health care providers. It influences the manner in which health services are provided and the way in which they are perceived by those who receive them. Culture goes beyond race and nationality, ``the young, the old, women, men, urban and rural dwellers and subgroups of the population defined in other ways have their own way of using words, a system of values specific to them, characteristic ways of dealing with distress and other features which they share and which makes them distinguishable from other groups in the same population. This realization is of considerable importance for the way in which psychiatry is taught and practiced,’’ said Prof Norman Sartorius. (Wed 14 Oct 11.15am)

High school and medical students discover psychiatry
A group of 20 Midlands secondary school students who are interested in medicine and psychiatry will meet with psychiatrists from around New Zealand in the hope it will encourage them to consider a career in psychiatry. The initiative, Te Korowai Parae Rangatahi, was made possible by a joint partnership between two New Zealand mental health and addiction workforce development centres – Te Pou and Te Rau Matatini – and the RANZCP. The program tailored to the year 13 students' interests includes spending the day with medical student mentors, networking with psychiatrists and attending a special session hosted by eminent New Zealand psychiatrist Dr Rees Tapsell and psychiatry registrar Dr Jelena Bennett.

Up to 30 medical students from around New Zealand will also be attending the conference with the support of funding from Te Pou and the University of Auckland. ``We are keen to encourage more students to study psychiatry as there is a significant shortage of psychiatrists in New Zealand, impacting the treatment of mental illness in our community,’’ said Chair of the RANZCP New Zealand Committee Dr Lyndy Matthews. (Fri 16 Oct)

Symposium on commercial sponsorship of psychiatrist education
A symposium discussing the important issue of commercial sponsorship of psychiatrist education will include the following presenters and topics: Nicky Hager, investigative journalist, Socio-political overview of commercial sponsorship; Dr Pippa MacKay, general practitioner and Chair of Researched Medicines Industry Association, The role of industry in continuing medical education; A/Prof Dee Mangin, academic general practitioner from University of Otago, Effects of sponsorship on educational and prescribing quality; Prof Grant Gillett, consultant neurosurgeon and professor of bioethics from Dunedin, Ethics of sponsored medical education; Dr Arran Culver, consultant psychiatrist in Hamilton and Chair of RANZCP CPD/CME Committee, Impacts of sponsorship on accessibility and quality of CME. Discussants include: Dr Peter Moodie, general practitioner and PHARMAC medical director, Impacts of sponsorship on prescribing volumes, cost and quality; A/Prof David Menkes, academic psychiatrist and pharmacologist, Psychiatrist attitudes and susceptibility to persuasion; Anna Sokratov, consumer, What do service users think about their doctors receiving sponsored education? (Fri 16 Oct 1pm)

Keynote speakers:
* Prof Norman Sartorius, President of the Association for the Improvement of Mental Health Programs, Usefulness and limits of considering cultural variation in the practice of psychiatry, Wed 14 Oct 11.15am
* Prof Robert Robinson, Head of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Psychiatry of stroke, Wed 14 Oct 2.15pm
* Prof Sir David Goldberg, Professor Emeritus and Fellow of King's College, London, Revising the meta-structure we use in our classification: towards DSM-5 and ICD11, Thurs 15 Oct 8.30am
* Prof Luis Rohde, Professor of Child Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre, Brazil and Director of the Program for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil, ADHD across the lifespan, Thurs 15 Oct 10.50am
* Prof Richard Faull, Professor of Anatomy at the University of Auckland, Huntington's disease, Thurs 15 Oct 12.30pm
* Prof Wolfgang Gaebel, Professor of Psychiatry, Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Heinrich-Heine University, Duesseldorf, The pathology of schizophrenia and the concept of neural networks, Fri 16 Oct 8.30am
* Prof Ahmed Okasha, Founder Professor and Director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Training and Research in Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Ain Shams University, Cairo and President of the Egyptian Psychiatric Association, The emergence of sub-threshold psychiatry, Fri 16 Oct 11am
* Prof Paul Glue, Hazel Buckland Chair of Psychiatry and Head of Department, Psychological Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, Novel treatments to enhance learning in intellectual disability, Fri 16 Oct 2.30pm

About The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP)
The RANZCP is the principal organisation representing the medical specialty of psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand and has responsibility for training, examining and awarding the qualification of Fellowship of the College to medical practitioners.

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