Several papers and documents have been produced by the WPA in 2009 and 2010, as part of the implementation of the Action Plan approved by the General Assembly 1,2,3.
Four guidances have been developed by international task forces. Three of them have already appeared in World Psychiatry and the fourth is in publication. They deal with steps, obstacles and mistakes to avoid in the implementation of community mental health care 4, how to combat stigmatization of psychiatry and psychiatrists 5, mental health and mental health care in migrants 6, and protection and promotion of mental health in children of persons with severe mental disorders. Translations of these guidances in several languages are already available on the WPA website (www.wpanet.org). Further translations are forthcoming.
Three books have been produced within the WPA programme on depression in persons with physical diseases. They deal with depression and diabetes 7, depression and heart disease 8, and depression and cancer 9. Three corresponding sets of slides are available in several languages (fifteen in the case of the set on depression and diabetes) on the WPA website.
Two surveys have been conducted with the WPA Member Societies. The results of the survey on reducing the treatment gap for mental disorders have been already published 10. The results of the survey on views and attitudes of psychiatrists in the various countries of the world concerning diagnosis and classification of mental disorders, carried out in collaboration with the World Health Organization as part of the process of development of the ICD-11, will appear in a forthcoming issue of World Psychiatry.
A set of recommendations for relationships of psychiatrists and psychiatric associations with the pharmaceutical industry has been produced by the WPA Standing Committee on Ethics and is available on the WPA website.
An educational module on physical illness in patients with severe mental disorders has been developed by an international task force 11. The first part of this module appears in this issue of World Psychiatry 12. The second part will be published in the next issue. Two sets of slides based on these papers can be found on the WPA website.
A series of recommendations on best practices in working with service users and family carers has been produced by an international task force 13. The final text is available on the WPA website. A paper commenting on these recommendations will be published in a forthcoming issue of World Psychiatry.
A template for graduate and postgraduate education in psychiatry and mental health has been produced by an international task force 14. The text is available on the WPA website.
WPA Member Societies and psychiatrists of all countries of the world are welcome to use the above materials for clinical, educational and research purposes and to promote their dissemination and translation in further languages.
References
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