12th Biennial Conference of the Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Held

By 1 2 1 News Reporter

Chandigarh 26^th September:--- The second day of the 7th Congress of the Asian Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (ASCAPAP) & 12th Biennial Conference of the Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (IACAM), organized by the department of Psychiatry, PGIMER, Chandigarh, under the chairmanship of Prof Savita Malhotra at the Hotel Ashok, New Delhi, was as enriching as the first day. The pioneers of child and adolescent psychiatry from across the globe, who assembled for a common cause, infused vitality and raised the bar of all the academic discussions.

 

Bipolar disorder once recognized as an exclusive adult psychiatric disorder, was proposed to be on the rise in children as well. A symposium by Dr. Vivek Aggarwal and others was dedicated to this intriguing area. Dr. Paramjit Joshi (USA), a distinguished specialist in the area conducted a course on the pediatric bipolar disorder. The participation in the certificate course was noteworthy. A broader perspective of this contentious area, which included all types of childhood affective disorders, was highlighted in another symposium by Prof. Shoba Srinath and her team. Likewise, the various facets of childhood onset schizophrenia were focused upon in a symposium organized by Prof. Indira Sharma and her group. The eloquent plenary session by Prof. Daniel Fung (Singapore) on cyberage and mental health was an eye-opener. Electroconvulsive therapy, one of the most controversial treatment modalities in children, was discussed and evaluated in depth in a symposium by Dr. Neera Ghaziuddin (USA) and her colleagues. Prof. VK Varma (USA) and Dr. Swaran Preet Singh (UK) presented a symposium on the importance of childhood in the development of adult personality.

 

A symposium by the Indian Psychiatric Society emphasized on the significance of parenting skills in dealing with psychological problems in children. Dr. Miri Karen (Israel) and her colleagues from the World Association of Infant Mental Health (WAIMH) described the facts related to the early identification of psychological problems in infants. Dr. Tamminen (Finland) discussed the potential benefits of early intervention in child psychiatric disorders in her plenary lecture. Dr. Rachel Ritvo (USA) highlighted the importance of play observation and therapy as a means of management of child psychiatric disorders.

 

Prof. PJ Santosh (UK), delivered a plenary lecture on psycho-pharmacology in neuro-developmental disorders of childhood. Practical methods of managing children with sexual abuse were highlighted in an interactive workshop by Dr. Seshadri.  Once a strictly forbidden and 'no go' area of childhood sexuality was discussed by Prof. Ajit Avasthi.