One world, one profession: psychiatry
I am honored to assume the role of WPA Secretary General and excited to work even more closely alongside colleagues and friends whom I have come to know in my role as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Medical Director of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) over the last decade.
I am retiring from the APA in May 2024, but my passion and dedication to the work we do in support of our patients and profession and our shared goal of a more mentally healthy world remain as strong as ever. I can think of no better place to continue what has become my life's work than the WPA.
I am both humbled and excited to be able to play a direct role in helping WPA achieve its mission. During my time as CEO of APA, I have witnessed firsthand the incredible potential that robust investment in education and collaboration among psychiatric groups and our partner professions in mental health care can achieve. Mental health knows no borders, and the challenges we face are diverse and complex. However, armed with a comprehensive Action Plan1, 2, we are well-prepared to navigate these challenges and make a lasting impact on the field of psychiatry and mental health worldwide.
My vision for this role is simple: I want to build upon the great foundation of success that the WPA has achieved over the last 50 years, and continue to travel the path of bringing together psychiatric associations across the world to work collaboratively.
I see the WPA as a unifying force for our profession. Our collaborative network of members, partners and components around the world is truly incredible, and one of the great strengths of our Association. I am committed to fostering strong connections, facilitating meaningful discussions, and creating platforms that enable us to share knowledge, expertise and best practices. Through conferences, meetings and cutting-edge communication platforms, we will forge a united global network focused on promoting mental health.
Collaboration both within and outside our profession is key to our success. Partnerships with professional associations and non-governmental organizations will enable us to deliver comprehensive care and support. By nurturing these relationships, we will foster the interdisciplinary approach to mental health care that is necessary to meet the challenges of our present and future. Collaboration also helps us maximize the impact of our resources and our expertise on a large scale.
We saw the great necessity for collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic, where resources and personnel were strained to the breaking point even in high-income countries that typically are not subject to the kind of scarcity that is a fact of life in middle- and low-income countries. This showed that countries such as the US can learn from our colleagues in lower-income countries, and that international collaboration is essential if our profession is to progress and make ourselves ready for the “next COVID”.
At the WPA, we need to make sure that psychiatrists all over the world have the tools they need to succeed, and facilitate the exchange of knowledge, ideas and resources, that are the lifeblood of professional collaboration within our discipline. We must ensure that all WPA members have the opportunity and the means to travel to and participate in WPA meetings. It is at those events where lasting partnerships between psychiatrists from all over the world are forged. For some countries, travel to the World Congress is a hardship and, at times, a cost-prohibitive expense. The desire is there from these members, but the WPA needs to make sure that everyone who has the will also has the means to attend, use their vote, and make their mark on the Association.
I hope to start a discussion during my tenure as Secretary General about the value of WPA membership. Are we giving our members what they need and want? And at what cost? If we can answer these questions and demonstrate the great value of WPA membership, then I believe that we will see our Association grow, and become truly reflective of the diverse world we live in.
Committing to innovation in our meetings, publications and educational content is also key to enhancing the value of WPA membership and allowing the further growth of our Association. Education in particular is one of the cornerstones of our mission. The WPA has always done a great job ensuring that our educational materials are accessible, engaging and impactful for our members3-5. We can build upon that success by leveraging digital platforms to enhance the experience for our members and disseminate this knowledge on a wider scale.
As the unifier of world psychiatry, the WPA also serves as a vital hub for disseminating news, research and resources to mental health leaders across the globe. As Secretary General, I would like to see us elevate the work and voices of our colleagues in smaller and less well-resourced countries. Each day our colleagues across the globe confront unique challenges in their home communities and come up with innovative and novel ways to meet these challenges. We all have something to learn from one another, and ensuring that all of us have a platform to share what we have learned will only benefit our profession. Accuracy, organization, and ensuring that work is properly attributed is key to this effort and can really enhance the credibility of our published works.
As Secretary General, I believe it is my responsibility to act on the feedback of our members and see this work through to the benefit of the WPA, our Member Societies, and ultimately our patients and profession. I will always rely on the expertise and passion of our members, and I hope that they engage with me as I plan to engage all of them as we work to achieve our shared vision of a more mentally healthy world.
We come from different countries and cultures, but, by our nature, we psychiatrists are all driven to help humankind. Together, we have the resources, knowledge and skills to realize our shared goals. We are all part of one world and one profession, and, if psychiatry can come together and speak with one voice, there is no limit to what we can achieve.
