Over 4,000 mental health care professionals from across India and outside are expected to participate in the four-day 67 annual conference of Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) starting from Thursday at HICC, Madhapur. The conference, with the theme ‘Mental Illness-Recovery and Social Inclusion’ is packed with paper presentations from 400 mental health experts, 12 guest lectures and 80 symposia.
“There is a need to spread awareness on the aspects of social stigma attached to mental health. Moreover, mental health is an important component of total health and needs to be incorporated into various health programmes. Eminent psychiatrists from India, U.S.A., Canada, U.K., Sri Lanka and Nepal are participating in the conference,” said conference organising secretary, G. Prasad Rao.
The conference is aimed at updating the skills of mental health care professionals, post-graduate students. “The conference will help psychiatrists keep abreast with latest development in research, clinical intervention, therapeutic and preventive aspects of psychiatry,” said society president T.V. Asokan.
