News from WPA Scientific Sections
Authors: Afzal Javed
Journal: World Psychiatry (2017)

The current triennium has seen an increasing visibility of Scientific Sections as important and integral components of the WPA, especially in supporting the Association's promotion and dissemination of scientific knowledge around the globe. We are now having 72 Sections and there is still an interest in having more of them to cover some other scientific sub-specialties. During the triennium there has been a noticeable increase in the number of WPA co-sponsored meetings, joint intersectional activities and other related intersectional accomplishments1, 2. Sections’ participation in the recently held WPA International Meeting in Cape Town has been outstanding, with more than 26 sessions in the programme. The Sections also organized training workshops, round table discussions and educational activities in that well attended meeting. Scientific Sections have continued to produce position statements and discussion documents on important topics that correspond to their expertise. Adding these documents to the WPA website did generate a lot of interest among the WPA membership3,4. Several of these position statements have been published in World Psychiatry, such as those on spirituality and religion in psychiatry5; gender identity and same-sex orientation, attraction and behaviours6; and recruitment in psychiatry7. The Sections on Education and Early Career Psychiatrists have prepared a key document for promoting psychiatry as an inspiring medical specialty and as a prospective career for medical students. This work was presented in Sections’ business meeting at Cape Town. It is hoped that Sections will prepare further materials for promotion of psychiatry in undergraduate medical education and explore innovative ways of engaging medical students to increase their interest in the specialty. There has always been an added value of the contributions from the newly established Sections. Current interest in promoting intersectional work is equally evident from activities of many of the new Sections. Furthermore, several Sections – including those on Early Career Psychiatrists, Education in Psychiatry and Transcultural Psychiatry – are actively involved in organizing teaching and training workshops aiming to develop leadership skills of young psychiatrists. The WPA Action Plan for 2014-20178 has continued to be a focal action point for many Sections’ activities. Sections have adapted the theme of promotion of mental health as a priority in their work along with initiating various programmes in the areas of preventive psychiatry by producing educational materials for the WPA website3. Whereas Sections enjoy a great degree of independence within the framework of the statutes and by-laws of the WPA, the relevant Operational Committee is considering some revisions in the by-laws that would make the work of Sections more in line with current needs and expectations. There have also been some initial discussions on clustering of Sections on the basis of common interests and activities. This will hopefully promote further collaboration and links among various Sections. As we are approaching our next World Congress, Sections are also preparing their triennium activity reports for the General Assembly along with plans for their new elections. We are encouraging all the Sections to involve younger members in officer and committee positions, to enhance their enthusiasm for future contributions towards WPA's work. Section officers and members are also contributing extensively to the WPA official journal World Psychiatry9-11. Their interest and participation in the development of the chapter on mental disorders of the ICD-11 is another ongoing effort to improve classification and nosology in psychiatric practice12-15. It is hoped that the current enthusiasm of Sections’ leadership and their committed work will keep on contributing to enhance the quality of scientific knowledge in different fields of psychiatry. Whereas this requires dedicated expertise, it is anticipated that the Sections will offer valuable additions to the profession's changing perspectives. It is trusted that Scientific Sections will also continue with their current contribution to the development of pioneering approaches in psychiatric practice. Afzal Javed WPA Secretary for Sections