Written by: Dr Lee Cheng. President Singapore Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting is the largest psychiatric meeting in the world whereby attendees benefit not only from the scientific programmes but also the global networking.

As President, Singapore Psychiatric Association, I received a complimentary registration to the 2014 meeting which was held in New York from 3 to 7 May 2014.

This year, integrated care is a hot topic at the meeting. There were multiple sessions on the concept of integrated care, health care reform and the move toward collaborative care teams. There was also much emphasis on the need for mental health workers to brush up their primary care skills as there are a lot of patients with serious mental illness who will not go and see a primary care doctor, despite how many times a psychiatrist refer them.

On May 4, there was a special dialogue on ‘Science, Psychiatry and Media’. This was a lively discussion between the Nobel Prize-Winning Psychiatrist Dr. Eric R. Kandel, famed actor and science communicator, Mr. Alan Alda and the President of APA, Prof Jeffrey A Lieberman on the impact of science and the media on psychiatry and how they influence the future of mental health care.

In the evening of May 4, I was invited to the President’s Reception and on Monday, May 5, the Welcome Reception for New International Members which was chaired by Dr. Paul Summergrad, APA President-Elect.

In addition, the appearance of US Vice President Joe Biden at the meeting and his support for persons with mental illness was encouraging not only to the mental health professionals practising in US but to all attendees.

I have benefited greatly from the vast scientific progammes offered at the meeting as well as the networking opportunities.

Dr Lee Cheng
President
Singapore Psychiatric Association