Strengthening cultural psychiatry through community engagement, social connection, and interprofessional collaboration
With this theme, we draw attention to community-based, peer support, and other approaches in cultural psychiatry that promote patients’ social well-being. Cultural psychiatry is founded on the premise that communities and individuals with lived experiences are the experts in their concerns and care, highlighting the importance of engaging service users and support networks to promote healing.
Further, we deeply value our roots and traditions as an organization of cultural psychiatrists, while also aspiring to make our interdisciplinary community inclusive and welcoming to psychologists, licensed professional counselors, nurse practitioners, anthropologists, sociologists, and those of other training backgrounds who identify with the values of cultural psychiatry and global mental health. We are eager to highlight our diverse roles—as mental health providers, researchers, educators, junior and senior faculty, and trainees—and learn how our community is tackling the challenges we face today.
By focusing on collaboration, community engagement, and integrating diverse perspectives within cultural psychiatry, we will use this Annual Meeting to create a vibrant space for dialogue and learning.
For our 2024 conference, we invite you to draw broadly from your research, scholarship, clinical practices, and personal histories to tell your story and share your approaches to building community.
One day of the conference will be a joint conference day with the Hong Fook Mental Health Association, the leading ethno-cultural community mental health agency serving Asian and other communities in the Greater Toronto Area. Hong Fook provides a continuum of mental health services covering the spectrum from “promoting wellness” to “managing illness” in Cambodian, Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), Korean, Vietnamese, and English. This joint day allows researchers and practitioners to discuss cross-cutting interests and utilize a cultural humility stance to improve care for Asian communities across borders.
Thematic Domains for Submission
Examples of topics and domains related to the conference theme include the following:
- Community-based approaches to mental health: Submissions in this area will discuss successful community-driven initiatives that have effectively integrated cultural psychiatry principles into mental health care. Examples may include working with community navigators and lay health workers to support the mental health of post-migration individuals and families, examination of psychosocial interventions targeting social determinants of mental health, and interventions that are delivered in the natural environment where people live and work, including homes, schools, workplaces, or places of worship, rather than in clinical settings.
- Navigating interprofessional cultures to enhance patient care and promote justice: Submissions in this area will explore how interprofessional collaboration contributes to better understanding and addressing cultural factors that influence mental health, and/or how interprofessional collaboration contributes to dismantling structural barriers to equity in mental health care
- Decolonizing mental health: Illustrating methods or practices that challenge Western-centric paradigms. Submissions in this area could include centering indigenous knowledge and traditional healing, empowering local communities, fostering greater collaboration between disciplines, deconstructing stigmatizing labels or diagnostic categories, advocating for representation within the mental health field, or addressing historical trauma in training and treatment.
- Research collaborations and approaches for culturally-centered healing: Presentations in this area will explore how researchers from different backgrounds can collaborate to develop and test culturally sensitive interventions. This could include sharing examples of successful interdisciplinary research projects, the discussion of community-based participatory research, and other novel methodologies to better meet the needs of groups impacted by mental health disparities.
- Lived experience, peer support, and collaborative healing: Submissions will highlight the importance of involving individuals with lived experience in shaping mental health care services, and consider how professionals and service users can collaborate to co-design healing approaches
- Promoting social well-being: Submissions in this topic area may explore social isolation and loneliness as a cultural explanatory model for distress, and discuss centering the promotion of social connection as a key treatment goal.
- Training and education in cultural psychiatry and mental health: Submissions in this area will share innovative approaches to training future mental health professionals in cultural psychiatry, and discuss how diverse disciplines can collaborate to develop comprehensive and decolonized training programs
See the full text of the Call for Abstracts here
Deadline for submissions: December 15th, 2023
Individual Papers or Posters – Abstracts may be submitted by individuals indicating preference for paper or poster presentations. Individual papers will be grouped into Paper Sessions by the conference organizers.
Instructions
Submissions should include a structured abstract (300 word limit) and 2-3 learning objectives. Please include information about how your work connects to the conference theme.
Instructions for Preparing Abstracts
Abstracts should include the following subsections: (1) Background, (2) Aims/Objectives/Issues of Focus, (3) Methods/Proposition, (4) Results/Potential Outcomes, and (5) Discussion/Implications.
Instructions for Preparing Learning Objectives
Please make sure you use learning objectives, not teaching objectives. Teaching objectives state what you are trying to teach. Learning objectives are what you expect the attendee to know or be able to do after attending your presentation. For example "At the conclusion of this presentation, learners will be able to: Describe 3 challenges in mental health and mental healthcare that can be addressed through the use of community navigators and peer-delivered models." For assistance, review this website: https://apha.confex.com/apha/learningobjectives.htm
Symposia are approximately 1.5 hours long. We recommend three original papers be included, with a recommended presentation time of 20 minutes each. Organizers may opt to include four shorter presentations if preferred. The organizer or moderator may provide introductory remarks on the topic. A discussant may be included if desired. Be sure to allot a minimum of 25 minutes for open discussion (per CME guidelines).
Instructions
Submissions must include a structured abstract (300 word limit) and 2-3 learning objectives. Please include information about how your work connects to the conference theme.
Instructions for Preparing Abstracts
Abstracts should include the following subsections: (1) Background, (2) Aims/Objectives/Issues of Focus, (3) Methods/Proposition, (4) Results/Potential Outcomes, and (5) Discussion/Implications.
Instructions for Preparing Learning Objectives
Please make sure you use learning objectives, not teaching objectives. Teaching objectives state what you are trying to teach. Learning objectives are what you expect the attendee to know or be able to do after attending your presentation. For example "At the conclusion of this presentation, learners will be able to: Describe 3 challenges in mental health and mental healthcare that can be addressed through the use of community navigators and peer-delivered models." For assistance, review this website: https://apha.confex.com/apha/learningobjectives.htm
Workshops are approximately 1.5 hours long. They should have one organizer and up to four co-facilitators. Workshops are different from symposia in that they are more interactive and are required to have interactive activities for participants for at least half of the workshop time. In addition to an abstract, workshop submissions must include a timeline of activities. Workshop themes should address specific skills, debates, or concepts related to the conference theme.
Instructions
Submissions must include a structured abstract (300 word limit) and 2-3 learning objectives. Please include information about how your work connects to the conference theme.
Instructions for Preparing Abstracts
Abstracts should include the following subsections: (1) Background, (2) Aims/Objectives/Issues of Focus, (3) Methods/Proposition, (4) Results/Potential Outcomes, and (5) Discussion/Implications.
Instructions for Preparing Timeline of Activities
Provide the specific set of activities that you will use, and the time allotted for each (e.g., Introductions - 10 min, Introduction of case study - 20 min, Small group discussion, 30 min, etc). It should cover the full ninety minutes, with at least half the time devoted to interactive or hands-on activities by participants.
Instructions for Preparing Learning Objectives
Please make sure you use learning objectives, not teaching objectives. Teaching objectives state what you are trying to teach. Learning objectives are what you expect the attendee to know or be able to do after attending your presentation. For example, "At the conclusion of this presentation, learners will be able to: Describe 3 challenges in mental health and mental healthcare that can be addressed through the use of community navigators and peer-delivered models." For assistance, review this website: https://apha.confex.com/apha/learningobjectives.htm
Description
This category allows individuals or teams the opportunity to receive feedback during the early stages of developing a project, curriculum, therapy approach, grant application, clinical service, etc. Abstracts can present preliminary concepts or findings and should include specific topics or questions for discussion. Work in Progress sessions will be 1.5 hours long and include 3 brief presentations (approximately 10 minutes), with substantial time dedicated to discussion for each presentation.
Instructions
Submissions must include a structured abstract (300 word limit), 2 learning objectives, and 3 key questions that will guide discussion of your project. Please include information about how your work connects to the conference theme.
Instructions for Preparing Abstracts
Abstracts should include the following subsections: (1) Background, (2) Aims/Objectives/Issues of Focus, (3) Methods/Proposition, (4) Results/Potential Outcomes, and (5) Discussion/Implications.
Instructions for Preparing Learning Objectives
Please make sure you use learning objectives, not teaching objectives. Teaching objectives state what you are trying to teach. Learning objectives are what you expect the attendee to know or be able to do after attending your presentation. For example "At the conclusion of this presentation, learners will be able to: Describe 3 challenges in mental health and mental healthcare that can be addressed through the use of community navigators and peer-delivered models." For assistance, review this website: https://apha.confex.com/apha/learningobjectives.htm
We encourage trainees to submit abstracts for the general deadline even if they plan to submit a paper for consideration for a fellowship.
Social science (masters or PhD students) or medical (medical student or resident) trainees may submit papers for consideration for a fellowship presentation. Up to two fellowships are given each year. Trainee Award recipients have registration costs waived and receive a $500 honorarium to offset travel costs. We encourage trainees to submit abstracts for the general deadline even if they plan to submit a paper for consideration for a fellowship. That way their submissions can be considered for inclusion in the conference if they do not win.
The Charles Hughes Fellowship is an annual award presented to a graduate student who has an interest in and commitment to cultural psychiatry and mental health. Graduate students in anthropology, public health, psychology, and related disciplines are encouraged to apply.
The John Spiegel Fellowship is an annual award presented to a medical student, psychiatry resident, or fellow in subspecialty training in psychiatry who is dedicated to improving clinical care through culturally-informed practice.
Trainees in these fields who are interested in competing for these fellowships should submit the materials listed below by November 15th, 2024.
1. Submission form: The online submission form includes the following information:
- Identifying information (name, affiliation, contact information) of applicant;
- Title of paper
- Abstract, composed of three parts:
- 2–3 learning objectives
- Narrative abstract, up to 300 words
- 1–3 related references
2. Unpublished scholarly paper: An original unpublished scholarly paper preferably on a topic related to the conference theme. Papers are limited to 8,000 words inclusive of abstract, references, and tables. The applicant must be the first author on the paper. Additional authors can be included. Affiliation and contact information should be included for any additional authors.
3. Biosketch: An NIH-style biosketch, or in lieu of one, 250-word biographical sketch describing your professional training and activities related to culture, mental health, and the conference theme.
4. Statement of Professional Commitment: A 250-word statement about your interests and potential commitment to the mission of the Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture, and your vision for contribution to the organization.
5. CV: Your curriculum vitae.
Recipients of the fellowships have all registration fees waived. An honorarium of $500 is provided to help defer travel, lodging, and related costs.
Conference Themes
We welcome Hughes and Spiegel applications in any clinical and research areas of cultural psychiatry. Preference will be given to submissions based on clinical activities and research addressing one of themes highlighted for the 2025 Annual Meeting.
Recommendations for Paper Submissions
Papers submitted for consideration will be peer reviewed. Papers are judged on the following criteria:
- Original contribution of the trainee – The paper should represent activities conducted by the applicant. First-hand research or clinical activities are required. This may include conducting interviews, ethnographic research, intervention implementation, clinical work, or other related activities. Papers with only secondary data analysis (either quantitative or qualitative) are not eligible for the fellowships.
- Research or clinical question and contribution to the field – The research or clinical question should be grounded in the literature on culture, mental health, and the family. The question should be novel and have implications for future research and practice. The results of this study should be interpreted in light of the history of culture and mental health research and clinical work. Other areas that will have a contribution to the field such as capacity building for beneficiary communities, providers in cross-cultural settings, and advocacy groups could also be reflected in this score.
- Ethical conduct – All research projects should include details on IRB approval from the applicant’s home institution as well as IRB approval from the country where research was conducted if the research was carried out outside the United States. Papers that do not have information on appropriate IRB approval will not be considered for review. For clinical cases, IRB approval is not required, but appropriate anonymization practices should be observed in documentation.
- Methods/analysis – Projects demonstrating high levels of participation in design, implementation, and interpretation with the beneficiary community will be prioritized. Rigorous methods and analysis using best practices in qualitative or quantitative research in culture and mental health are recommended. For qualitative methods – what type of theory was used for coding and theory building (e.g., grounded theory, interpretative phenomenological analysis, content analysis, etc.); was the selection of participants appropriate for a qualitative study; for ethnographic studies, how was participant observation incorporated into the design, etc.? For quantitative studies – were culturally validated instruments used or was there a cultural validation as part of the study; was the sample representative with regard to recruitment and target population; were statistical analyses appropriate for this study design, etc.?
For questions, please contact Francis Lu (francislumd@gmail.com) and Alec Terrana (aterrana@healthy.ucsd.edu)