Connection and Community amidst Crisis: Sharing Power and Reimagining Care
As we continue to face unprecedented challenges to science, global health, and equity, diversity, and inclusion, we turn our focus towards strategies to fortify our communities and patients. We seek to highlight organizations and practices that have successfully strengthened and sustained mental healthcare. We welcome submissions that explore the intersection of culture and mental health across diverse settings—from clinical encounters to communities, institutions, and global systems—including research, clinical practice, education, advocacy, and community partnerships. By redoubling our efforts at genuine power-sharing and centering expertise in lived experience, mental health researchers and practitioners have the opportunity to create transformative change.
We invite abstract submitters to consider creative and critical engagements with the conference theme and with other areas of cultural psychiatry and global mental health. Examples of topics and domains related to the conference theme include the following:
Building and Sustaining Systems in Contexts of Crisis
Policy changes in the US are putting healthcare increasingly out of reach for many, while slashed funding and program eliminations have decimated global health efforts. In these contexts, ongoing work to build sustainable systems of care becomes all the more important and challenging. We invite submissions that examine the systems, policies, and structural conditions that shape mental health and access to care. We also invite sessions that explore solutions for mental health financing, community-based care, task sharing, and innovative strategies for sustaining mental health services in unstable funding environments. We welcome submissions on education and supervision in cultural psychiatry and global mental health during challenging times, including cultural humility training, reflective practice, supervision models, and trainee-led initiatives.
Centering Lived Experience: Power and Co-Production in Mental Health
The current moment demands an acceleration of efforts at power-sharing and a broader definition of whose knowledge counts in mental health research, practice, education, and policy. We invite submissions that engage with lived experience leadership, co-production instead of tokenism, epistemic justice, and meaningful power sharing in mental health systems. We also welcome work on decolonizing global mental health curricula and partnerships, local leadership and knowledge sovereignty, the ethics of Global North–South collaborations, and approaches that move beyond simply exporting Global North interventions.
Digital Minds and Human-Centered Innovation
The rapid expansion of Artificial Intelligence (AI), including its use in digital mental health, raises important questions about health, mental health care, and human connection across contexts. Some changes bring the potential to increase access and efficiency through AI-enabled screening, clinical training and documentation, and tools that support research productivity. At the same time, there is a need for critical work on algorithmic and cultural bias, privacy, environmental devastation, and the limits of standalone AI-based support. We invite submissions that explore mental health implications of social media use, as well as recent policy changes and legal rulings, such as social media age bans. Other submissions might explore co-production of digital mental health tools and the future of global mental health in virtual and hybrid spaces.
Mental Health in Family Systems and the Perinatal Period
There is growing interest in family systems and perinatal mental health within cultural psychiatry and global mental health. We invite submissions that examine topics such as youth/parent/family co-design, intergenerational care, stepped care and task-sharing approaches in perinatal mental health care, life-course and developmental perspectives, and family therapy and perinatal care in LMICs, conflict-affected settings, and migrant communities. We especially welcome work that centers the voices of children, caregivers, and communities; attends to parent-infant and early childhood relationships; and explores culturally responsive approaches to supporting families navigating trauma, displacement, disability, neurodevelopmental differences, chronic illness, or other complex social and health-related stressors. Submissions may include clinical, community-engaged, prevention-oriented, or systems-level approaches to strengthening relational health and family wellbeing across the perinatal, early childhood, adolescent, and intergenerational life course.
As always, we invite submissions not directly on the conference theme that engage with other topics in cultural psychiatry and global mental health, including (but not limited to) cultural formulation, explanatory models, diagnostic dilemmas, interpreter-mediated care, therapeutic alliance across cultures, and clinical ethics.
Recognizing that many of the conference sub-themes focus on pressing issues and ongoing crises, we invite submitters to think creatively about session topics and structures. In the absence of completed research projects or piloted training programs that are typical of conference presentations, submitters could propose collaborative or flexibly structured session types like roundtables, discussion-driven workshops, or wellbeing-focused and community-building activities. These submission types could use the Workshop submission category.
We also encourage the full range of contribution types that have always made SSPC conferences an engaging interdisciplinary space, including empirical research, clinical case discussions, cultural formulation work, educational innovations, reflective practice, humanities/narrative approaches, community-engaged scholarship, and lived experience perspectives.
See the full text of the Call for Abstracts here
Deadline for submissions: September 25th, 2026
Individual Papers or Posters
Abstracts may be submitted by individuals indicating a 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 learning objectives. Please include information about how your work connects to the conference theme or other key issues in Cultural Psychiatry and Global Mental Health.
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 attendees 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.
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 or other key issues in Cultural Psychiatry and Global Mental Health.
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 attendees 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.
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 require 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 or other key issues in Cultural Psychiatry and Global Mental Health.
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 attendees 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.
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 or other key issues in Cultural Psychiatry or Global Mental Health.
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 attendees 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.
For full consideration for the conference, 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 (master's or PhD students) or medical (medical students or residents) 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 Call for Abstracts 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 with a strong 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 September 25th, 2026.
1. Submission form: The online submission form includes the following information:
- Identifying information (name, affiliation, contact information) of the applicant
- Title of paper
- Co-authors and author contributions
- Abstract
- 2 learning objectives
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: A 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 Global Mental Health, 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 and global mental health. Preference will be given to submissions based on clinical activities and research addressing one of the themes highlighted for the 2027 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 and mental health. 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.
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