More than 300 national speakers will participate in the 39th Brazilian Congress of Psychiatry, which begins tomorrow (5th), at the Ceará Convention Center, in Fortaleza, and will continue until the 8th. The event will also bring together 20 foreign specialists, who will contribute to the professional updating of congressmen, presenting the results of research and studies carried out around the world, in addition to relevant content for the learning of all those present.
The information was given to Brazil Agency by the president of the Brazilian Association of Psychiatry (ABP), Antonio Geraldo da Silva. The central theme is Psychiatry and pandemic: impact, lessons and new paradigms.
This is the association’s second in-person event, after two years of the covid-19 pandemic. Last year, the institution held the 38th CBP, in Porto Alegre, following health safety standards and with a small number of participants. In 2022, three face-to-face events were held by the association: the 7th ABP/World Psychiatric Association (WPA) Update Course on Schizophrenia, the 9th National Conference on Psychiatric Emergencies and the 6th International Symposium on Neurosciences of the ABP in São Paulo, with the Spirituality and Psychopharmacology theme.
The ABP president stated that expectations for the 39th CBP “are the best possible. In yet another edition of CBP, our team’s mission is to bring to each one the latest in psychiatry, alongside the most important specialists in the world. This is an edition that has been long-awaited and organized since the end of the last congress,” he said.
Pandemic
Asked about what we should expect from now on, now that the covid-19 pandemic seems under control, Antonio Geraldo da Silva recalled that, in 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) published its last report with various related data and information. to mental health. In the report, the WHO pointed out that about 5% of Brazilians had depression, representing 12 million people.
In 2022, the Ministry of Health published the Vigitel Brasil survey, containing data for the year 2021. “For the first time depression was included in the study, which revealed that about 11% of Brazilians have this mental illness, that is, 23 million people, a number well above what was presented just two years before”, highlighted the president of the ABP.
According to Silva, the most apparent reason for the increase in the prevalence of depression, in addition to other mental disorders, is the pandemic of the new coronavirus. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, the ABP has been warning about the possible negative impacts on the mental health of the population, which we call the fourth wave of covid-19. Now, with the data published by the Ministry of Health, we see that the prediction, made by the institution, has come true. That’s why we need to talk more and more about mental health, show people that this issue is in everyone’s daily lives and it’s very important that we debate.”
During the congress, several activities will address the topic of the pandemic and its impacts on mental health. Among them are round tables Social interactions and mental disorders as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, Teaching Medicine in the Post-Covid-19 Context and the international conference The Psychological Impact of Covid-19: Reflections from a Global Perspective.
There will also be topics related to child and adolescent psychiatry, such as the impact of maternal mental health on the fetus and newborn, neurodevelopmental disorders and mood disorders in this age group. There will also be the free Suicide Prevention course, which will address this important topic after a month dedicated to the Yellow September campaign.
Quality of life
The president of the ABP stated that one of the factors that should be prioritized by the psychiatrist in the treatment of a patient with mental illness is the preservation of quality of life. “It is essential to preserve the quality of life”. He also highlighted the establishment of sleep and food routines, physical exercise and healthy eating, which help maintain physical and mental health.
“Seek to strengthen social bonds, friendship, stay close to family and friends, have high self-esteem, religiosity – regardless of religious affiliation, in addition to access to health services and mental health care”, he added.
Silva also considers that family support is an important element for the patient’s social life. “Yes, support from family and friends is essential, from the process of seeking help and treatment to support for returning to social life. Often, family members are the first to notice that there is something different and point out the need to seek psychiatric help; and it is in the family that the socialization process begins”.
Knowledge
In the opinion of the vice-president of the ABP, Claudio Meneghello Martins, the CBP is a great opportunity for collaboration, scientific meetings, exchange of ideas and, in particular, the sedimentation of knowledge. “The idea of the congress is this: sedimentation of knowledge and, therefore, the biggest beneficiary, without a doubt, are patients and assistance at public and private levels. That we can have health promotion actions, breaking the stigma of mental illness.”
For Martins, the congress has the objective of disseminating knowledge to the population and, therefore, encouraging people to seek assistance to prevent diseases and intervention for diseases that are already present. “The congress focuses so that we can all empower, not just professionals, because knowledge has to be disseminated to the population as a whole. It is not enough to just have knowledge within the walls. It has to be disclosed. That is our purpose”, concluded Martins.
* The reporter traveled at the invitation of the Brazilian Association of Psychiatry (ABP).
