WPA Working Group on Medical Students: current initiatives and future priorities

Update on implementation of WPA Action Plan 2020‐2023

“…In creating this resource center, the WPA and its Scientific Sections established col laborations with a number of professional organizations in addition to the EPA, includ ing the European College of Neuropsycho pharmacology (ECNP) 8 and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) 9,10 , to bring together rel evant selfhelp materials to support those in need.…”

“…Work­ing Groups are implementing several initiatives in areas of training and research, and clinical updates. Activities by the Working Groups on Managing Comorbidity of Mental and Physical Health, Early Intervention in Psy­chosis, Public Mental Health, and Pro­motion of Psychiatry Among Medical Stu­dents are drawing additional attention to the cur­rent needs and opportunities in these areas of work 9‐11 .…”

The WPA Action Plan 2020‐2023: an updated report

“…The disproportionate impact of the pandemic on people with serious mental illness is likely due to worse pre-existing health and poorer access to medical services. Even in the absence of infection, people with serious mental illness have experienced marked decreases in measures of well-being and mental health during the pandemic 4 . Overall, suicide rates have not increased or have even declined during the first year of the pandemic 5 .…”

“…We have focused in particular on selec ted areas -public mental health; early intervention in psychosis; managing comorbidity of mental and physical health problems; promotion of psychiatry among medical students [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] -according to the priorities set out in our Action Plan 2020-2023, through the work of dedicated Working Groups.…”

WPA Working Group on Defining and Managing Autism Spectrum Disorder: spreading knowledge for the next generations of psychiatrists

“…Beside the production of the textbook, the WPA Working Group on Defining and Managing ASD has started the development of educational materials on key diagnostic features of ASD and co‐occurring mental health issues for the WPA Educational Portal 7 , in connection with a similar initiative of the WPA Working Group on Intellectual Developmental Disorders 8 . A prominent attention has been paid to the provision of strategies for interdisciplinary approaches, according to the overall WPA Action Plan 2020‐2023 9,10 , and to the promotion of partnerships for joint collaborative work in capacity building among medical students 11 , young psychiatrists and allied professionals.…”