International psychiatry conference attracts more than 300
Psychiatrist Hiram Mok (left) and Dr. Soma Ganesan at the PRCP conference.
The Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists (PRCP) Scientific Meeting was held at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver from October 5 to 7 and was supported by Vancouver Coastal Health in conjunction with UBC Department of Psychiatry, SFU Faculty of Health Sciences and UBC Continuing Professional Development Office.
The conference started off with an evening of celebration in honor of Professor Tsung-Yi Lin, a pioneer in psychiatric epidemiology & global mental health (who started the Vancouver Community Cross Cultural Psychiatry Program), on the evening of October 4th, which was well attended by former colleagues, including emeriti professors from UBC and Professor Lin’s family.
PRCP 2014 attracted over 350 delegates from over 15 countries across the Pacific Rim. The conference featured international, national, regional and local experts in mental health and addictions, covering a diverse spectrum of mental health and addiction issues. Several workshops paid a special emphasis on integrating mental health, addictions with primary care. There were also forums on mental health promotion and ehealth. The conference provided an excellent opportunity for attendees for knowledge transfer, networking, and future research collaboration. Eight travel awards were granted for trainees from low-income countries to attend the conference. Seven post-conference study tours were organized so that attendees could see local Vancouver Coastal Mental Health & Addiction Services.