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Summary of the suggestions of the WPA Components to improve the
organizational structure and efficiency of the WPA

My impression and experience is that the structure, efficiency and quality of our officers
is of the highest possible standard giving confidence in adherence to WPA ideals and
goals, within the limit given by existing funds and active cooperation by the member
assns.. WE have a central leadership deserving our highest respect and gratitude.

Communication with members has improved but still needs to be maintained through
local societies.

WPA needs more presence in countries where the local psychiatric organizations are
weak or inexistent, where psychiatrist may be blacklisted or persecuted or where
mental health systems are the poor cousins of budgetary allocations.

WPA needs to work more closely with local psychiatric orgs. And through them, with
local exponents of the psychiatric community and mental health services organizations
in order to improve standards of care and lobby for better services for the mentally ill.
Through its affiliated national organizations WPA should be involved in mental health
reform initiatives and push to give a voice to patient and family lobby groups for mental
health reform. WPA should develop minimum curriculum standards for the training of
psychiatrists. WPA should develop ethical standards for research protocols involving
mentally ill personas as subjects of research.

WPA has a huge mandate that includes promoting and propagating mental health, to
set standards of care and training in mental health and to develop ethical work
standards in the world. I’d like the WPA to be more involved in functions such as start
web based courses in areas that are deficient in training and in different areas such as
ethics, provide opportunities for linkages and exchange, initiate/support research
projects.

Zone 16 should be divided. WPA should take a leadership role in world psychiatric
academy. The leaderships should have a broad public health oriented perspective with
the strategies to improve services of mentally ill patients all over the world. For the
election of executive board members, the candidate should be recommended not only
by his/her national society but also in addition by a few other national societies.

Membership scrutiny and correction of member organizations. Encourage more
organizations to come under the umbrella of WPA. Research methodology and training
in developing countries in an organized way

Training and educational activities in countries with minimal manpower and resources.
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Travelling support for those in low income countries who are presenting papers.

The board should have a more clearly defined role. It should not simply accept tor or
endorse what comes from council. It this is a misperception on my side, I withdraw. But
I think Council should not seat in board meetings during selections for various tasks. The
board should do this independently. Board and council joint meetings must be on issues
that were defined in advance and not simply a report back on activities of council
without prior discussions or agreement on agenda.

Effort to improve psychiatric curricula minimum standards deserves greater and
continuous attention. Regular reviews and dissemination to relevant institutions would
provide good pacing opportunity, credible guide and enhance content comparability
despite the diversity of training contexts.

I suggest that the WPA be present in avenues of future such as transgenerational
psychiatry, gen-environment research and to promote these fields.

Zonal representations provide most active executive. Increased support for academic
improvement of psychiatrists from poor countries.

It might be useful to critically examine the WPA organizational structure and see
whether the developments in the past 30 years require change in the structure and
operation of the WPA. This might be particularly relevant concerning the role and
functioning of the zonal reps., the board, the size and composition of the executive
committee and the council. It might also be useful to see which of the WPA sections are
currently active and which are dormant. Perhaps WPA could introduce a term for the
dormant sections indicating that there is a group of experts ready to advise and help but
otherwise not organizing or doing things for the WPA.

Put EC and Board minutes on the web. Enhance continuity between triennia. Continue
with hand copies of some documents and WPA news.

I propose interdisciplinary meetings.

We need funds to do research and plan educational activities. Regional reps have no
communication with the active WPA members and office bearers in our region
(Pakistan) to promote mental health and education. WPA regional reps with section
chairs must initiate educational activities and training programs in Asia for Disaster
planning/support. And help section on WMH to promote and create awareness of WMH
issues. We have several million of Afghan refugees and IDPs in Pakistan. Women’s
mental health issues need urgent support. Women in the WPA NEWS editorial board
must have more representation.
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
It will be good to encourage new leadership to join WPA and shape the sections and
activities. No office bearer should take on too many activities. Developing countries
ought to take on leadership roles in increasing numbers. There ought to be joint
research and training projects planned, possibly with WHO linkage.

I think the activity and efficiency of the WPA needs to give more attention to high
quality research directed to the etiology of psychiatric diseases to help bridging up with
this field from the social issues into the scientific proof, this way we can speak about
prevention of mental illness and educational role. At the moment we are still moving
without zonal reps and sections in the areas of epidemiological research, ethical issues,
and community services for patient rehab. Giver our patients nonspecific care.

More focus on person centered individual and aggregated public health activities, on
health promotion and public mental health, on a bio-psycho-social and even existential
complexity as the condition humana we have to deal with in all our activities and which
should be the basis of an humanism that guides us.

I suggest greater circulation of information about publications, fund raising, and
allocation of funds.

Item 1 “priorities” should include and emphasizes promotion of interaction and mutual
understanding of psychiatrists world-wide as this better differentiates the UNIQUE
contributions of WPA. The present priority list is entirely redundant with the national
organizations. While such priorities are relevant to the work of a global organization,
they do not include what is arguably the most important and surely the most particular
impact of WPA.

Rules about financial support must be declared. WPA should work to support local
psychiatric organizations and not try to achieve these goals (those listed as purposes in
the survey) herself. WPA should also be in the business of helping cross-national
collaborations. The WPA should be in the business of standardization of care across
nations by working with local organizations and bringing help to struggling local
organizations.

More promotion of the activities and objectives fulfill and promotion of the publications
properly. More help to promote activities in all countries.

Ask the affiliated local societies to further disseminate WPA communication tools
through local channels.

In my view, WPA should be more visible about ethical standards of psychiatrists along
with promoting educational activities. The cause of mental health should be supported
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especially in low income countries.

I think we could improve the presence of WPA letting countries representatives that
local academic activities could be sponsored by WPA. At the moment there are multiple
educational activities that will improve their quality if they were sponsored by WPA.

WPA has to significantly improve the involvement of its member societies in WPA
activities. WPA has to exert pressure and influence to give more importance to
psychiatry and mental health in developing world. Teaching psychiatry to
undergraduate medical students should be seen as a top priority. Support post graduate
teaching in psychiatry in developing nations.

I found this very difficult to fill in for the very positive reason that WPA takes all its
activities very seriously and in my view is an excellently run organization—so the large
number of 10s mean “keep up the good work!”

The WPA news should focus more on the key challenges of WPA: activities and
publications/educational material and reduce the space allocated to small talk about
meetings, pictures of meeting participants and other non-relevant issues. The
newsletter should be more focused. We are drowned in all kind of email, also
professional email. It is better to receive a short and informative newsletter with
hyperlinks to additional info rather than many pages with relevant and less relevant
issues blended.

Much stronger links between the national associations and WPA. In order to help the
national associations to promote mental health and the ethical standards in psychiatric
care, teaching and research, to prevent mental disorders, to improve the quality of care
for mentally ill, and to avoided stigma and discrimination, it is necessary to improve the
WPA influence at official governmental level in all countries.

More frequent, even short, information about activities (educational, scientific …) to
officers.

To include more non-professionals, promote mental health issues on the level of policy
makers, to promote networks and on-line activities.

In general, WPA executive meeting including section officers should be held every 2
years. Moreover, the section officers and executive committee should have closer
communication. Last but not least management of the website should really be
improved. Our section has sent documents several times to modify our website for
more than one year now and those never appeared on the webpage and our section
page was never modified. Moreover, the total numbers of section chairs and section
secretary were also not correct. The email address of section secretary was also wrong.
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Although I have informed those mistakes to be modified, those were never done.
Although our section would like to arrange a section quarterly newsletter, with this
situation, we cannot make any significant move.

The priority of the WPA should be to reach the psychiatric rank and file world-wide; that
is, to increase its membership. Paradoxically, there seems to be more interest in the
WPA in developing countries than in first world ones. To achieve this aim, the WPA
must make itself relevant to the clinical needs of psychiatrist everywhere. At the
moment, things are changing for the better but for a long time the WPA was controlled
by the same caucus and managed like a private club.

More distribution of information about Board, Council and section activities. More
interdisciplinary activities with other sections could be developed. More development
of consensus papers in special areas.

I would certainly like more transparency in relation to the finances of the WPA. The
education activities need closer alignment with the work of the education section in
order to maximize the educational impact—this has still not happened.

The activities of the WPA should go far beyond face to face meetings. Utilization of
internet should be promoted. Contribution of individual members and national societies
should be encouraged. Updating of the web page of WPA should be looked after more
closely.

I would like to be more connected and more informed about WPA activities and
initiatives. I feel that I am isolated, in connection only with section members.

Educational activities should be more largely developed and promoted and WPA
sections should be involved. Communications between WPA and national societies
should be implemented. Scientific contributions of WPA sections in WPA books and
World psychiatry should be encouraged. Local and sections scientific meetings should
be promoted and possibly financed or anyway supported by WPA. A WPA sections
congress should be regularly organized.

Is having the newsletter in hardcopy form necessary in the digital age? Perhaps an emagazine would be more cost effective. It is very hard but WPA would benefit from
more exposure in national press. The Time, La Monde, The NYT, etc... Widely read
broadsheets which impact in the general population. Otherwise we are in danger of
talking amongst ourselves. It would be great to see WPA take a more proactive political
role at the WHO and in the European UNION. The WPA speaks for such a large,
multinational group of professionals it would be really helpful. Should WPA open up to
other professionals in the field? Psych nurses and other related professionals?
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
Officers President of sections should communicate with member societies about their
activities.

The WPA might reconsider the practice of having candidates for WPA office asking
national associations to nominate and endorse their candidature before vote, which
inundate the presidents and secretaries of these organizations every few years. It might
take more sense if the WPA itself was to invite national associations to consider
whether they wish to nominate one or more of their members for a post and to
discourage the current practice of having candidates seek endorsements from
organizations who are un familiar with their work, other than the details of a curriculum
vitae and a statement of good intention. The vote-carrying regional representatives who
are more involved in the work of the WPA are conceivably in a much better position to
consult with the senior officers of the national association(s) they represent and
determine where votes are to be directed.

The WPA could split the elections/nominations process into two stages. With the WPA
first asking national associations to nominate one or more of their members for each
position, if they wish. And then the WPA sending nominated candidates CV’s (max 5
pages each) to national society executive director at least 60 days before the vote so
national societies can decide who they want their delegate to vote for. This could make
things more straightforward re WPA elections and nominations from a member society
perspective.

Mental Health Association Of Cambodia (MHAC) is new member of WPA. May be it not
very well known for technical committees/or council of WPA. Then, information that
MHAC received from committees is very limited.

Secretariat of WPA would inform all activities of all committees to members. This is very
important because members will get update information and improve organizational
structure of WPA.

Merci d’indiquer toute suggestion qui permettrait d’améliorer la structure
organisationnelle et l’efficacité de la WPA.

Mettre un peu plus de français dans les publications et en particuliers reprendre la
traduction française de “world psychiatry”. Cela augmenterait l’impact de l’association
dans le pays Francophones ou les collégues ne sont pas tous Anglophones.

Put more French in publications and in particular translate again “world psychiatry”.
This could raise the impact of the association in French spoken countries (in Europe and
in Africa also) where colleagues still have problems to read English scientific
publications.
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
According to the best of my evaluation, WPA should improve its links with national
associations in order not only to promote its activities but also offer an open way to
accept suggestions and/or actualizations on the different demands of local importance.

As for WPA publications it would be useful if local associations publicize them on their
sites and other local media.

The Psychiatric Association of Bosnia-Herzegovina doesn’t have any specific remarks
about current or future organizational structure or efficiency of the WPA.

We suggest conducting elections of Zonal Representative within each Zone. Reasons for
this suggestion are the followings:

Suggested procedure is more correspondents with a concept of Zonal elections when
each Zone elects its own representative in the WPA Board.

Member Societies of a certain Zone are more acquainted with the figures and they may
make better choice of their representatives in the WPA Board.

Member Societies from other Zones may low awareness about actual needs in a certain
Zone, so their participation in the election of Zonal Representative seems to be
formalistic.

Elections conducted within each Zone should increase responsibility and accountability
of Zonal Representative to Member Societies.

Elections conducted within each Zone should strengthen an impact and visibility of the
activities of the WPA Board.

The organizational structure of WPA is currently good. Perhaps it might be more
representative if the secretaries of member associations are also invited alongside the
president with full financial support to attend WPA events.

Republic of Moldova is passing through some major political, social, economic charges.
The Clinical Hospital Of Psychiatry, Chisinau, is the second in Europe according to its
territory and bed number. The Mental Health Care system in Moldova is currently being
reformed based on elaboration of new legislative acts “Elaboration of National Strategy
of Mental Health 2011-2015” based on the EPA and WPA Ethical Standards.

It would be great to hold educative seminars and other activities in Republic of Moldova
in order to make current processes of change even more effective.

To improve cooperation with the WPA financial activities, they don’t react on our
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questions. We don’t know our membership dues are received or not.

From January 2011 we did not receive any journals: WPA NEWS, WPA Bulletin.

Please provide enough information about your activities.

Please send the all information to all members.

Please let the members using the published journal freely.

It would help to get regular newsletters and WPA committee activities –concise
information that we could pass on to our members.

Publications are too expensive.

Mejorar la communicacion con las otras Sociedades.

Difundir la informacion acerca de las actividades que realizan las diferentes secretarias
de la WPA.

The election of Zonal representative would be preferable to be organized within a Zone.

More involvement of developing and low-income countries. More annual congresses in
same countries.

It’s necessary to prevent reduction of clinical qualification of doctor connected with
using of ICD-10. It’s necessary to encourage theoretical works in psychiatry, to prevent
sociologization of scientific knowledge.

It’s worth to strengthen antistigmatization program.

It’s necessary to return to the election of the Zonal Representatives by societies,
members of the Zone only.

To improve communication about financial, ethic and education in the WPA.

To offer more support to both underdeveloped and smaller countries.

To promote activities of Continuing Medical Education

To strengthen Young Psychiatrists and Residents participation in every WPA activity.

To increase interchange between underdeveloped and first world countries as to
improve the organization of their Societies of Psychiatry.
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
I am more than satisfied with the WPA organization

Only one reservation; There is a group of individuals whom resort to “bullying tactics”
during and after the Assembly. The decorum exhibited by the minority few individual
“gangsters” does bring disrespect to the superlative standard majority has shown. I am
a victim of these ganged acts. It is my hope these are policed with contempt in the
future with severe penalties as deterrent.
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Summary of the suggestions of the WPA Member Societies to improve the
cooperation and relations of their your societies with the WPA

All complain of ethnical of deontological nature according to Cyprus law have to
be referred to the ethics committee of Cyprus Medical Association.

All members who have no qualify to be selected as executive member; should be
assigned as observers of all structural organization of WPA because they will learn
more about WPA activities and experiences.

Increased level of communication and institutional activities.

More WPA activities oriented to Association

Improvement of the website of the WPA

Monthly WPA news and bulletins

Include members of our association in the WPA sections

Possibility of the free publications for the member societies

On-time upgrade or update changes or activities of our association

Further and improved co-operation and transparency with our next zonal
representative.

Participation of our specialists in the WPA scientific program

Participation of our specialists in developing ICD-11

Free access to recent WPA books

WPA expertise provision for development of local policy documents

Translation of the main WPA publications into Russian

WPA should get more member states involved in research activities. This will in turn
boost quality of research work in Nigeria, as well as ensuing publications.
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
It is important to make clear that for the cases of psychiatric abuse our society does not
interfere, that is an issue that the Colegio Mexicano de Psiquiatras follows and takes care
of.

As a suggestion could be good that young psychiatrists get more involved in activities.
Also please take into account Forensics Psychiatry is an important topic.

Would be nice to receive the copies of all updates about the WPA activities also on this
e-mail address: psihiatru.asociacija@gmail.com

To take into account the activity the separate society. We cannot possibilities to publish
our abstracts, proposals.

To promote and support mutual scientific research.

To keep in touch with the Psychiatric Associations in the World.

Please send the messages regularly to society and let us sent to our members.

Switzerland is a confederation of cantons, and every canton has its own law regarding
health care, rights of patients, etc.

We enjoy good cooperation at present with the WPA.

Death penalty is prohibited until two 02/2011

Mantener una informacion continua de las diferentes actividades que realiza la WPA,
principalmente las cientificas.

More active involvement in the region.

More meetings to be held here to promote the cause of mental health.

Our society would like to be more actively involve into the research projects and
educational programmes sponsored by WPA as well as into process of development and
field trials of ICD-11.

We are satisfied with our relations with the WPA. We feel its support and readiness for
cooperation.
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
To propose both research and education courses for young psychiatrists in the field of
psychiatry and mental health

To start a joint venture work in order to elaborate a Mental Health law

To promote-with WPA back up- the non-penalty action against addictions

To create a National Committee of Ethic to approach cases of either sue or bad praxis

To make agreements of cooperation between universities in every country.

We, the society, are reasonably happy with the present level of cooperation and
relations with the WPA.