Poster Program Builds Bridge Between APA Members And International Researchers

Each year at the APA Annual Meeting, the APA International Poster Engagement Program (IPEP), established and coordinated by the APA Council on International Psychiatry, allows up-and-coming researchers and junior investigators from around the world to present their research during daily poster sessions. These international poster presenters welcome the opportunity to share their findings and, for many, experience the APA Annual Meeting for the first time.

IPEP, now in its fourth year, connects APA members, primarily members of the APA Caucus on Global Mental Health and Psychiatry who volunteer as reviewers in the program, with these budding international researchers. The program allows colleagues from different parts of the world to exchange research and ideas, while providing young psychiatrists with a valuable professional development opportunity.

Over its first three years, the program has had 41 participants from 26 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, China, Egypt, Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey. While research topics vary, most posters focus on global mental health, systems of care, and psychiatric disorders in populations outside the United States.

Participants have said the program made them feel “welcomed,” “included,” and “valued” at the APA Annual Meeting. One participant noted that “the practice of psychiatry can be very different” around the world, and the Annual Meeting provides a great opportunity to “share what we do in our own health care systems.”

This program has proven to be enriching not only to the participants, but also to the APA members serving as program reviewers. APA looks forward to continuing it for years to come. ■