Psychologists’ meet from Jan 27 to address indigenous problems

With the aim of addressing indigenous cases, for the first time, psychologists in India will present data on a slew of topics ranging from farmers' suicides to folk healing practices at the 38th National Annual Conference of the Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists (NACIACP) to be held from January 27. The three-day conference is being organised by Child Guidance Centre, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health (DBSMH)- Sahyadri Hospitals Ltd, at Yashada.

Radhika Bapat, organising secretary of NACIACP 2012, said the theme of the conference is Liaison Psychology - Making Mental Health Care Affordable and Accessible through Interdisciplinary Collaborations. "Every year the conference has elaborate discussions on psychological issues and their management that are relevant to western countries. The need of the hour is to look at indigenous problems such as farmer suicide, stigma attached to mental illness, treatment practices that give importance to ghosts, jinns, spirits and try to search ways to resolve them,"Bapat said.

Some of the topics that will be discussed during the conference include Media and Mental Health, Forensic Clinical Psychology - Issues in Assessment, Diagnosis and Certification of Civil and Criminal Cases, Fading Boundaries Between 'Dava' and 'Dua' and Art-based and Animal Assisted therapies . Topics that arouse one's curiosity such as Folk Healing Practices and their Contemporary Relevance as well as Healing in a Spiritual Context will be dealt with by experts like Dr. Ajit K Dalal and Dr. Anand Paranjpe, as a part of their address on the first day of the conference.

In line with the theme, some of the symposiums will feature personalities like thespians Dr Mohan Agashe, Dr Vidyadhar Watve, Dr Anand Nadkarni and several others. "The lower income group can not afford the expensive treatments currently available and there is a need to work towards providing affordable psychological solutions to the common man. Hence we decided to support this cause," said Dr Charudatt Apte, Managing Director & Chairman, Sahyadri Hospitals.

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