WPA Regional Congress
“Innovations in the Practice of Psychiatry in the 21st Century”
8-10.06.2023 Yerevan
Armenia – Marriott Hotel
WPA has granted 22 CPD points for the full participation of your conference
You can download the program here
DAY I 08.06.2023
12.00-14.00 Meeting with Medical Students (National Scientific Medical Library)
Afzal Javed (WPA President), Waqar Azeem (Chair WPA Action Plan Group on Medical Students), Armen Soghoyan (ArPA President)
16.00-17.30 Registration (Sundukyan State Academic Theater)
17.30-19.00 Opening Ceremony (Sundukyan State Academic Theater)
17.30-18.00 Wellcome WPA President, ArPA President, Chief Guests
18.00-19.00 Plenary Lectures
L.1 WPA President, Prof. Afzal Javed (Pakistan & UK)
WPA Action Plan 2020-23: an Update
L.2 ArPA President, Dr. Armen Soghoyan (Armenia)
Mental Health in Armenia: Post-COVID and Hybrid War Era
19.00-20.30 Wellcome Reception
DAY II 09.06.2023
9.00-9.30 Registration
9.30-11.30 Plenary Session
(Grand Ballroom “Tigran the Great”)
Chairs: Armen Soghoyan (Armenia), Thomas Schulze (USA & Germany)
L.3 Dinesh Bhugra (UK)
GeoPsychiatry: Dawn of a New Discipline
L.4 Ramune Mazaliauskiene (Lithuania)
Psychotherapeutic Methods in Knowledge Creation Process in the Mental Health - Care System
L.5 Eka Chkonia (Georgia)
Mental Health of Mental Health Professionals
L.6 Christina Hoven (USA)
Overview on Global Women’s Mental Health
11.30-12.00 Coffee
12.00-14.00 Scientific Sessions / Symposia
S.1 How to Optimally Implement Genetics and Pharmacogenetics in Psychiatry: a Panel Discussion
(Room Ashot Yerkat)
Chairs: Thomas Schulze (USA & Germany), Karine R. Mayilyan (Armenia)
S1.1 Thomas Schulze (USA & Germany)
Introduction of the Speakers and WPA’s Commitment to Global State-of-the-Art Research Initiatives
S1.2 Fernando Sampaio Goes (USA)
Genetics And Pharmacogenetics of Psychiatric Disorders: Challenges and Promises
S1.3 Roksana Zakharyan (Armenia)
Antipsychotic Treatment-Related Genetic Variants in Schizophrenia
S1.4 Robert Ostrander (USA)
Psychiatric Pharmacogenetics from the Vantage Point of a Family Medicine Practitioner
S1.5 Roos van Westrhenen (The Netherlands)
PSY-PGx: A New Intervention for Implementation of Pharmacogenetics in Psychiatry
12.00-14.00 Scientific Sessions / Symposia
S.2 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: How to Implement Evidence-Based Practices in Armenia
(Room Levon of Cilicia)
Chairs: Michel Botbol (France), Maruke Yeghiyan (Armenia)
S2.1 Maruke Yeghiyan (Armenia)
Myths and Misconceptions of ADHD: Separating Fact from Fiction
S2.2 Michel Botbol (France)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Differential Diagnosis And Comorbidities”
S2.3 Arman Danielyan (USA)
Psychopharmacological Treatment of ADHD Across Lifespan
S2.4 Norbert Skokauskas (Norway)
Clinical Decision Support Systems for ADHD
S2.5 Allen Azizian (USA)
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies For ADHD
S2.6 Ahsan Nazeer (Qatar)
Management and Innovations in the Treatment of ADHD
S.3 Human Rights in Mental Health
(Room Trdat the 2nd)
Chairs: Ann Faerden (Norway), Marietta Khurshudyan (Armenia)
S3.1 Laura Gasparyan (Armenia)
Ensuring the Rights of Persons with Mental Health Problems in the Republic of Armenia
S3.2 Artur Sakunts (Armenia)
Armenia’s Mental Health Policy in the Context of Human Rights
S3.3 Leyal Al Hanna (Lebanon)
WHO QR program in Lebanon (online)
S3.4 Mauro G. Carta & Frederica Sancassiani (Italy)
An Italian Experience of a Two-Level Intervention for Human Rights Promotion on Psychosocial Disability (online)
S3.5 Simon Vasseur-Bacle WHO Collaborating Centre – EPSM Lille Métropole (France)
The WHO QualityRight Project (online)
S3.6 Lilit Baghdasaryan (Armenia)
WHO QR Program in Armenia
S3.7 Meryam Schouler-Ocak (Germany)
How Can the Ethics Committee Contribute to Reducing Coercion in Psychiatry?
S3.8 Taguhi Makaryan (Armenia)
The Role of Personal Psychological Characteristics in the Context of Causation of Physical Violence Between Intime Partners
12.00-14.00 Scientific Sessions / Symposia
S.4 Psychiatry: Current State and Perspectives
(Room Queen Erato)
Chairs: Stepan Matevosyan (Armenia & Russia), Yuri Aleksandrovsky (Russia)
S4.1 Yuri Aleksandrovsky (Russia)
Clinical and Diagnostic Evaluation of Social Stress Disorders
S4.2 Igor Reverchuk (Russia)
Neuropsychological, Neurophysiological and Neuroepigenetic Predictors of Pathological and Early Aging: Foundations of Evidence-Based Neuropsychiatry
S4.3 Stepan Matevosyan (Armenia & Russia)
The Future of Psychiatry: How Artificial Intelligence is Boosting Psychiatric Care
S4.4 Samvel Sukiasyan (Armenia)
Innovation As a Way to Overcome the Crisis of Psychiatry
S.5 Mental Health During Emergencies: From Emergency to Recovery
(Grand Boardroom “Tigran the Great”)
Chairs: Hrant Avanesyan (Armenia), Lilit Baghdasaryan (Armenia)
S5.1 Hrant Avanesyan (Armenia)
Organization of Emergence MH services during and after 44 day War
S5.2 Anna Petrosyan (Armenia)
Specifics of MHS in COVID-19 Time
S5.3 Hakob Hakobyan (Armenia)
MHS Services in Artsakh in Blokade Time
S5.4 Peter Hughes (UK)
Mental Health During Emergencies: From Emergency to Recovery
S5.5 Karine Muradyan (Armenia)
Recovery Model in MHPSS for Families of VOW
S.6 Genocide, Justice, and Mental Health – a State-of-The Art Overview
(The Armenian Genocide Museum)
Chairs: Khachatur Gasparyan (Armenia), Thomas Wenzel (Germany)
S6.1 Jan Ilhan Kilzilhan (Germany)
Yezidi Exposed To aGenocidal Environment
S6.2 Thomas Wenzel (Austria)
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Genocide and “Genocidal” Environments, With Recent Examples (Uighurs, And Other Groups)
S6.3 Miriam Jishkariani (Georgia)
Peculiarities of Complex PTSD in Modern Era: Case of Victims of Ukrainian War Crimes, Temporarily Residing in Georgia
S6.4 Khachatur Gasparyan (Armenia)
Mental Health Impact of Genocide - Armenia
14.00-15.00 Lunch
14.30-15.00 Satellite Symposium
(Room Queen Erato)
Vahan Simonyan (Armenia)
The Problem of the First Psychotic Episode. Selection of Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs for Effective and Safe Treatment
15.00-16.00 Plenary Session (Virtual)
(Grand Ballroom “Tigran the Great”)
Chairs: Afzal Javed (Pakistan & UK), Khachatur Gasparyan (Armenia)
L.7 Danuta Wasserman (Sweden)
Gender Paradox in suicidal behaviours and preventive possibilities
L.8 Sandeep Vohra (India)
Digital Mental Health - Present & Future
16.15-17.30 Scientific Sessions / Symposia
S.7 Current Trends in the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Addicts in Armenia in View of New Global Challenges to Society
(Room Ashot Yerkat)
Chairs: Ruslan Isaev (Russia), Marianna Abovyan (Armenia)
S7.1 Tatyana Grechanaya (Russia)
Impact of Adverse and Critical Situations on the Development of Drug Addiction
S7.2 Kenneth Arctander (Norway)
Stigma Issues and Tools for Overcoming Chemical Addiction
S7.3 Ruslan Isaev (Russia)
Adverse Childhood Experience and its Impact on Addiction
S7.4 Marianna Abovyan (Armenia)
Experience of the First Non-Governmental Rehabilitation Center for Drug Addicts
S7.5 Tatyana Meteleva (Russia)
Modern Rehabilitation Center Format Based on Dual Diagnosis Model
16.15-17.30 Scientific Sessions / Symposia
S.8 Updates in the Treatment and Care
(Room Levon of Cilicia)
Chairs: Johannes Wancata (Austria), Kristine Galstyan (Armenia)
S8.1 E. Mohandas (India)
Hurdles in Selecting an Antipsychotic Drug in Schizophrenia With Co-morbid Medical Illness
S8.2 M.S. Renuka Prasad (Canada)
rTMS in the Elderly with Treatment Resistant Depression
S8.3 Kristine Galstyan (Armenia)
Introduction of National Dementia Plan
S8.4 Johannes Wancata (Austria)
Family caregivers of people with severe mental disorders
S8.5 Artur Torosyan (Armenia)
Strengthening Mental Health of Older Adults: Awareness and Social Innovation as Key Tools
S8.6 Somayeh Motazedian (Iran)
Serologic evaluation of cytomegalovirus (CMV), Toxoplasma gondii and Brucella in schizophrenia patients
S.9 Molecular Psychiatry as a Developing Avenue to the Personalized Medicine
(Room Trdat the 2nd)
Chairs: Karine R. Mayilyan (Armenia), Roksana Zakharyan (Armenia)
S9.1 Arsen Arakelyan (Armenia)
Temporal Changes of Gene Expression in Health and Mental Disorders
S9.2 Roksana Zakharyan (Armenia)
Molecular Genetic Characterization of Schizophrenia
S9.3 Sofi Atshemyan (Armenia)
Synaptic Plasticity Regulatory Gene Variants in Schizophrenia
S9.4 Hovsep Ghazaryan (Armenia)
Expression of MicroRNAs miR-31, miR-146a, miR-181c and miR-155 and Their Target Gene IL2 are Altered in Schizophrenia
S9.5 Karine R. Mayilyan (Armenia)
Neurophysiological Impact of the Complement Regulator CSMD2 GWAS Associated Schizophrenia-risk Variant
S.10 Integration of Mental Health into Primary Healthcare
(Room Queen Erato)
Chairs: Marietta Khurshudyan (Armenia), Samvel Hayrumyan (Armenia)
S10.1 Nino Makhashvili (Georgia)
New Opportunities to Address the Treatment Gap: Inviting PHC Into Mental Healthcare System in Georgia (online)
S10.2 Ana Maria Tijerino Inestroza (Denmark)
How to Improve Mental Health in Primary Health Care (online)
S10.3 Marietta Khurshudyan (Armenia)
WHO Mental Health GAP Program in Armenia: Lessons Learned
S10.4 Samvel Hayrumyan (Armenia)
Integration of MH Services in PHC: Current State
S10.5 Lilit Karapetyan (Armenia)
Initiating improvement of children’s and adolescents’ mental health services at regional level
S.11 Combat Traumatic Stress Related Consequences During and After The 44 Days War in Artsakh
(Room Tigran The Great)
Chairs: Khachatur Gasparyan (Armenia), Narine Khachatryan (Armenia)
S11.1 Khachatur Gasparyan (Armenia)
Loss, Ambiguous loss, Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth
S11.2 Roubina Tahmazyan (Lebanon)
The Psychological Consequences of Disappearances of Family Members During Conflicts
S11.3 Tigran Tunyan (Armenia)
Experiences From Inpatient Residential Treatment Program Organized by Ministry Of Defense Of the RA
S11.4 Alen Azizyan (USA)
Comparative Analysis of Inpatient Residential Treatment Program for Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
S11.5 Narine Khachatryan (Armenia)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Anxiety Among People Affected by The 44-Day Artsakh War In 2020: Results From Two-Time Assessments Before and After Psychological Treatment
DAY II 09.06.2023
16.15-17.30 Scientific Sessions / Symposia
S.12 Child Psychiatry program: Armenian-France Experience
(Psychosocial Recovery Center)
Chairs: Jean Marc Baleyte (France), Karine Tataryan (Armenia)
S12.1 Patrick Alecian (France)
Psychotrauma and Teaching of Pedopsychiatry
S12.2 Jean Marc Baleyte (France)
New Ways of collaboration in Chaild Psychiatry: Armenian-France Experience
S12.3 Karine Tataryan (Armenia)
Modern Approaches to Organizing a Psychiatric Service for Children in Armenia
S12.4 Waqar Azeem (Qatar)
Management of Autism Spectrum Disorder with Special Focus on Pharmacological Interventions
19.00 Galla Dinner
DAY III 10.06.2023
09.30-10.00 Satellite Symposium
(Ararat Ballroom)
Narine Israelyan (Armenia)
Clinical Manifestations of Depression. Modern Approaches to the Management
10.00-12.00 Plenary Session
(Ararat Ballroom)
Chairs: Edmond Pi (USA), Khachatur Gasparyan (Armenia)
L.9 Thomas G. Schulze (Germany)
Multiomics of Major Psychiatric Disorders
L.10 Nikolay Neznanov, Anna Vasileva (Russia)
Psychotherapy as Epigenetic Modulator in the Treatment of Mental Disorders a New Challenge For Research and Practice
L.11 Kostas Fountoulakis (Greece)
Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results of the COMET Studies
L.12 Edmond H. Pi (USA)
Psychotropic Medication-induced Movement Disorders: a current Clinical Perspective
12.00 - 12.30 Closing Remarks (Ararat Ballroom)