Exploring the psychological roots of resilience

The Department of Psychological Medicine marks its 40th year in 2019 with a conference, appropriately focusing on the theme of enduring durability.

Resilience Across the Age Continuum is the 5th in the NUS International Academic Psychiatry Conference series. Jointly organised with NUS Mind-Science Centre, the meeting of minds will be held from 21 to 22 January 2019 at the National University Health System Tower Block Singapore.

The conference brings together internationally renowned mental health veterans to share their experiences and findings. It also creates a platform where like-minded individuals are encouraged to explore and discuss prevalent issues surrounding mental health. Distinguished guests include Professor Norman Sartorius, former Director of Mental Health in the World Health Organization (WHO), and Professor Robert Ursano, the first Chairman of the American Psychiatric Association’s Committee on Psychiatric Dimensions of Disaster.

Through two interesting and absorbing days of Plenary Lectures, Oral Presentations and Poster Exhibitions, participants will examine the importance of mental resilience in people of all ages, and seek to answer two main questions: What is the Role of Resilience in Our Lives, and How Do We Develop Resilience?

“As the mental health service and research advances into preventive mental health and fights against stigmatisation, understanding and optimising Psychological Resilience to achieve mental wellness becomes an imperative. These includes building resilient individuals, families, and communities,” said department head, Associate Professor John Wong Chee Meng.

The various facets of resilience in mental health will be explored through four symposia. Highlights include psychosocial interventions to improve mental resilience in the elderly (Symposium 1: Ageing & Preventive Psychiatry), the role of resilience in the face of adversity to reduce negative impacts on mental health (Symposium 2: Public Health & Epidemiology), the impact of Artificial Intelligence on mental health (Symposium 3: e-Mental Health), and a summary of the importance of resilience across different age groups (Symposium 4: Resilience Roundtable Summary)

Through this conference, international mental health providers are prompted to discuss ideas, network and share their research findings, hence providing a proxy for designing methods to develop resilience in various sectors of the community. Visit https://www.niapc2019.sg/ for more information.