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Dubai to host world's largest mental health congress for children

More than 300 global experts to talk about anxiety disorders, autism, preventing mental disorders, among other topics

For the first time in the Arab World, Dubai will be hosting the world’s largest mental health congress for children and adolescents

Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital is bringing the world’s leading mental health specialists to Dubai for the 25th edition of the World Congress of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP), that will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, from December 5-9.

The bi-annual Congress, being hosted under the theme of Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Shaping the Future, will discuss important topics and promote global advancements in the field.

Sessions will be led by some of the world’s leading professionals, including Professor Antonio Hardan, Chief Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stanford University; Professor Bennet L Leventhal, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; and the former President of IACAPAP, Professor Bruno Falissard, Head of Public Health and Mental Health Research Lab at Paris-Sud University, among others.

Dr. Abdullah Al Khayat, Chief Executive Officer of Al Jalila Children’s Speciality Hospital, said: “The IACAPAP has won accolades from all over the world for its invaluable efforts to address the numerous mental health issues that the younger generation has been facing. We’re hopeful that hosting the World Congress in Dubai will have a long-term positive impact on transforming the region’s mental health landscape.”

The first day of the event is reserved for pre-congress workshops. The official opening ceremony is scheduled for December 6. Over five days, the congress will host 12 workshops, 15 keynote talks, and more than 250 hours of the symposium and lectures.

The sessions, involving more than 300 experts worldwide, will cover topics, including anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorders, policy and advocacy, preventing mental disorders and enhancing well-being, and emerging technologies to improve access to child and adolescent mental health services.

Pressing issues, such as parental concerns regarding parent-child interactions and the effects of Covid-19 on mental health, will also be covered in the programme.

Delegates from more than 85 countries are set to attend the sessions.

“Focusing on mental health has never been more important because a substantial percentage of the world’s population suffers from mental health difficulties, particularly the most vulnerable group, including children. The World Congress will discuss innovative ways to enhance children’s mental health. It will tackle critical subjects,” said Dr. Ammar Albanna, President of the Emirates Child and Adolescent Mental Health Society and Head of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre of Excellence at Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital.