History

The Epidemiology and Public Health Section under the World Psychiatric Association has a long history of high calibre exchange of expertise in the field of research by putting together experts from all over the world, who encourage and share information with the younger members. Many of today’s leaders in psychiatric epidemiology have themselves benefited from this exchange themselves. The global outreach of the WPA has rendered this Section truly exceptional since its members are locally active in their respective countries and regions, thus offering an international perspective of epidemiology and public health.

The WPA Section “Psychiatric Epidemiology and Public Health” was founded in 1967, and was initially named “Epidemiology and Community Psychiatry” until 1997. You can read more about our history here.

List of Presidents:

Current President:

Prof. Elie Karam

(2016–)

Institute for Development, Research, Advocacy and Applied Care (IDRAAC), St George’s University of Beirut (Lebanon)

Has conducted the first national epidemiologic survey in the Arab world within the WMH initiative and has researched extensively the world of trauma and of temperaments.

Previous Presidents of the WPA Epidemiology and Public Health Section:

Prof. Viviane Kovess-Masfety

(2009–2015)

University of Paris (France), McGill University (Canada)

Conducted global population-based surveys on mental health, including European Study of Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMED), the WMH initiative and child psychiatric epidemiology surveys in Europe (SCMHE). Other population survey in Afghanistan, Georgia (Caucasus) and China

Prof. Jim Anthony

(2003–2008)

Michigan State University (USA)

Drug and substance use

Prof. Ville Lehtinen

(2000–2003)

Turku University & National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health – STAKES Mental Health Promotion Unit Helsinki (Finland)

President of Nordic Congress Psychiatry. Worked actively on bringing up mental health at the European Union (EU) through surveys, EU mental health indicators selection and reports edited by Stakes

Prof. M. Robin Eastwood

(1996–1999)

University of Ottawa (Canada), Saint Louis University (USA), Dalhousie University & University of Toronto (Canada)

Published a book on the relation between physical and mental illness and conducted Researches on dementia, among them a research on St Louis Jesuit community demonstrating the effect of education on age-of-onset of dementia.

Prof. Tómas Helgason

(1994–1996)

National University Hospital (Iceland)

Led a birth cohort of more than 5,000 probands and participated to many psychiatric epidemiological writing and researches.

Prof. Lee Robins

(1991–1994)

Washington University in St. Louis (USA)

Invented the Diagnostic Interview Survey (DIS) and designed computerised algorithms of the DSM-III to calculate prevalence in the Epidemiological Catchment Area Programme by the National Institute of Mental Health, which propelled progress in the field, including the World Mental Health (WMH) Initiative

Prof. Brian Cooper

(1982–1990)

University of Heidelberg (Germany)

Created the section. UK-trained psychiatrist who joined the Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, in Germany and then the University of Heidelberg. He published in 1987, a book “Psychiatric Epidemiology”. He also published on strategies of prevention and later on focused on geriatric psychiatric research.