IConS 2008

International Conference on Schizophrenia - 2008

SCARF hosted the International Seminar on Schizophrenia [I CONS] in 2004 coinciding its 20th year and 2006 in Chennai. Nearly 350 delegates attended both conferences from several countries. The academic excellence of the conferences were so well received that the third in the series was much in demand.

SCARF held the third International Conference on Schizophrenia [ICONS 08] between 17th and 19th of October 2008, at Chennai. The theme of the conference was Global Trends in Schizophrenia Care and Research. The response to the conference was very enthusuiastic, with over 300 delegates from India and abroad, participating in the proceedings. International delegates came from several counties like the U.K, U.S.A, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Nigeria, Australia, Japan, Korea, Iran and 200 within India taking part.

Dr. Benedetto Saraceno, Director, Mental Health Division, W H O, inaugurated the conference. The conference was co-sponsored by the World Health Organisation, the World Psychiatric Association and the Indian Psychiatric Society.

Recent developments in schizophrenia research were discussed during the conference. The proceedings were organized as six Plenery sessions and 16 concurrently held symposia. The faculty included eminent researchers from all over the world, speaking on a wide range of topics related to the conference theme.

Wide ranging subjects like Epidemiology in Schizophrenia, Law and policy, Culture and Mental Health, Community Mental Health, Carers and Consumers, Women's Mental Health, Rehabilitation in Schizophrenia, Neurobiology of Schizophrenia, Intervention in Schizophrenia were discussed. For the first time, Young mental helth researchers, below the age of 35 years were invited to submit papers on their research work. Eight entries from India and abroad were received. The written papers and the oral presentations were judged by independent assessments and two prizes were awarded. Another group of researchers submitted posters for presentations. An independent jury assessed the posters and awarded three prizes.

The valedictory function held at the end of the conference , on the 19th October 2008, was addressed by the noted historian, Mr. S. Muthiah, who traced the history of well known medical institutions in the city of Chennai (formerly, Madras) and the state of Tamilnadu, from the early 17th century. Dr.Prathap Tharyan, Associate Director, CMC, Vellore presented the valedictory report.

The meeting received good press coverage with the national newspapers like the Hindu, New Indian Express and Times of India extensively reporting on the proceedings.

The organizing secretary of the conference was Dr R.Thara, Director, ably supported by the entire staff of the organization.

The entire conference will soon be available in DVD.

Feedback on ICONS

ICONS was highly successful i thought as usual. Without exaggeration i think it is one of the best conferences around, if not the best. I am not sure what it is about ICONS that makes it stand out, may be it is its comprehensives and an underlying humanity.

Ashok Malla, MBBS, FRCPC, MRCPsych
Professor, Department of Psychiatry,  McGill University
Director, Clinical Research Division,  Douglas Hospital Research Centre
Director, Prevention and Early intervention Program for Psychoses,  Douglas Hospital
Montreal, Quebec, Canada

I had the good fortune of attending the recently concluded IConS III of SCARF 2008. The conference was intellectually stimulating. It was a great opportunity for students like me to interact with icons of psychiatry. I thank you for having given us this golden opportunity. I look forward to attending IConS IV of SCARF in 2010.

Dr Sivakumar T
Junior Resident in Psychiatry
King George's Medical University
Lucknow

Just to say how very much I enjoyed the Chennai meeting, and to thank you so very much for the invitation and the hospitality.

PROFESSOR DAVID J. CASTLE
Chair of Psychiatry, St. Vincent's Hospital
The University of Melbourne, AUSTRALIA

Congratulation for success of the ICONS III in last week. The congress was very fruitful.

Toshimasa Maruta, M.D., Ph.D.,
Associate Professor,
Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Medical University,
Tokyo

Just a quick thanks for the invitation to contribute to the ICONS III meeting. It was a great conference – very special and a nice contrast to the usual giant impersonal meetings that I usually go to!

Professor John McGrath
Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Australia
Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Australia

Just a quick note to congratulate you on a most excellently organized and qualitative meeting. I was really pleased to have come and thank you for the kind hospitality. Please give my special regards to those wonderful ladies working with you - they were ever so gracious and helpful.

Oye Gureje
Nigeria

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