3 rd International Congress on Women s Mental Health, Melbourne VIC, March 2008

Transcription

1 3 rd International Congress on Women s Mental Health, Melbourne VIC, March 2008 Conference reports added 17 March 2008 Christine Parkinson... 2 Kate Penrose

2 Christine Parkinson Introduction I attended the International Congress on Women's Mental Health in Melbourne from March 17 th to March 20 th this year. I attended both keynote presentations and symposia on each day. I particularly enjoyed the symposia, where a choice of topics was offered and various leading world researchers presented their views. Between lectures there were a number of opportunities to view research posters and chat with conference delegates and pharmaceutical representatives. I feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to learn from the world s leading experts in the field of women s mental health. I look forward to applying my knowledge to future clinical practice and hope to help some of the many rural Australian women with this area of their health. Topics of Interest As a rural medical student I have observed patients in both GP and hospital settings. The issue of women s mental health across all age groups is a prominent concern. I have noted numerous cases of anxiety and depression, as well as drug abuse in my clinical logs thus far. I have also completed an intensive clinical placement at a rural health centre. I was shocked by the number of young women presenting with body image and eating disorders. For this reason I chose to attend the Symposium: Objectification: How the Social Ecological Landscape Causes and Perpetuates Women s Body Image and Eating Problems and then the workshop on prevention of eating disorders. I was pleased to learn that there are a number of multimedia tools available to help in the prevention of disorders. With the advancement of technology, I learnt of ways to aid young women who are not able to attend specialised clinics usually located in the city, while educating other health professionals and the community about prevention and treatment strategies. I also chose to attend a symposium dedicated to discussing issues in drug abuse. I found this to be really interesting from a scientific perspective. The sex differences in neurobiology play a big role in addiction and I was surprised to learn the latest research showing that 2

3 gender-specific treatments should be considered in the future. This is true also for smoking cessation strategies and given the number of young women taking up smoking, I look forward to following how this research will translate into treatment options in the future. While the conference had a very global perspective, I was able to attend a symposium that specifically focussed on the mental health of Australian women. This covered a number of topics including postnatal depression and the burden of arthritis. Most speakers addressed the needs of rural women which was fantastic. I was also able to ask more specific questions during these talks when I felt the need. I gained a lot of insight from the conference on the effects of cultural differences globally. While the sessions were not specific to Australia; given our multicultural society and indigenous community, it was worthwhile considering the effects of culture of the manifestation of mental illness. It is clear that cultural aspects are important at all stages of disease progression; from presentation to treatment options. While I have studied areas of Koori culture in my studies, I have not had much experience clinically yet. For this reason upon my return to Nowra I felt compelled to speak to my GP placement supervisor about his treatment of Koori patients with mental illness. He gave me some great advice and some case examples. Future goals My clinical exposure will increase significantly as of July this year when the second phase of my degree starts. I believe the conference has put me in good stead for all clinical rotations, especially the compulsory mental health rotation. It has given me a broad perspective on the type of problems women from all backgrounds may face. Given that mental illness is not always obvious and the stoic nature of rural Australians making them less likely to seek help, I have learned a great deal about the signs and ways to approach patients to illicit sensitive information. I hope to use this information to broaden my approach to history taking and clinical experience to cover both physical and mental symptoms. Furthermore, with team 3

4 based learning in the hospital, I aim to share my newfound knowledge and current research with my colleagues. Making Contacts The Women s International Mental Health Congress held in Melbourne unfortunately did not attract many Australian rural doctors. I found that I made contacts with researchers and some leading specialists, rather than fellow students or rural GPs. This said I found all involved to be approachable and helpful regardless of their position or expertise. I now have a stack of cards and addresses, not to mention a load of information. I also know where to look to find rural doctors specialising in this area and feel confident that I could contact them for advice regarding my future career choices. Conclusion My attendance at the 3 rd International Congress on Women s Mental Health in Melbourne was a great experience for me. Living and studying in a rural town has raised a number of questions and concerns for me regarding patient wellbeing. I felt encouraged by the conference that the issue of women s mental health can be tackled effectively in rural areas. I look forward to contributing to this important area of health in the future and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the RAMUS team for supporting my medical education. 4

5 Kate Penrose CONFERENCE REPORT The Third International Congress on Women s Mental Health Kate Penrose 07/04/08 In mid-march of this year I attended the Third International Congress on Women s Mental Health in Melbourne. The area of women s mental health has interested me for some time, so when I was given the opportunity to attend this conference as an additional scholarship through the RAMUS scheme, I did not hesitate to apply. The application process itself was not difficult. I was required to write several short paragraphs speculating on how my attendance at the conference would aid my choice to live and work in rural communities, and how information gained at the conference would be useful to me professionally. This was rather simple for me, as I am looking forward to a career in rural primary health care, and mental health will be one area I not only have a special interest in, but will be one that I will be required to be skilled in as a female GP. Within days of sending away my application form, I was informed of its success, and therefore set about organising conference registration and payment, flights and accommodation for my week away. This was my first experience of a medical conference, and I was delighted to be informed of the results of the current research in this important field. I was one of a sea of health professionals, be they psychiatrists, general practitioners, psychologists, research specialists, or fellow medical students, all with the same interest - that of improving the mental health of women on a global scale. Upon arriving at the conference, we were immediately introduced to three very influential women in the field: Professor Donna Stewart, and Professor Susan Kornstein, President and Vice-President of the International Association for Women s Mental Health respectively; and Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, who was responsible for organising the Melbourne congress. These women, all heavily published in the area of women s mental 5

6 health, welcomed us, and gave us three memorable talks introducing us to the area we were to learn so much about in the following three days. Throughout the week we attended keynote presentations provided by experts in the field, regarding the most recently published data on key areas in women s mental health. These included such areas as: Oestrogen therapy for women with psychiatric disorders; Mental health in the perinatal period; Mental health during the menopause; Women s mental health across the medical specialties; Women s mental health in disaster and conflict; and Mood disorders in women. Possibly the most memorable of these presentations for me were those given by Professor Anita Riecher-Rossler from Switzerland, and Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, from The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. These women spoke of the very recent developments in the area of hormone modulation as treatment for women with psychiatric disorders. I was amazed and encouraged by research completed by Professor Kulkarni which demonstrated that Oestrogen therapy was proving very effective treatment for women with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. The keynote presentations were interspersed with a collection of symposia, which catered to everyone s particular interests within the area. The symposia I chose to attend were: Objectification how the social ecological landscape causes and perpetuates women s body image and eating problems; Safety for women in psychiatric units; Multiple perspectives on abortion; Managing high-risk pregnant women with dual diagnosis; and Diagnostic and treatment issues for women with psychiatric disorders. Two of these symposia that I thoroughly enjoyed were the topics of objectification and abortion. The research presented on the topic of objectification was very interesting. Not only did this research help to identify the causes and perpetuating factors of objectification of the female body in society and the effect this has on teenage girls in particular, but gave us insight into what needs to occur within society to overcome this seemingly never-ending problem. The workshop Multiple perspectives on abortion, headed by Jo Wainer, sought to give us more information on the practice of abortion within Australia, and a greater understanding of the thoughts, feelings and experiences of women undergoing the procedure. I learned a lot about 6

7 the link between domestic violence and abortion, and the practice of illegal abortion in Australia which led to so many maternal deaths only a few decades ago. I was very interested by a research paper presented by Allanson that demonstrated, rather contrary to popular belief, that the mental health of women in fact improves post-abortion in the great majority of cases. Throughout the conference we were entertained by some wonderful performers from all around Australia. During the welcome ceremony, we were given an engaging performance by a small group of Aboriginal musicians and dancers, to help welcome the international delegates to our beautiful land. Our ears were blessed by the beautiful sounds of The Choir of Hard Knocks, led by director Jonathon Welch, and our eyes were charmed by a group of ten ladies, ranging in age from late forties to early nineties, who formed a jazz dancing group and, dressed to the nines, dug their heels into All that Jazz a truly memorable performance. In conclusion, I know that the four days I spent at the conference significantly improved my knowledge of women s mental health, and only increased my interest in this area. Along with this knowledge, I obtained a greater understanding of the trials and tribulations of women with psychiatric disorders, women who have faced such atrocities as war, and of women who have undergone legal and illegal abortions. I surely hope this will serve to increase my empathy when faced with these issues in the consulting room in the near future. I am very grateful to the RAMUS team for giving me this opportunity, as without the funding provided, I would not have been able to attend the conference, or to learn and experience everything that I did. 7