A two day conference has been held on the theme “Current Challenges in Child and Adolescent Mental Health and its Practical Solutions in the Post Pandemic World” by CDC – Dept. of Pediatric Neuro Sciences, Rainbow Children’s Hospital Dept. of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Child Health, Niloufer Hospital, National Institute for Empowerment of Person with Intellectual Disability (NIEPID) and Centre for Health Psychology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Hyderabad during 22-23 October, 2022 at Zakir Hussain Lecture Hall Complex at the University of Hyderabad.
The conference was inaugurated by the honorable Vice-Chancellor of University of Hyderabad Prof B.J. Rao. In his inaugural message, Prof Rao emphasized on the need to focus on the multidisciplinary approach to health and bring together several perspectives in a practical application oriented manner. The chief guest was Dr. B.V.Ram Kumar, Director (OFFG), NIEPID, Secunderabad who delivered a talk on the role of governmental agencies on mental health rehabilitation. Prof Geeta Vemuganti, Dean School of Medical Sciences, University of Hyderabad and Dr. Lokesh Lingappa, Paediatric Neurologist, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Hyderabad. Prof. Geeta Vemuganti in her address showcased the contributions from University of Hyderabad to academics as well as to society. Dr. Lokesh made a presentation on Neurobiological Basis of Behavioral Abnormalities in Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
About 200 delegates from health related disciplines have participated in the conference. They included Psychiatrists, pediatricians, neurologists, clinical and rehabilitation psychologists, counseling psychologists, health psychologists, academicians, policy makers, social workers, allied health and nursing professionals in the field of mental health. The topics on which invited talks were presented were from multi-disciplinary perspectives. They included topics such as ‘Technological / Gadget Addiction in Children and Adolescence’, ‘Early Warning Signs of Psychological Problems in Pediatric Day to Day Practice’, ‘Management of Internalising and Externalising Disorders’, ‘Current Guidelines and Challenges in Disability Assessment & certification’, ‘Digital Mental Health Intervention – New Era’, ‘Mental Health Impact on School – Going Children: Post-Pandemic Times’, ‘Classroom Behaviour Problems Among Peer and its Management’, ‘Food and Mood in Adolescence – Real Deal about Mindful Eating’, ‘Importance of Psychometric Assessments in Children with Special Needs’, ‘Psycho-Social Support for Children Experiencing Sexual Abuse’, ‘The Role of Early Intervention in Developmental Disorders’, ‘Identification and Intervention Aspects in SLD’, ‘Academic and Social Adaptation Challenges in Schooling’, ‘Intellectual Disability – Skill Training Support’, ‘Gut-Brain Theory in Autism – A Practicing Child Psychiatrist Perspective’, ‘Social Media influence on BodySocial Media In Image Disorders – Upcoming Trend’, and a Panel Discussion on Disability Parents Forum. Several student participants and professionals made their paper presentations in the academic sessions and one of the scientific papers presented was chosen for the best paper award. Students from several related fields as well as the professionals and academicians attended the conference and took part in the deliberations.
The programme was coordinated by Dr. Somasekhar Naraganti Clinical Psychologist, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Hyderabad, Dr. Hrishikesh Giri Prasad Manchala, Associate Professor, Department of Child Psychiatry, Niloufer Hospital, Hyderabad and Dr. Rama Subba Reddy HOD, Department of Child Psychiatry, Niloufer Hospital, Hyderabad. From University of Hyderabad, Dr. G. Padmaja, Head and Associate Professor, Centre for Health Psychology, School of Medical Sciences, Coordinated.