Forthcoming WPA publications

The WPA publications program aims to promote the goals of the Association and specifically to: a) disseminate information about clini-cal, service and research developments in the mental health field to the largest possible number of psychiatrists and health professionals across the world; b) promote and give visibility to good quality research carried out in low- and middle- income countries; and c) upgrade the publish-ing capacity of WPA 1, 2. These goals are pursued through publication of World Psychiatry as the official journal of the Association, continuation of successful book series, the publication of books on topics relevant to the ethical and successful practice of modern psychiatry and illustrating partnerships with important groups in doing this, efforts to promote online availability and wider dissemination of published materials, and offering support to psychiatric journals in low- and middle-income countries. This article describes the books that will be produced in the triennium 2009-2011. The series Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry was initiated as part of the effort of the WPA to bridge the gaps within psychiatry and between psychiatry and the rest of medicine. Major issues for psychiatry and mental health are discussed openly by psychiatrists and other experts from many countries and schools of thought. Each volume of the series covers a specific mental disorder, by means of a set of systematic reviews of the research evidence, each followed by commentaries produced by psychiatrists from various countries and representing different schools of thought. Clinicians require an accessible and readable account of contemporary evidence, as clearly summarised in the system-atic review chapters. This is complemented by clinical experience in the form of the commentaries. Together, these provide the basis for well-informed clinical decision making as well as research and advocacy. Nine volumes exist, several in second edition and several translated into vari-ous languages including Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Turkish. Two new titles will be produced in this triennium. The third edition of the volume on Depressive Disorders (eds. Herrman H, Maj M and Sartorius N) will be released in September 2009. A new title is being produced on Substance Abuse Disor-ders (eds. Ghodse H, Herrman H, Maj M and Sartorius N). This responds to the continuing need to disseminate research findings relevant to clinical practice worldwide in the field of substance abuse. The book will help psychiatrists and other health professionals to understand the evi-dence relating to substance abuse, and to read the debates concerning this topic in all world regions. The volume will cover the diagnosis and treatment of substance abuse in the three major areas – drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Each section will consist of two chapters, one covering epide-miology (the extent and the nature of the problem) and the other covering treatment, intervention, management and prevention. Each section will be followed by 5-10 short commentaries. We plan to produce during the triennium three books on important topics to psychiatry: trauma and mental health, addictions and mental health, and self-harm and suicide. A new series of WPA Updates, starting with volumes on schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder, will be produced. We will also publish three books on depression and cardiovascular disease, depression and cancer, and de-pression and diabetes,designed for practicing psychiatrists, mental health professionals and primary care clinicians. Books under contract with Wiley-Blackwell are Religion and Psychiatry (eds. Verhagen PJ, van Praag HM, Lopez-Ibor JJ, Moussaoui D and Cox J) and Parenthood and Mental Health: A Bridge between Infant and Adult Psychiatry (eds. Tyano S, Keren M, Herrman H and Cox J). The series Anthologies of International Psychiatric Texts (Series Director:Moussaoui D) includes clas-sical texts produced by psychiatrists of a given country or group of countries published in English for the first time, accompanied by essays on their authors. In recognition of their value to psychiatrists everywhere, electronic versions of the first three volumes in the series, that is the French, Spanish and Italian volumes, are now published online by Wiley-Blackwell. The electronic versions are available through the WPA website and link to Wiley-Blackwell Interscience. The German Anthology of Psychiatric Texts (ed. Sass H) was published in April 2007 and electronic publication by this same means is in progress. A project to promote research dissemination through support for psychiatric journals from low- and middle-income countries was estab-lished in 2006 and a WPA Task Force appointed to lead it in 2008. A report on the first phase of the work, preliminary to appointment of the Task Force, is published in World Psychiatry 3. The Task Force met at the 14th World Congress of Psychiatry with invited editors of journals selected after a process developed in consultation with the WPA Board. A report on this meeting is now published 4, and the work con-tinues with a series of connected activities planned and proposed to fulfil the aims of the project. Wiley-Blackwell books published for WPA are available online (including link through from WPA website). Translation into additional languages (current for World Psychiatry and volumes in Evidence and Experience series) and appropriate ways to disseminate books and electronic content to colleagues in low- and middle-income countries will be discussed with publishers.