IPA Bulletin
Editor's Note 

Psychogeriatrics in Variable Stages of Development Around The World

David G. Folks

I was reading the past few issues of IPA Bulletin and impressed that different IPA regions are in various stages of development. Certainly, in many locations, Psychogeriatrics is a new and exciting area with “organizational meetings” and “new” initiatives” under development. Equally exciting are those regions that have matured and are increasingly integrated into the fabric of clinical service systems as well as teaching and research programs. In North America, particularly in Canada and the United States, Geriatric Psychiatry is a well established subspecialty after twenty-five years of development. The recent meeting of the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatrists (AAGP), was a large, well conducted affair in Southern California in stark contrast to the small group of eighty psychiatrists, myself included, who attended the first meeting back in the 1980s, also in Southern California. Yet with all the success and progress, Professor Dan Blazer of Duke University has recently noted that Psychogeriatrics in the United States and Canada is experiencing growing pains and must now seek to address a number of questions regarding fur-ther growth and expansion. An Eriksonian analogy would be to say that the field has entered the stage of generativity versus stagnation. I have no doubt that my colleagues will rise to the occasion and the AAGP is in very capable hands with Professor Christopher Colenda as its incoming President. One suggestion for Professor Colenda would be to attend the IPA Congress in Stockholm this September in order to discuss his challenges with many of the “seasoned” Geriatric Psychiatrists who have had a hand in shaping our field in Western Europe where Psycho-geriatrics has been “alive and well” for many decades. Indeed, the Congress is a great opportunity to meet the leaders from around the world who are addressing their own challenges with regard to psychogeriatric services, public policy, teaching and research.

The Twelfth IPA Congress to be held in Stockholm this September looks to be a magnificent meeting. The Congress Chair, Professor Bengt Winblad, promises to unfold innovative ways to “tackle” the challenges of mental health problems of the aged which he acknowledges will require different solutions for different countries as the ways that Psychogeriatric services are organized and delivered will vary greatly. Professor Winblad also reminds us that Sweden is the site of the 2nd IPA Congress twenty years ago and that Stockholm will likely arouse some of the atmosphere of the Nobel Prize Award. Our IPA President George Grossberg reminded me last month that fall is a beautiful time to visit the city of Stockholm and that the weather will still be fine and the crowds of tourists diminished — a perfect match if you ask me. Of course, the IPA Congress, a biennial event, will most assuredly bring together an impressive group of our colleagues with expertise in diagnosis and treatment as well as technical advances within the field of Psychogeriatrics. This is your opportunity to interact with world leaders and hopefully combine the meeting with a few extra days of touristing.

As for this issue of the IPA Bulletin, please take note of the Board Profiles focusing on our newest members of the IPA Board. The article on Suicide reminds us of a continuing issue with our patients, also the subject of a recent IPA Regional Meeting held in Hong Kong. Suicide in elderly people continues to serve as a reminder of the need to aggressively treat depression and other disorders associated with suicidal behaviors and the fact that we are treating a high risk population that are often choosing lethal methods of suicide attempt. Other Recent Advances are superbly reported by John T. O’Brien, Robert Barber and Robert Baldwin who identify an article that reminds us that mental disorders and psychiatric disturbance in younger years may also extend into later life. This article suggests that early childhood abuse and trauma significantly influence suicidal risk in late life. This article and others are reviewed in synopsis format complete with reference citation and commentary. Additionally, our regular inclusions of On the Web by Brian Draper, and Culinary Corner are worth a look — Braised Cabbage, Apple and Walnuts is a vegetarian delight that I have tried myself and highly recommend.

Finally, I want to thank my Deputy Editor, Richard Bonwick, and my assistant, Jodi Metzgar for their concerted efforts in putting together the last several issues of the Bulletin as I have relocated from the Midwestern United States to New England. With many personal and other challenges, the relocation has been successful and achieved our family’s goals of a more peaceful lifestyle balanced with a great professional opportunity here in Maine. I must add that the move from a large academic health center to a community teaching hospital and mental health service has provided many insights as to the challenges and rewards of the practicing clinician.

Reprinted from IPA Bulletin, Volume 22, Number 2