Editor's Note
VOLUME 42, NO. 4 • December 2025
Fei Sun, IPA Bulletin Editor-in-Chief
As we welcome the arrival of spring (for those in the Northern Hemisphere), this season invites renewal, fresh perspectives, and continued growth in our shared mission of advancing mental health for older adults. Just as the natural world begins to bloom again, so too does the field of psychogeriatrics evolve through innovation, collaboration, and global exchange.
As President Dr. Hermida noted in her message, preparations for the 2026 IPA Congress are well underway. Symposium decisions have been released, and we are continuing to accept abstracts for paper and poster sessions. If you are considering submitting your work, I warmly encourage you to do so and contribute to what promises to be a vibrant and meaningful scientific gathering.
In this March issue of the IPA Bulletin, we are pleased to present six contributions, three in Research and Practice and three in Around the World.
The Research and Practice section highlights longitudinal population research, non-pharmacological intervention, and innovation in cognitive assessment. From the United Kingdom and Singapore, Anna Tjin and colleagues present a 10-year longitudinal study examining primary care utilization patterns before and after dementia diagnosis. Their findings reveal subtype-specific trajectories and important disparities in engagement, underscoring the need for proactive, tailored, and equitable primary care pathways.
From Lebanon, Drs. Salim Ballouz and Rita Khoury provide a comprehensive review of Bright Light Therapy in addressing neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia. With growing attention to circadian dysregulation, their synthesis highlights the promise of low-risk, biologically grounded interventions, while thoughtfully outlining methodological limitations and future research priorities.
Finally, from the United States, Drs. Lin Wang and Mengxuan Wu introduce the Stroop-Based Cognitive Assessment for Neurodegenerative Disorders (SCAN-D). Their work advocates for expanding dementia screening beyond memory-focused tools by incorporating executive-attention measures supported by emerging digital and neurophysiological evidence. This contribution reflects the field’s movement toward earlier and more nuanced detection strategies.
In the Around the World section, we begin in Spain, where Noelia Pazos and colleagues describe a participatory co-design project creating age-friendly sociocultural spaces in Santiago de Compostela. Through structured co-creation methodologies, their work demonstrates how environmental psychology and community engagement can foster belonging, intergenerational connection, and active aging.
From Thailand, Dr. Achariya Charoentanyarak and colleagues address caregiver-administered delirium screening tools for home and palliative care settings. Their article highlights a critical detection gap and proposes practical escalation pathways that empower caregivers while ensuring clinical confirmation and follow-up.
From China, Dr. Li and her team present a holistic service model to support dementia screening, management and support implemented in Shanghai. The “Wan Ai Xi” Alliance addresses these challenges through a community-based SHAPE screening model, an integrated “Traffic Light” referral system, and workforce capacity building to create a coordinated, full-cycle dementia care framework aligned with China’s national healthy aging strategies.
Collectively, the contributions in this issue reflect the breadth of contemporary psychogeriatrics—from primary care systems and digital screening tools to community design and caregiver empowerment. They remind us that advancing mental health in later life requires not only scientific rigor, but also creativity, collaboration, and responsiveness to real-world contexts.
As we move into this new season, I extend my sincere appreciation to our contributors, editorial board members, and readers across the globe. Your scholarship and dedication continue to strengthen our international community.
I warmly invite you to submit your work to the IPA Bulletin and to stay engaged through publications, webinars, and international collaboration. Or if you are seeking collaborators or building a network at the upcoming IPA Congress, please feel free to reach out to the IPA Bulletin.
Wishing you a productive and inspiring season.
Fei Sun, PhD, MSW, FGSA
Editor-in-Chief, IPA Bulletin
sunfei@msu.edu
