Dear SPPSM Members
At the end of the term of office, it is important to weigh the action plan designed for the three-year period 2020-2022, guided by axis and objectives, in the social and political aspects; training and research; communication and dissemination of scientific culture; representation of Portuguese psychiatry and mental health, at different levels, within the attributions of the SPPSM.
Following the activity reports for 2020 and 2021, in 2022 I highlight, among numerous activities, the following: 1) creation of more Specialized Sections within the Society, in addition to the existing ones; 2) launch of the Mental Health Observatory, with numerous national and international partners, including the EPA and the WPA; 3) organization and active participation of the SPPSM in initiatives, such as the XVI National Congress of Psychiatry; I National Seminar on Mental Health in High-Competition Sport, in partnership with the AAOP; Scientific Symposium of the Regional Section of the South and Autonomous Regions of the Order of Pharmacists; participation in the Working Group on Women’s Health in Portugal; 4) issuance of a technical advice on the Draft Law No. 24/XV/1st (Mental Health Law), at the request of the Health Commission of the Assembly of the Republic; 5) review of the Statutes and Regulations of the SPPSM, and submission of the SPPSM to the Statute of Public Utility; 6) awarding of prizes, including the 2022 Journalism in Psychiatry and Mental Health Award; 7) dynamization of communication in multiple interfaces, through the Revista Portuguesa de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental; LIVE Psychiatry and Mental Health; media, the SPPSM website with its internationalization, and social networks.
I can say that in these three years we have exceeded the goals we had set ourselves, despite the pandemic, the war in Europe, the economic and social crises, and the very serious constraints that medical practice is experiencing in the SNS.
It was a great pleasure for me, a challenge, and an honor to embrace this mission.
On my personal behalf, I would like to thank the Board and the other Governing Bodies, the SPPSM Secretariat and other collaborators. I can assure you that we did our best for the Portuguese Psychiatry in thre 21 st century. With the passing of the “testemonial” approaching, I can only wish my collegues every success for the next period 2023-2025, so that we all continue to contribute to standards of excellence in psychiatry and mental health care, training, and research.
Lisbon, 03/03/2023
The President of the SPPSM Board
Maria João Heitor