61st Annual Meeting

October 18 - 25, 2014

Other Programs (open)

Lawrence A. Stone, MD Plenary: Conducting Research and Interventions for Children in Developing Countries: Challenges and Opportunities

Children and adolescents in developing countries are exposed to war, trauma, and conflicts, yet there are limited country resources to provide them with mental health support. Interventions are needed to reach the largest number of children possible, and while many international organizations offer “expertise” in psychosocial and mental health support, the evidence for such programming is, at best, limited. There is an urgent need to promote and conduct research at a local level using sound scientific methods in order to build evidence for what works and what does not. John A. Fayyad, MD, draws on his experience in researching the impact of 3 separate wars on child mental health, illustrating with data from prospective studies as well as controlled interventions, and highlighting challenges encountered and unique opportunities for the advancement of knowledge emanating from real world settings.

John A. Fayyad received his MD in 1985 and is boarded in both general psychiatry (1988) and child and adolescent psychiatry (1990). After practicing in the United States for several years, he returned to Lebanon where he is Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the University of Balamand, and Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences and the Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology at St. George Hospital University Medical Center. He is also a researcher and a member of the Institute for Development Research, Advocacy and Applied Care (IDRAAC), an NGO specialized in mental health.

Dr. Fayyad is the Secretary General of the Eastern Mediterranean Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (EMACAPAP) and is a Vice President of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP).

Dr. Fayyad’s research interests include the epidemiology of psychiatric disorders, the effects of war and trauma on children, pathways to resilience, and community interventions.

The Lawrence A. Stone, MD, Plenary is named in honor of AACAP Past President and Life Fellow, Lawrence A. Stone, MD. It recognizes his leadership, vision, and passion to the mission of AACAP. Mrs. Marnette Stone endowed this plenary in loving tribute to her husband.