ISAD - Activities

Website

The main day-to-day function of the society is an improved networking of all those interested or having an interest in affective disorders. This will be carried out through the web site that is maintained by a manager working for the society. The site is constantly being developed, but contains:

1. An open section for information to the public and for announcements.
2. A closed section, open only to members as a benefit of membership. It contains a database of members' information including interests and Email addresses. The Forum enables calls for collaboration, information about relevant ISAD and other meetings and important new articles. It is also used as a discussion area for Members.
3. There are links to relevant sites which may contain useful material to extend the understanding and treatment of affective disorders, these links are not necessarily recommended by ISAD.

Publications 

The Journal of Affective Disorders is the Society’s house journal. 
First published in 1979, The Journal of Affective Disorders publishes papers concerned with affective disorders in the widest sense: depression, mania, anxiety and panic. It is interdisciplinary and aims to bring together different approaches for a diverse readership. High quality papers will be accepted dealing with any aspect of affective disorders, including biochemistry, pharmacology, endocrinology, genetics, statistics, epidemiology, psychodynamics, classification, clinical studies and studies of all types of treatment.

Editors-in-Chief:
C. Katona, H.S. Akiskal

An increasing number of readers access the journal online via ScienceDirect
Average monthly article downloads for this journal: 31,189*

* Figure is an average based on full text articles downloaded monthly via ScienceDirect between July 2005 and July 2006.

Impact factor
2006: 3.078
Journal Citation Reports® 2006, published by Thomson Scientific

Conferences & Meetings

Biennial Conference

The ISAD biennial conference is the only one to focus solely on the affective disorders in all their aspects, and brings together recent research findings.
At the fourth conference to be held in Cape Town, South Africa in March 2008 there will be a mixture of themed sessions on important topics, workshops, free presentations and posters. The programme will soon be available on the dedicated conference website.

The meeting content will be under the control of the ISAD council and formulated after discussion by the scientific programme committee.

Regional Meetings

To date ISAD has had 3 regional meetings in Latin America

Other meetings

ISAD holds symposium at other Society’s meetings, for example the ISBD and WFBPS

Supporting research

ISAD encourages research by granting travel bursaries to the meetings, having a young investigator award and other activities.

Continuing Professional Development

ISAD is now so well respected and brings such a high level of scientific credibility to events and meetings that a formal evaluation procedure has been introduced to consider applications for ISAD endorsement of various educational programmes for clinicians.

Examples of the programmes ISAD has endorsed are:

• "Bipolar Disorder in Primary Care" slide kit ISAD Fellow Dr. Roumen Milev, Clinical Program Director of the Adult Treatment & Rehabilitation Services Program Ontario Canada developed this programme following a needs assessment exercise conducted during the 5th Annual Mood & Anxiety Disorders Conference The exercise identified Bipolar Disorder as the most crucial topic to; be addressed.
  The learning objectives included;

1. To define Bipolar Disorder.
2. To examine the significance of Bipolar Disorder and its recognition.
3. To review the current therapeutic options for treatment of Bipolar Disorder.

• DGPPN Collaboration: ISAD Fellow, Prof Mathias Berger, stimulated a collaboration between ISAD and the DGPPN (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Nervenheilkunde) German society for psychiatry, psychotherapy and neurology, during their congress in Berlin with an ISAD sponsored 2 day CBASP Workshop led by Dr. James P. McCullough, Jr., Professor of Psychology & Psychiatry of Virginia Commonwealth University.
  
  
• Latin American E Learning Bipolar Project: ISAD Fellow and Regional Representative Dr Gustavo Vasquez submitted this ambitious E Learning project which ISAD was delighted to be able to endorse.
  The aim of the course is to update the psychiatrist in order to improve & diagnosis and therapy of bipolar disorder. The course will be delivered in Spanish. The first broadcast is scheduled for April 2007.

If you wish ISAD to consider your project please email the ISAD administrator in the first instance at caroline.holebrook@iop.kcl.ac.uk

ISAD Special Interest Committees & Meetings

The Committee on Chronotherapeutics in Affective Disorders (CCAD) was formed in 2004 by ISAD to review chronotherapeutics (light and wake therapy) in affective disorders. The committee's report has been published as an Editorial in Psychological Medicine.
Since this initial report the Chronotherapeutics group have held two meetings, both free to attend, in Milan and Basel.
The Chronotherapeutics group has a dedicated micro site within the ISAD website at:

Please click here Chronotherapeutics

Advocacy Partnership

Our advocacy partners represent a variety of interests and include patient groups that represent those living with mental health problems and organisations striving to improve healthcare professionals standards of care by encouraging positive practice.

Please click here Advocacy Partnership