The WPA contribution to the management of mental health consequences of major disasters has two components: a) training and sensitization of psychiatrists; b) intervention when a major disaster occurs.

In 1961-62 I had spent a year in Haiti as a Yale undergraduate anthropologist near Leogane, living with a Vodun priest and his family. I was studying the relationship between child rearing practices, psychosocial development, and spirit possession, trying to understand the dynamics and content of Voodoo possession states.

A WPA-sponsored teleconference took place on April 1, 2011, with the participation of E. Bromet (Professor of Psychiatry at Stony Brook University), a group of Japanese mental health experts (T. Akiyama, Y. Suzuki, S. Nakajima, Y. Kim), and M. Maj (WPA President).

A WPA-WHO Workshop on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Areas Affected by Disasters and Conflicts took place at the WHO Headquarters in Geneva from 27 to 31 July, 2009.

Many Asian countries are regularly affected by disasters and face their tragic aftermath. Some recent examples include the Indian Ocean tsunami, the earthquake in Pakistan, issues of internally displaced persons in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and cyclones in Bangladesh, India and Myanmar.