The Lancet-WPA Commission on Depression
In late 2017, Professor Helen Herrman accepted an invitation from The Lancet medical journal to chair a commission on depression. In discussion with the Executive Committee and the Lancet, it became designated The Lancet-WPA Commission on Depression. Support for the Commission has come from several external sources, including The University of Melbourne, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Wellcome Trust, and UNICEF. The latter two organizations have supported young people with lived experience of depression in consulting on the recommendations and their dissemination. The commission met on 3 occasions, hosted by the Harvard Medical School in Boston, and by the Wellcome Trust in London.
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Professor Vikram Patel, member of the WPA’s Standing Committee on Science, accepted the role of co-editor, along with Dr Christian Kieling, Porte Alegre, Brazil, and Ms Claudia Buchweitz, Porte Alegre, as editorial coordinator. Past WPA President and Editor of World Psychiatry Professor Mario Maj has had a prominent role in preparing the report. The creation of the commission was announced in The Lancet in 2018 (see article) and its report is due for publication in early 2021. The WPA will be invited to have a continuing role in the dissemination and life of the Commission.
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