Help, information, networking, professional exchange and more – the SGAD is the contact point and information platform for prevention and health promotion for anxiety and depression as well as their comorbidities. Which offers are interesting for physicians? We checked with the president.
Prof. Holsboer-Trachsler, you are the president of SGAD. What exactly is SGAD?
Prof. Holsboer-Trachsler:
The Swiss Society for Anxiety and Depression (SGAD) is a professional society for the most common psychiatric disorders. She is active in the areas of prevention and health promotion, particularly regarding depression and anxiety disorders and their comorbidities. The Society promotes education, training and continuing education measures for physicians and aims to contribute to raising public awareness. Through its constant activities, the Society has been able to develop into the information platform and contact point for those affected, relatives, interested parties, doctors, specialists, the media, companies and politicians in recent years. And we want to develop further, grow and thus continue to consistently pursue our goals.
What topics can physicians learn about at SGAD?
A central concern of SGAD is the creation and dissemination of up-to-date treatment recommendations. Treatment recommendations have now been developed for anxiety, depression, and burnout, with a first update already available for the treatment of depression. SGAD has been a pioneer in this area. Initiated by the Society, Swiss treatment recommendations were developed for the first time in collaboration with the SGPP, the SGBP, the SGZ and the SEB. These provide algorithms that show concrete procedures and thus simplify treatment in everyday practice.
Are there any other information options?
For its members, SGAD provides regular updates on the most common psychiatric disorders through various channels. For example, information is provided about recently published study results or upcoming events.
You said SGAD promotes education, training and continuing education for physicians. What are the options in this area?
SGAD organizes the Swiss Forum for Mood and Anxiety Disorders (SFMAD) every year. This is a continuing education course for family physicians, internists and psychiatrists and is certified by the SGPP, the SGAIM and the WBK with corresponding credits.
What can we expect from the next SFMAD?
In 2019, SFMAD will take place for the tenth time. The program covers current treatment standards as well as developments and advances in the field of anxiety and depression. It will cover the state of the art in anxiety disorders with a focus on epigenetics, the prediction and development of depression in adolescence and adulthood, and the treatment of childhood and adolescent depression. Attendance at the symposium, which will be held in Zurich on April 4, , 2019, from 1:30 to 6 p.m., is free for SGAD members.
Is there already a program in the morning?
This is now the fourth time that SGAD has organized a crash course on the morning of SFMAD. This year, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., a course on advances in psychotherapy will focus on personalized, modular psychotherapy. This portion of the course will also be certified with appropriate credits.
Are there any other events planned?
On October 3, 2019, an SGAD Symposium will be held for the second time in Western Switzerland. In addition, as every year, there will be an SGAD symposium at the SGPP annual congress.
Which disciplines are represented in SGAD?
The board is composed of psychiatrists and primary care physicians who practice at university hospitals, specialty hospitals, privately, or as primary care providers. In addition, psychotherapists can now also apply for SGAD membership.
How to become a member of SGAD?
Visit http://sgad.ch/about-sgad/mitgliedschaft/ to apply for membership, and each application will be reviewed separately by the Board of Directors. Subsequently, you will be added to the membership directory at www.sgad.ch. This offers patients the opportunity to find a treating physician or therapist in their area.
What is the cost of membership?
The membership fee is CHF 100 per year. As mentioned earlier, this includes free participation in SFMAD and a reduced participation fee for the morning crash course. In addition, members receive the professional journal “InFo NEUROLOGIE & PSYCHIATRIE” free of charge. This magazine is our official publication organ. Membership is therefore also worthwhile financially and we look forward to welcoming new members.
InFo NEUROLOGY & PSYCHIATRY 2019; 17(1): published Dec 20, 18 (ahead of print).
