At the third Asia Pacific (APAC) Psychiatry Symposium, held online on June 26, more than 1,000 psychiatrists, general practitioners and healthcare professionals from 10 countries and regions including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan of China, discussed the challenges faced in managing mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the clinical treatment strategies and difficulties in this field.

Organized by China-based Luye Pharma Group, the annual Asia Pacific Psychiatry Symposium is now in its third year.

This year, three current presidents of national psychiatric associations in the Asia-Pacific region were invited to serve as lecturers at the symposium: Prof. Chawanun Charnsil from Thailand, Prof. Ahmad Hatim Bin Sulaiman from Malaysia, and Dr. Luzviminda Katigbak from the Philippines.

Psychiatrists from a total of seven Asia Pacific countries and regions also delivered presentations. The agenda focused primarily on the challenges of treating mental health problems during the pandemic and the management of bipolar disorder.

Symposium experts said that patients suffering from both a mental illness and COVID-19 can continue using psychotropic medication, but need to consider the possibility of drug interactions between psychotropic drugs and medication for COVID-19 treatment, with effects such as respiratory sedation caused by psychotropic medication.

Experts also suggested that people with severe mental illness should be prioritized in vaccine allocation strategies, and during the vaccination process they should continue to receive treatment with antipsychotics.

The Asia Pacific Psychiatry Symposium is positioned to be forward-looking, practical, and innovative, and acts as an academic platform combining the most up-to-date topics on the frontiers of psychiatry and clinical practice.