About VIPSIG

VIPSIG supports training and education in the international arena and aims to:

• promote volunteer work overseas as well as in the UK and expand the population of people interested in this work
• be a voice that will inform the College and serve as an agent in this work
• have a fundraising role in order to develop more volunteer possibilities
• produce a newsletter in order to celebrate volunteerism in the UK and globally
• establish e-groups in order to promote this field by regular discussion
• promote appropriate training materials for volunteers overseas
• explore web-based psychiatry training to assist training sites in mental health
• promote the overseas experience in psychiatry as a desirable attribute for the NHS.

As well as having an international focus, VIPSIG is also a forum for volunteer work in the UK. This is an area that needs some development and will fit into the Government’s objectives.

The founding of VIPSIG was born from a simple but urgent conviction: that psychiatry has a vital role to play in the most vulnerable parts of the world, and that psychiatrists must be equipped, encouraged, and connected to serve beyond borders.

Throughout my career, I have witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of war, displacement, natural disasters, and poverty on mental health. From Sierra Leone to Iraq, from refugee camps in Darfur to communities rebuilding after trauma, I saw that mental health services were either absent, underfunded, or misunderstood. And yet, the need was overwhelming.

ViPSiG was created to bring together psychiatrists and mental health professionals who are passionate about international work — not only in crisis settings, but also in long-term partnerships with low- and middle-income countries. Our aim has always been to act as a bridge between UK-based psychiatrists and international humanitarian and development work. We advocate for ethical volunteering, cultural humility, and sustainable impact.

VIPSIG is more than a special interest group. It is a growing, values-driven community that believes volunteering is not a one-way act of charity, but a mutual exchange that transforms both the volunteer and the host community. It’s about bearing witness, sharing skills, listening deeply, and walking alongside people in their suffering.

My hope is that VIPSIG continues to inspire the next generation of psychiatrists to step outside their comfort zones, serve with compassion, and be part of a global movement to make mental health care a universal right, not a privilege.
 
— Dr Peter Hughes
Consultant Psychiatrist and Founder, VIPSIG

VIPSIG is open to all members and associates of the College.

There are two ways members of the College can join VIPSIG:

• Log into the members area and sign-up to the SIG.
• Send us an email at sigs@rcpsych.ac.uk.

You can also join us on Facebook.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists is committed to supporting mental health care across the world, particularly in countries that are known to suffer from an acute shortage of psychiatrists.

The College’s volunteer scheme aims to facilitate contact between hospitals, clinics, projects and communities in need of psychiatric expertise and training, and psychiatrists who are willing to offer their time and support.

• Learn more about the volunteer scheme.

To register with the RCPsych volunteer scheme, you will need to complete and return the volunteers registration form.

• Download the volunteers registration form.

• Book Publication - Volunteering in Global Mental Health : A Practical Guide for Clinicians edited by Peter Hughes and Sophie Thomson. Available early 2021.
• Mental Health Innovation Network newsletter