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Royal College of Psychiatrists - Celebrating 180 years
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  • Become a psychiatrist

    Become a psychiatrist

    • Choose Psychiatry

      Choose Psychiatry

      • What is psychiatry?
      • How to become a psychiatrist
      • Why choose psychiatry?
      • Career essentials
      • What next?
    • Sixth formers and school students
    • Medical students

      Medical students

      • Becoming a student associate
      • Psychiatry attachments
      • Awards, prizes and bursaries
      • PsychSocs
      • National conference
      • Summer and autumn schools
      • FuturePsych – the student associate magazine
    • Foundation doctors

      Foundation doctors

      • Foundation doctor associates
      • Making the most of your psychiatry placement
      • Opportunities for foundation doctors
      • FuturePsych - the associate magazine
    • Help us promote psychiatry

      Help us promote psychiatry

      • How can I help?
      • Ideas to inspire you
      • Resources to help you promote psychiatry
      • Our strategy
    • Choose Psychiatry: Guidance for Medical Schools
    • Choose Psychiatry
      • What is psychiatry?
      • How to become a psychiatrist
      • Why choose psychiatry?
      • Career essentials
      • What next?
    • Sixth formers and school students
    • Medical students
      • Becoming a student associate
      • Psychiatry attachments
      • Awards, prizes and bursaries
      • PsychSocs
      • National conference
      • Summer and autumn schools
      • FuturePsych – the student associate magazine
    • Foundation doctors
      • Foundation doctor associates
      • Making the most of your psychiatry placement
      • Opportunities for foundation doctors
      • FuturePsych - the associate magazine
    • Help us promote psychiatry
      • How can I help?
      • Ideas to inspire you
      • Resources to help you promote psychiatry
      • Our strategy
    • Choose Psychiatry: Guidance for Medical Schools
  • Training

    Training

    • Curricula and guidance

      Curricula and guidance

      • GMC approved curricula
      • Curricula review project
      • Specialty guides
    • Your training

      Your training

      • Psychiatric Trainees Committee: supporting you
      • Time out of training
      • Training resources
      • Run-through training
      • Prizes and bursaries for trainees
      • Leadership and management training
      • Training less than full time
      • Routes to Registration
      • Cost of Training
    • Exams

      Exams

      • Can I take an exam?
      • Contact the exams team
      • Preparing for exams
      • Applying for your exam
      • Exam results
      • Special notices
      • Exam FAQs
      • A fair exam
      • MRCPsych examinations and COVID-19
      • Webinar: MRCPsych Exam - Changes to exam delivery this autumn
      • Capacity reached for September 2020 CASC
    • Neuroscience in training

      Neuroscience in training

      • About the project
      • Neuroscience events
      • Who is on the commission?
      • Latest news from the neuroscience project
      • Neuroscience history
      • Neuroscience videos
      • Neuroscience resources
    • Information for Local Education and Training Boards (LETBs)
    • Medical training initiative (MTI)
    • Undergraduate education forum
    • International Medical Graduates

      International Medical Graduates

      • Shortage Occupation List
    • Quality Assurance in Training
    • Curricula and guidance
      • GMC approved curricula
      • Curricula review project
      • Specialty guides
    • Your training
      • Psychiatric Trainees Committee: supporting you
      • Time out of training
      • Training resources
      • Run-through training
      • Prizes and bursaries for trainees
      • Leadership and management training
      • Training less than full time
      • Routes to Registration
      • Cost of Training
    • Exams
      • Can I take an exam?
      • Contact the exams team
      • Preparing for exams
      • Applying for your exam
      • Exam results
      • Special notices
      • Exam FAQs
      • A fair exam
      • MRCPsych examinations and COVID-19
      • Webinar: MRCPsych Exam - Changes to exam delivery this autumn
      • Capacity reached for September 2020 CASC
    • Neuroscience in training
      • About the project
      • Neuroscience events
      • Who is on the commission?
      • Latest news from the neuroscience project
      • Neuroscience history
      • Neuroscience videos
      • Neuroscience resources
    • Information for Local Education and Training Boards (LETBs)
    • Medical training initiative (MTI)
    • Undergraduate education forum
    • International Medical Graduates
      • Shortage Occupation List
    • Quality Assurance in Training
  • Members

    Members

    • Supporting you

      Supporting you

      • Psychiatrists Support Service
      • New consultants (StartWell)
      • Mentoring and coaching
      • Revalidation
      • Assessing and managing risk of patients causing harm
      • Leadership and management
      • Working less than full time
      • If a patient dies by suicide
      • Writing clinic letters
    • Submitting your CPD

      Submitting your CPD

      • CPD Submissions FAQs
      • Alterations to CPD during coronavirus pandemic
    • CPD Online
    • Membership

      Membership

      • Members login
      • Receipts
      • Pay Your Subscription
      • Direct Debit
      • Your subscription
      • Grades of membership
      • Benefits of membership
      • Fellowship and other Honours
      • Applying for Fellowship
      • Nominations for Honorary Fellows
      • Nominations for National Honours
    • Your Faculties

      Your Faculties

      • Academic psychiatry
      • Addictions psychiatry
      • Child and adolescent psychiatry
      • Eating disorders psychiatry
      • Forensic Psychiatry Faculty
      • General adult psychiatry
      • Intellectual disability psychiatry faculty
      • Liaison psychiatry faculty
      • Medical psychotherapy faculty
      • Neuropsychiatry faculty
      • Old age psychiatry faculty
      • Perinatal psychiatry faculty
      • Rehabilitation and social psychiatry faculty
      • Faculty job descriptions
    • Devolved Nations

      Devolved Nations

      • RCPsych in Scotland
      • RCPsych in Wales
      • Coleg Cymraeg
      • RCPsych in Northern Ireland
      • Executive Committee job descriptions
    • English Divisions

      English Divisions

      • Eastern
      • London
      • Northern and Yorkshire
      • North West
      • South Eastern
      • Trent
      • West Midlands
      • South West
      • Executive Committee job descriptions
      • NW and NY mentorship
    • International members

      International members

      • International strategy
    • Special Interest Groups

      Special Interest Groups

      • How to join a SIG
      • Adolescent forensic psychiatry
      • Arts psychiatry
      • Evolutionary psychiatry
      • History of psychiatry
      • Neurodevelopmental psychiatry
      • Occupational psychiatry
      • Philosophy
      • Private and independent practice PIPSIG
      • Rainbow SIG
      • Spirituality
      • Sport and exercise
      • Transcultural psychiatry
      • Volunteering and international
      • Women and mental health
      • Special Interest Group Job Descriptions
      • Digital psychiatry
    • Committees of Council
    • RCPsych Insight magazine
    • Publications and books
    • Your monthly eNewsletter

      Your monthly eNewsletter

      • RCPsych eNewsletter February 2021
      • Members' update 11 February 2021
      • RCPsych eNewsletter January 2021
      • Members' update 14 January 2021
      • RCPsych eNewsletter December 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter November 2020
      • Members' update 12 November 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter October 2020
      • Members' update 8 October 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter September 2020
      • Members' update 11 September 2020
      • Members' update 1 September 2020
      • Members' update 14 August 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter July 2020
      • Members' update 10 July 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter June 2020
      • Update 12 June 2020
      • COVID-19 Update 29 May 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter May 2020
      • COVID-19 Update 7 May 2020
      • COVID-19 Update 1 May 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter April 2020
      • COVID-19 Update April 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter February 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter January 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter December 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter November 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter October 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter September 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter July 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter June 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter May 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter April 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter March 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter February 2019
    • Posts for members
    • Public members list
    • Jobs board
    • Specialist and Associate Specialty Doctors

      Specialist and Associate Specialty Doctors

      • A message from the Chair
      • Who are SAS Doctors?
      • How to enter the SAS grade
      • SAS career development
      • SAS doctors resources
      • College SAS training and events
    • President's lectures

      President's lectures

      • Declaration of competing interests (President's lectures)
      • List of president's lectures competing interests
      • Past President's lectures
    • Retired members
    • New Members Ceremonies
    • Obituaries

      Obituaries

      • Submit an obituary
      • Remembering Dame Fiona Caldicott
    • About CPD Online - elearning
    • Supporting you
      • Psychiatrists Support Service
      • New consultants (StartWell)
      • Mentoring and coaching
      • Revalidation
      • Assessing and managing risk of patients causing harm
      • Leadership and management
      • Working less than full time
      • If a patient dies by suicide
      • Writing clinic letters
    • Submitting your CPD
      • CPD Submissions FAQs
      • Alterations to CPD during coronavirus pandemic
    • CPD Online
    • Membership
      • Members login
      • Receipts
      • Pay Your Subscription
      • Direct Debit
      • Your subscription
      • Grades of membership
      • Benefits of membership
      • Fellowship and other Honours
      • Applying for Fellowship
      • Nominations for Honorary Fellows
      • Nominations for National Honours
    • Your Faculties
      • Academic psychiatry
      • Addictions psychiatry
      • Child and adolescent psychiatry
      • Eating disorders psychiatry
      • Forensic Psychiatry Faculty
      • General adult psychiatry
      • Intellectual disability psychiatry faculty
      • Liaison psychiatry faculty
      • Medical psychotherapy faculty
      • Neuropsychiatry faculty
      • Old age psychiatry faculty
      • Perinatal psychiatry faculty
      • Rehabilitation and social psychiatry faculty
      • Faculty job descriptions
    • Devolved Nations
      • RCPsych in Scotland
      • RCPsych in Wales
      • Coleg Cymraeg
      • RCPsych in Northern Ireland
      • Executive Committee job descriptions
    • English Divisions
      • Eastern
      • London
      • Northern and Yorkshire
      • North West
      • South Eastern
      • Trent
      • West Midlands
      • South West
      • Executive Committee job descriptions
      • NW and NY mentorship
    • International members
      • International strategy
    • Special Interest Groups
      • How to join a SIG
      • Adolescent forensic psychiatry
      • Arts psychiatry
      • Evolutionary psychiatry
      • History of psychiatry
      • Neurodevelopmental psychiatry
      • Occupational psychiatry
      • Philosophy
      • Private and independent practice PIPSIG
      • Rainbow SIG
      • Spirituality
      • Sport and exercise
      • Transcultural psychiatry
      • Volunteering and international
      • Women and mental health
      • Special Interest Group Job Descriptions
      • Digital psychiatry
    • Committees of Council
    • RCPsych Insight magazine
    • Publications and books
    • Your monthly eNewsletter
      • RCPsych eNewsletter February 2021
      • Members' update 11 February 2021
      • RCPsych eNewsletter January 2021
      • Members' update 14 January 2021
      • RCPsych eNewsletter December 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter November 2020
      • Members' update 12 November 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter October 2020
      • Members' update 8 October 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter September 2020
      • Members' update 11 September 2020
      • Members' update 1 September 2020
      • Members' update 14 August 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter July 2020
      • Members' update 10 July 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter June 2020
      • Update 12 June 2020
      • COVID-19 Update 29 May 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter May 2020
      • COVID-19 Update 7 May 2020
      • COVID-19 Update 1 May 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter April 2020
      • COVID-19 Update April 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter February 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter January 2020
      • RCPsych eNewsletter December 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter November 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter October 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter September 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter July 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter June 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter May 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter April 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter March 2019
      • RCPsych eNewsletter February 2019
    • Posts for members
    • Public members list
    • Jobs board
    • Specialist and Associate Specialty Doctors
      • A message from the Chair
      • Who are SAS Doctors?
      • How to enter the SAS grade
      • SAS career development
      • SAS doctors resources
      • College SAS training and events
    • President's lectures
      • Declaration of competing interests (President's lectures)
      • List of president's lectures competing interests
      • Past President's lectures
    • Retired members
    • New Members Ceremonies
    • Obituaries
      • Submit an obituary
      • Remembering Dame Fiona Caldicott
    • About CPD Online - elearning
  • Events

    Events

    • Conferences and training events

      Conferences and training events

      • Faculty of intellectual Disability Spring Conference 2019
      • Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry Annual Conference 2020 - Register your interest
      • Section 12 and AC – Update for Trainers - Training Day Course Resources
      • Resilience & Wellbeing Course for SAS Doctors
      • Present State Examination Course 17 April - Register your interest
      • Present State Examination Course 1 September - Register your interest
      • Section 12 and Approved Clinician Training
      • Perinatal Psychiatry Masterclasses
      • Women and Mental Health Special Interest Group Annual Conference
      • Faculty of Medical Psychotherapy Annual Conference 2021 - Register your interest
      • Register your interest - Clinical and Educational Supervisor Training future dates
      • Register your interest - Leadership & Management Fellow Scheme 2021/22 (Trainee)
      • Register your interest - Leadership & Management Fellow Scheme 2021/22 (Trust)
    • Events held by other organisations
    • Terms and conditions
    • In house training

      In house training

      • In house training: working with us
      • Health of Nation Outcome Scales
      • Competing interests
    • Highlights from International Congress 2020 - Webinar Series

      Highlights from International Congress 2020 - Webinar Series

      • Registration
      • Programme
      • FAQs
    • Accommodation List
    • Recruitment events
    • Claiming Expenses
    • International Congress 2021

      International Congress 2021

      • Congress FAQs
      • Exhibition Opportunities 2021
      • Registration
      • Key dates
      • IC21 Keynote speakers
      • Poster Presentations 2021
      • Programme
    • Free webinars

      Free webinars

      • Free webinars for members
    • Speaker guidance for online events
    • Conferences and training events
      • Faculty of intellectual Disability Spring Conference 2019
      • Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry Annual Conference 2020 - Register your interest
      • Section 12 and AC – Update for Trainers - Training Day Course Resources
      • Resilience & Wellbeing Course for SAS Doctors
      • Present State Examination Course 17 April - Register your interest
      • Present State Examination Course 1 September - Register your interest
      • Section 12 and Approved Clinician Training
      • Perinatal Psychiatry Masterclasses
      • Women and Mental Health Special Interest Group Annual Conference
      • Faculty of Medical Psychotherapy Annual Conference 2021 - Register your interest
      • Register your interest - Clinical and Educational Supervisor Training future dates
      • Register your interest - Leadership & Management Fellow Scheme 2021/22 (Trainee)
      • Register your interest - Leadership & Management Fellow Scheme 2021/22 (Trust)
    • Events held by other organisations
    • Terms and conditions
    • In house training
      • In house training: working with us
      • Health of Nation Outcome Scales
      • Competing interests
    • Highlights from International Congress 2020 - Webinar Series
      • Registration
      • Programme
      • FAQs
    • Accommodation List
    • Recruitment events
    • Claiming Expenses
    • International Congress 2021
      • Congress FAQs
      • Exhibition Opportunities 2021
      • Registration
      • Key dates
      • IC21 Keynote speakers
      • Poster Presentations 2021
      • Programme
    • Free webinars
      • Free webinars for members
    • Speaker guidance for online events
  • Improving care

    Improving care

    • College Centre for Quality Improvement (CCQI)

      College Centre for Quality Improvement (CCQI)

      • What we do in the CCQI
      • Quality Networks and Accreditation
      • National Clinical Audits
      • Multi-source feedback
      • Using quality improvement
      • CCQI resources
      • CCQI Who we are
      • Research and evaluation
    • Campaigning for better mental health policy

      Campaigning for better mental health policy

      • The Mental Health Act (MHA)
      • Five Year Forward View
      • Integrated care and mental health
      • Children and young people's mental health Green Paper
      • RCPsych in Parliament
      • Join our Research Panel
      • College Reports
      • Position statements
      • Process for College publications
      • Other policy areas
      • Mental Health Watch
      • COVID-19: Guidance for clinicians
      • The Mental Health Act White Paper 2021
    • Planning the psychiatric workforce

      Planning the psychiatric workforce

      • What we do
      • Job planning and recruitment
      • Our workforce census
      • Campaigning for the mental health workforce of the future
      • Workforce strategy
    • Physician Associates

      Physician Associates

      • About Physician Associates
      • Employing Physician Associates
      • Becoming a Physician Associate
      • Support for Physician Associates
      • Physician Associates network
    • National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health

      National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health

      • About the NCCMH
      • Mental health care pathways
      • Mental health quality improvement programmes
      • Other programmes
      • Reducing restrictive practice
      • National suicide prevention programme
      • Sexual Safety Collaborative
      • COVID-19 Mental Health Improvement Network
      • RCPsych Enjoying Work Collaborative
    • Invited Review Service
    • Public Health and its role in mental heath
    • Sustainability and working sustainably

      Sustainability and working sustainably

      • In your community
      • In your practice
      • In your trust
      • Green care
      • Sustainability scholars
      • About sustainability in mental health care
      • Sustainability resources
      • Working sustainably (old)
    • RCPsych Course Accreditation
    • College Centre for Quality Improvement (CCQI)
      • What we do in the CCQI
      • Quality Networks and Accreditation
      • National Clinical Audits
      • Multi-source feedback
      • Using quality improvement
      • CCQI resources
      • CCQI Who we are
      • Research and evaluation
    • Campaigning for better mental health policy
      • The Mental Health Act (MHA)
      • Five Year Forward View
      • Integrated care and mental health
      • Children and young people's mental health Green Paper
      • RCPsych in Parliament
      • Join our Research Panel
      • College Reports
      • Position statements
      • Process for College publications
      • Other policy areas
      • Mental Health Watch
      • COVID-19: Guidance for clinicians
      • The Mental Health Act White Paper 2021
    • Planning the psychiatric workforce
      • What we do
      • Job planning and recruitment
      • Our workforce census
      • Campaigning for the mental health workforce of the future
      • Workforce strategy
    • Physician Associates
      • About Physician Associates
      • Employing Physician Associates
      • Becoming a Physician Associate
      • Support for Physician Associates
      • Physician Associates network
    • National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health
      • About the NCCMH
      • Mental health care pathways
      • Mental health quality improvement programmes
      • Other programmes
      • Reducing restrictive practice
      • National suicide prevention programme
      • Sexual Safety Collaborative
      • COVID-19 Mental Health Improvement Network
      • RCPsych Enjoying Work Collaborative
    • Invited Review Service
    • Public Health and its role in mental heath
    • Sustainability and working sustainably
      • In your community
      • In your practice
      • In your trust
      • Green care
      • Sustainability scholars
      • About sustainability in mental health care
      • Sustainability resources
      • Working sustainably (old)
    • RCPsych Course Accreditation
  • Mental health

    Mental health

    • Problems and disorders

      Problems and disorders

      • ADHD in adults
      • Alcohol and depression
      • Alcohol and older people
      • Anorexia and bulimia
      • Anxiety, panic and phobias
      • Bereavement
      • Bipolar disorder
      • Cannabis
      • Club drugs
      • Coping after a traumatic event
      • Debt and mental health
      • Delirium
      • Memory problems and dementia
      • Depression
      • Depression in older adults
      • Depression and men
      • Eating well and mental health
      • Feeling on the edge
      • Feeling overwhelmed
      • Feeling stressed
      • Hoarding
      • Learning disabilities
      • Medically unexplained symptoms
      • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
      • Perinatal OCD
      • Personality disorder
      • Postnatal depression
      • Physical illness
      • Postpartum psychosis
      • Problem gambling
      • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
      • Schizoaffective disorder
      • Schizophrenia
      • Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
      • Self harm
      • Shyness and social phobia
      • Sleeping well
      • Perinatal OCD for carers
      • Postpartum Psychosis in Carers
      • Postnatal depression key facts
      • Postnatal depression: information for carers
    • Support, care and treatment

      Support, care and treatment

      • Alzheimers drug treatments
      • Antidepressants
      • Antipsychotics
      • Being sectioned
      • Benzodiazepines
      • Bipolar medications
      • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
      • Complementary and alternative medicines: herbal remedies
      • Complementary and alternative medicines: physical treatments
      • Depot medication
      • Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
      • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
      • Electronic health records in mental health services in England
      • Guide to mental health tribunals
      • Liaison psychiatry services
      • Mental capacity and the law
      • Mental health rehabilitation services
      • Mental health services and teams in the community
      • Planning a pregnancy
      • Psychotherapies and psychological treatments
      • Spirituality and mental health
      • Stopping antidepressants
      • Talking to your GP
      • What to expect of your psychiatrist in the UK
      • Antipsychotics in Pregnancy
      • Lithium in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
      • Mother and Baby Units (MBUs)
      • Children's Social Services and Safeguarding
      • Valproate in women and girls who could get pregnant
      • What are Perinatal Mental Health Services?
      • Mental health in pregnancy
      • Medication for mental health and COVID-19
      • Remote consultations and COVID-19
      • Attending hospital and COVID-19
      • Monitoring health at home and COVID-19
      • Alcohol and COVID-19
      • Eating disorders and COVID-19
      • Perinatal care and COVID-19
      • COVID-19: Self-harm in young people 
      • COVID-19: Self-harm and suicide 
      • COVID-19: Looking after your mental health – for young people and their parents and carers 
      • COVID-19: Using drugs
      • COVID-19: ASD
    • Young people's mental health
    • Translations

      Translations

      • Arabic عربى
      • Bengali বাঙালি
      • Bulgarian български
      • Chinese 中文
      • French Français
      • German Auf Deutsch
      • Greek Ελληνική γλώσσα
      • Gujurati ગુજરાતી
      • Hindi हिंदीहिंदी
      • Italian italiano
      • Japanese 日本語
      • Lithuanian Lietuvių kalba
      • Pashto پښتو
      • Persian (Farsi) فارسی
      • Polish Polski
      • Punjabi ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
      • Romanian Română
      • Russian Pусский
      • Somali
      • Spanish Español
      • Turkish
      • Tamil தமிழ்
      • Urdu اردو
      • Welsh Cymraeg
    • Mental health FAQs
    • Order mental health leaflets
    • About our mental health information
    • Disclaimer about our mental health information
    • Choosing Wisely - a national campaign
    • BSL translations
    • MindEd: web tools for those working with young people
    • Order mental health packs for schools
    • Audio resources
    • Problems and disorders
      • ADHD in adults
      • Alcohol and depression
      • Alcohol and older people
      • Anorexia and bulimia
      • Anxiety, panic and phobias
      • Bereavement
      • Bipolar disorder
      • Cannabis
      • Club drugs
      • Coping after a traumatic event
      • Debt and mental health
      • Delirium
      • Memory problems and dementia
      • Depression
      • Depression in older adults
      • Depression and men
      • Eating well and mental health
      • Feeling on the edge
      • Feeling overwhelmed
      • Feeling stressed
      • Hoarding
      • Learning disabilities
      • Medically unexplained symptoms
      • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
      • Perinatal OCD
      • Personality disorder
      • Postnatal depression
      • Physical illness
      • Postpartum psychosis
      • Problem gambling
      • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
      • Schizoaffective disorder
      • Schizophrenia
      • Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
      • Self harm
      • Shyness and social phobia
      • Sleeping well
      • Perinatal OCD for carers
      • Postpartum Psychosis in Carers
      • Postnatal depression key facts
      • Postnatal depression: information for carers
    • Support, care and treatment
      • Alzheimers drug treatments
      • Antidepressants
      • Antipsychotics
      • Being sectioned
      • Benzodiazepines
      • Bipolar medications
      • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
      • Complementary and alternative medicines: herbal remedies
      • Complementary and alternative medicines: physical treatments
      • Depot medication
      • Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
      • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
      • Electronic health records in mental health services in England
      • Guide to mental health tribunals
      • Liaison psychiatry services
      • Mental capacity and the law
      • Mental health rehabilitation services
      • Mental health services and teams in the community
      • Planning a pregnancy
      • Psychotherapies and psychological treatments
      • Spirituality and mental health
      • Stopping antidepressants
      • Talking to your GP
      • What to expect of your psychiatrist in the UK
      • Antipsychotics in Pregnancy
      • Lithium in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
      • Mother and Baby Units (MBUs)
      • Children's Social Services and Safeguarding
      • Valproate in women and girls who could get pregnant
      • What are Perinatal Mental Health Services?
      • Mental health in pregnancy
      • Medication for mental health and COVID-19
      • Remote consultations and COVID-19
      • Attending hospital and COVID-19
      • Monitoring health at home and COVID-19
      • Alcohol and COVID-19
      • Eating disorders and COVID-19
      • Perinatal care and COVID-19
      • COVID-19: Self-harm in young people 
      • COVID-19: Self-harm and suicide 
      • COVID-19: Looking after your mental health – for young people and their parents and carers 
      • COVID-19: Using drugs
      • COVID-19: ASD
    • Young people's mental health
    • Translations
      • Arabic عربى
      • Bengali বাঙালি
      • Bulgarian български
      • Chinese 中文
      • French Français
      • German Auf Deutsch
      • Greek Ελληνική γλώσσα
      • Gujurati ગુજરાતી
      • Hindi हिंदीहिंदी
      • Italian italiano
      • Japanese 日本語
      • Lithuanian Lietuvių kalba
      • Pashto پښتو
      • Persian (Farsi) فارسی
      • Polish Polski
      • Punjabi ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
      • Romanian Română
      • Russian Pусский
      • Somali
      • Spanish Español
      • Turkish
      • Tamil தமிழ்
      • Urdu اردو
      • Welsh Cymraeg
    • Mental health FAQs
    • Order mental health leaflets
    • About our mental health information
    • Disclaimer about our mental health information
    • Choosing Wisely - a national campaign
    • BSL translations
    • MindEd: web tools for those working with young people
    • Order mental health packs for schools
    • Audio resources
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The Women and Mental Health Special Interest Group: 25th-anniversary reflections

25 Women project, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion blog

23 February, 2021

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Firstly I would like to say how happy I am to continue to be involved with the Women and Mental Health Special Interest Group (WMHSIG), and how proud I am of the Special Interest Group 25 years on.

As many will know the SIG was formally set up in 1996, although it had been in the planning stage for about a year before that. It is hard to imagine now how difficult it was for doctors to find part-time consultant posts then, and how many radical changes have taken place since that time. 

I had worked full-time until the birth of my fourth child in 1994 and had been in my consultant post for about 10 years, but at that stage I realised that with four children under the age of seven I had little choice but to drop down to part-time work. This turned out to be much more of a challenge than I had ever imagined.

Although part-time training schemes in psychiatry were well established, the assumption seemed to be that children would be of school-age by the time that woman had reached consultant level. This was far from being the case as women were tending to marry later. As a result, part-time consultant posts were almost never advertised, although occasionally they could be negotiated.

Job sharing was in its infancy with no easy way of finding a job share partner. Eventually, I was lucky and I found a job-sharing consultant post in another hospital through word-of-mouth, but I felt strongly that it had been a very difficult journey and that something should be done about it. 

I had the idea of setting up what was then called the Women in Psychiatry Special Interest Group (WIPSIG), and I was fortunate that the President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists at the time was Dame Fiona Caldicott who was very supportive of the idea.

The proposal had to be got through various College committees, but with Fiona’s support, it was eventually voted through. I was proposed as the Founding Chairman and served in this capacity for five years until 2002.

I was fortunate to be very well supported by a very able and energetic Executive Committee, who enthusiastically tackled our twin aims of counteracting discrimination and improving career opportunities for women psychiatrists and mental health provision for women patients. The Women in Psychiatry Group contributed to and participated in many of the early changes in these areas, including setting up a Job Share Register, organising conferences and contributing to policy.

It has been such a pleasure to see the SIG flourish, thrive, mature and evolve, and I welcomed the decision in 2015 to change the name to the Women and Mental Health Special Interest Group, and to adopt the inspiring slogan that We work to improve the mental health of women, everywhere. Twenty-five years is a special anniversary, and I am delighted to support the 25 Women project and to hear about these impressive women who are doing such an amazing job. 

It is so good to support each other and to celebrate our diversity, successes and achievements as women, doctors and psychiatrists, and I look forward to the next 25 years!

Blog Author
Dr Anne Cremona

Consultant Psychiatrist

25 Women project

Throughout March 2021, the College's Women and Mental Health Special Interest Group is celebrating their 25th anniversary by highlighting the stories of 25 amazing women, who may be members, fellows, affiliates or trainees.
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