SRI LANKA COLLEGE OF PSYCHIATRISTS

President’s message

It’s a great pleasure to put this message as the president of the Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists. I started my tenure on 31st of August 2025 following the AGM. Then I had a walk on “Steps of Hope” with the NIBM on the 6 th September 2025. We have planned several work shops of around 11 for this tenure to improve the knowledge among trainees and mental health care workers. We had the first work shop on prevention of suicide for the mental health trainees and mental health care workers on the 11 th September 2025 at NIMH.We had a good participation physically as well as on zoom. We have planned about 10 more work shops in collaboration with other specialities as well. Second work shop on Perinatal Psychiatry will be held on 13 th November 2025 jointly with the Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists at the SLCOG House to improve and share the knowledge among two desciplines.
We have planned CPD programmes monthly and we were able to have 2 CPD programmes on 28 th and 29th September on ECT and Eating Disorders; Primer. via zoom and hybrid respectively.
We were able to have our first regional psychiatry session in collaboration with the Walawa Clinical Society at the District General Hospital Embilipitiya. We were able to host a first perinatal psychiatry and gender based violence session for the public health medical officers, nurses and midwives in MOH office Embilipitiya in parallel with the clinical meeting at the District General Hospital.
Our second regional psychiatry session will be held in the District General Hospital, Batticaloa on 7 th January 2026. For the first time Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists will be organising a Mental Health Day Programme on 17 th October 2025 in collaboration with the Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Ladies Forum of the Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, Menopause Society of Sri Lanka and the Leo club.
The world mental health day has a great importance to the mental health of the community, mentally ill patients and for care providers. World Mental Health Day is observed each year on 10 th October.
It was first celebrated in 1992, initiated by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) via then Deputy Secretary General Richard Hunter.
In its early years (1992–1994), the day had no fixed theme, but aimed generally to promote mental health awareness, advocacy, and public education.
From 1994 onward, a specific theme has been selected each year to draw attention to a particular dimension or challenge of mental health.
Below are a few past themes to illustrate how the focus has shifted over time:
1994: “Improving the Quality of Mental Health Services throughout the World”
2006: “Building Awareness — Reducing Risk: Mental Illness & Suicide”
2015: “Dignity in Mental Health”
2018: “Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World”
2022: “Make Mental Health & Well-Being for All a Global Priority”
2024: “Mental Health at Work” — emphasizing the role of healthy work environments.
These themes guide global campaigns, advocacy, resource allocation, and public messaging.
It helps bring mental health into public conversation, reducing stigma and encouraging people to seek help.
It offers a platform for civil society organizations, governments, mental health professionals, and communities to call for better funding, stronger systems, and inclusive policies.
A common theme helps direct global attention to a specific issue (e.g. mental health in emergencies, workplace mental health).
It encourages events, campaigns, training, community dialogues, and the implementation of mental health programmes.
It helps build connections among organizations, stakeholders, people with lived experience, and service providers.
In short, it turns what might otherwise be invisible (mental health struggles) into a visible, actionable priority.
Sri Lanka faces its own mental health challenges: estimates suggest that for disorders excluding substance use, the prevalence is approximately 11.9% in the general population.
Among individuals aged 20 and above (i.e. within or nearing the working-age population), the prevalence is even higher.
Given that many people spend a significant portion of life working, the mental health of workers is a critical concern.
(World Health Organization)
Sri Lanka also has a National Mental Health Policy 2020–2030, which emphasizes community-based care, deinstitutionalization, inclusion, and strengthening of mental health systems.
On World Mental Health Day 2024, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health, with WHO support, emphasized mental health in the workplace, linking it to national goals such as reducing premature mortality from non communicable diseases.
Each year, Sri Lanka joins global observances by hosting events, policy advocacy, awareness campaigns, workplace dialogues, and public education programmes.
For example, in 2021, Sri Lanka, in collaboration with WHO and local NGOs, developed a wellbeing booklet and held virtual events showcasing stories of resilience.
World Health Organization
On World Mental Health Day 2024, Sri Lanka focused on integrating mental health promotion in workplaces, and worked to strengthen community mental health services and safeguard rights of persons with mental health conditions.
Thus, the day is both globally anchored and locally adapted to Sri Lanka’s needs.
The theme for 2025 is “Mental Health in Humanitarian Emergencies”.
This theme underscores the urgent need to support mental health and psychosocial needs of people affected by crises—such as conflicts, natural disasters, displacement, epidemics, and other emergencies.
The rationale is that in times of humanitarian emergencies, emotional distress, trauma, loss, disrupted social networks, and instability can lead to significant mental health challenges.
The campaign calls for investment in evidence-based, community-based mental health interventions, integrated approaches, and strengthening the resilience and recovery capacity of communities.
It also signals that mental health must not be sidelined during emergencies—it is integral to recovery, rebuilding, human dignity, and overall health.
Given Sri Lanka’s own exposure to natural disasters (e.g., floods, landslides, tsunamis), internal displacement, and other stresses, this theme is quite relevant. It offers an opportunity to spotlight how mental health care and psychosocial support must be part of emergency planning, relief efforts, and recovery strategies.
We have planned 3 more awareness programmes for the community in Western province to uplift the mental health literacy. We expect the same effort from the regional psychiatrists to organize atleat 4 of these awareness programmes in the community in this year starting today and to produce these 4 at the conference to select the best programme to appreciate their work by presenting a medal.
Therefore I have confidence that all the council members will work hard to accomplish this common goal to improve the services and the mental health literacy in Sri Lankan Community.

Thank you
Dr. Dasanthi Akmeemana
Senior Consultant Psychiatrist
Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila
President of the Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists