This September, leaders from across the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the American Psychiatric Association (APAF) will join colleagues from around the world at the 2026 World Psychiatric Association (WPA) World Congress of Psychiatry (WCP) in Stockholm, Sweden, bringing APA expertise and perspectives to discussions on some of the most important issues facing psychiatry and mental health today.
The Congress which is themed "Guided by Compassion, Grounded in Science: Psychiatry for Our Time" will feature an impressive representation of APA leaders, including, Board, Assembly, and Council leaders and other experts.
Among the APA leaders and distinguished colleagues presenting at the Congress are APA President Mark Hyman Rapaport, M.D. and past APA Presidents, Theresa M. Miskimen Rivera, M.D., Ramaswamy Viswanathan, M.D., Dr.Med.Sc., Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., Rebecca Brendel, M.D., J.D., Maria A. Oquendo, M.D., Ph.D., and Michelle Riba, M.D.
Dr. Oquendo who is also the chair of the APA Future DSM Strategic Committee is slated to participate in a presidential panel on DSM and ICD-11. Presenters from Germany, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom will offer international perspectives and explore key considerations related to global standards for the classification of mental and behavioral disorders and psychiatric diagnoses.
APA members and leaders participating in the Congress are encouraged to post to @APApsychiatric using #APAatWCP2026.
Advancing Workplace Mental Health Globally
One area where APA will have a particularly strong presence is workplace mental health. The Center for Workplace Mental Health, a program of the APAF, has been invited to conduct a four-hour workshop on September 23 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The session will examine the latest global workplace mental health trends and strategies employers are using to increase employee engagement and access to mental health care.
The workshop will bring together perspectives from psychiatry, organizational leadership and industry. Topics will include the different roles psychiatrists can play in the workplace as well as global workplace trends, addiction in the workplace, authentic leadership, artificial intelligence, employer initiatives and the role employers can play in supporting healthy lifestyle choices.
APA Past Presidents Petros Levounis, M.D., and Ramaswamy Viswanathan, M.D., will be among the workshop faculty. Levounis will address the impact of addiction in the workplace and best-practice solutions, while Viswanathan will discuss the role employers can play in supporting lifestyle choices. They will be joined by APA CEO and Medical Director Marketa Wills, M.D., M.B.A., Vedrana Hodzic, M.D., Betsy Schwartz, M.S.W., and Kasia Curry of Baker Hughes.
Helping Employees Notice. Talk. Act. ® at Work
A centerpiece of the workplace mental health session will be Notice. Talk. Act. ® at Work (NTA at Work), an awareness initiative that gives managers and employees tools to recognize potential mental health concerns among colleagues, respond appropriately and connect people with services. The training is available in 10 languages and can be customized for specific industries, making it particularly relevant for global employers seeking to provide employees across locations with common tools and approaches.
Participants will have an opportunity to see actual NTA at Work content during the session. The workshop will also highlight resources from the Center for Workplace Mental Health, including caregiver and mid-career toolkits, and examine industry-specific initiatives and global regulation through a case example.
APA Expertise on a Global Stage
The broad participation of APA leaders at the 2026 WCP provides an important opportunity to exchange knowledge with psychiatric colleagues from around the world. From workplace mental health and addiction to diagnosis, leadership, ethics and other critical areas of psychiatric practice, APA presenters will contribute expertise developed across clinical care, research, education and organizational leadership.
At the same time, international conferences are an opportunity to learn defining clinical standards and emerging care models being developed in other countries and settings. Mental health challenges cross national borders, and collaboration among psychiatrists and other leaders help identify strategies that are adaptable to different communities, health systems and workplaces.
With current and past APA leaders represented throughout the Congress, APA brings a strong and diverse presence to Stockholm—to advance a global agenda and conversation about how psychiatry can respond to the changing mental health needs of individuals, workplaces and communities. This approach actualizes APA’s Psychiatry 2030 global vision of "a world where every person has access to timely, evidence-driven mental health care and every psychiatrist is supported and empowered to deliver it."