Addiction psychiatry gaining importance as sub-speciality in India, says expert
Pratima Murthy, Director NIMHANS, has called upon early-career psychiatrists to consider taking up the sub-speciality of addiction psychiatry considering its emerging significance in society.
Addressing the valedictory session of the recent 'National Mid-Term Continuing Medical Education (CME)', hosted by the Department of Psychiatry at Jawaharlal Institute of Medical Education and Research (Jipmer), Puducherry, in collaboration with the Addiction Psychiatry Society of India (APSI), the NIMHANS chief underscored the growing importance of addiction psychiatry in India.
Emphasising the vast potential of the domain to improve lives, she urged early-career psychiatrists to consider focusing on this field.
The two-day APSI mid-term CME 2025 on the theme, 'Navigating New Frontiers: Clinical Practice Innovations in Addiction Psychiatry,' also dwelt on future frontiers of the domain.
Atul Ambekar, Secretary General of APSI and faculty at AIIMS, New Delhi, hailed the event as representing a landmark academic gathering that spotlighted the rapid advancements and evolving practices in addiction psychiatry across India, Shivanand Kattimani, Psychiatry Head at Jipmer, said in a press note.
The CME attracted over 150 psychiatrists, psychologists, postgraduate trainees, policymakers, and allied health professionals from across the nation.
The event also served as a platform for knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the promotion of research-informed clinical practice.
Renowned experts from leading institutions addressed key topics, such as neuromodulation in addiction treatment, personalised pharmacotherapy, digital therapeutics, drug epidemiology, and the integration of laboratory innovations and public health strategies into addiction care.
Skill-building workshops, scientific paper presentations, and the flagship competitive quiz, CRAVE-QUEST saw high participation from postgraduate psychiatry students, the press note said.
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