Because of the pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the lockdown, the January-June 2020, Volume 11 Issue 1 and the July-December 2020, Volume 11 Issue 2 of the Open Journal of Psychiatry & Allied Sciences (OJPAS®) had only the online versions without the print editions. Now, as we approach the new normal through gradual unlocking, the print editions of both the issues are released.

In the third event of the webinar series, ‘Global Psychiatry: A LAMIC Perspective”, Leslie Marneau from France spoke on “Impact of COVID-19 on professional continued education and intervention in the field of autism”. Pomi Baruah delivered the opening remarks in the event, moderated by Bornali Das, the Secretary of the Society for Mental Health in LAMIC (SoMHiL). It is an initiative of SoMHiL, as part of MONON: Assam Cares (https://www.ojpas.com/ojpas-2020-07-27-fulltext.html), in collaboration with ECHO India.

Partha Choudhury, Consultant Psychiatrist General Adults, Lancashire care NHS Foundation Trust, UK was the resource person in today’s session of ‘Global Psychiatry: A LAMIC Perspective’ with expert comments from RK Lenin Singh, Professor & Head, Department of Psychiatry, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur, India and Advisory Board Member of the Open Journal of Psychiatry & Allied Sciences (OJPAS®). Mythili Hazarika and Bornali Das, the President and the Secretary of the Society for Mental Health in LAMIC (SoMHiL) respectively along with Shyamanta Das, the Editor-in-Chief of OJPAS® were the moderators of the event hosted by Papori Goswami of ECHO India.

Today’s webinar in the series, titled “Global Psychiatry: A LAMIC Perspective” has been postponed to next Friday, 18 September 2020 (6-7:30 pm IST). Ivana Stasevic Karlicic from Serbia will be speaking on “Perspectives of Mental Health Services During COVID-19 Epidemic in the Republic of Serbia”. It is an initiative of the Society for Mental Health in LAMIC (SoMHiL), as part of MONON Assam Cares (https://www.ojpas.com/ojpas-2020-07-27-fulltext.html), in collaboration with ECHO India. The link to the webinar is: https://spark.echoindia.in/jr/sess_H4HVWv-SIg/

The Department of Education, Government of Assam, India supported the initiative of the Society for Mental Health in LAMIC (SoMHiL) in collaboration with ECHO India in hosting the event, “Is life a race?” on the World Suicide Prevention Day. Managing Editor of the Open Journal of Psychiatry & Allied Sciences (OJPAS®), Utpal Bora, MD was one of the speakers in this event that was moderated by Mythili Hazarika, PhD, the President of SoMHiL. A recitation competition was also arranged with the theme of ‘Life’, facilitated by Nilofar Rahman and Papori Goswami, and judge, Srutimala Duara declared the results. Nilofar also facilitated the panel discussion.

Mythili Hazarika, the President of the Society for Mental Health in LAMIC (SoMHiL) and Shyamanta Das, the Editor-in-Chief of the Open Journal of Psychiatry & Allied Sciences (OJPAS®) are speaking on the occasion of the World Suicide Prevention Day in Jagaran News.

The Department of Education, Government of Assam, India is supporting the initiative of the Society for Mental Health in LAMIC (SoMHiL) in collaboration with ECHO India in hosting an event on Thursday, 10 September 2020 which is the World Suicide Prevention Day. Managing Editor of the Open Journal of Psychiatry & Allied Sciences (OJPAS®), Utpal Bora, MD will be one of the speakers in this event, “Is life a race?” that will be moderated by Mythili Hazarika, PhD, the President of SoMHiL. A recitation competition was also arranged with the theme of ‘Life’, facilitated by Nilofar Rahman and Papori Goswami, and judge, Srutimala Duara will be declaring the results on this day. The link to the session is https://spark.echoindia.in/jr/sess_x-MZr9StDw/

The series of webinars, titled “Global Psychiatry: A LAMIC Perspective” has begun successfully last Friday, 4 September 2020 (6-7 pm IST) with the speech of Linda B. Cottler from the United States. This Friday, 11 September 2020 (6-7:30 pm IST), Ivana Stasevic Karlicic from Serbia will be speaking on “Perspectives of Mental Health Services During COVID-19 Epidemic in the Republic of Serbia”. It is an initiative of the Society for Mental Health in LAMIC (SoMHiL), as part of MONON Assam Cares (https://www.ojpas.com/ojpas-2020-07-27-fulltext.html), in collaboration with ECHO India. The link is: https://spark.echoindia.in/jr/sess_H4HVWv-SIg/

Linda B Cottler from the United States spoke on “Re-imaging community engagement for success during a pandemic” and set the ball rolling for the event, ‘Global Psychiatry: A LAMIC Perspective’, consisting of a series of webinars. The event is a part of MONON: Assam Cares, initiated by the Society for Mental Health in LAMIC (SoMHiL), in collaboration with ECHO India. Samir Kumar Sinha, Principal Secretary to the Government of Assam, Health & Family Welfare Department, delivered the opening remarks in the event that is facilitated by Mythili Hazarika, the President of SoMHiL.

Nileswar Das, MD joins the Open Journal of Psychiatry & Allied Sciences (OJPAS®) as Section Editor of The Resident’s Agora. Dr. Das is currently working as a Senior Resident of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi, India. After finishing MBBS (2009-2015) from Midnapore Medical College and Hospital with honours in Pathology, Ophthalmology, and Otorhinolaryngology; Dr. Das worked as a nonacademic junior resident (house staff) in the Department of Dermatology before joining AIIMS Psychiatry as MD resident in July 2016. During his residency, he actively participated in various national and international conferences; and received the introductory “Young Innovator Award” in National CME (2019) of Indian Association of Social Psychiatry on “Strengthening Home-based Care for Severe Mental Disorders in General Hospital Settings”. He also stood finalist in TYSA (2018) and NIMHANS Addiction Quiz (2018). He is a member of Indian Association of Social Psychiatry and Indian Psychiatric Society. His areas of interest include: Consultation-liaison psychiatry, Brain stimulation psychiatry, Addiction medicine, Suicide, Telepsychiatry, and Community mental health in LAMIC.