Complementary and Alternative Medicine calls for papers / meetings & conferences

Call for Abstracts: 1st International Conference on Cultural Psychiatry in Mediterranean Countries

November 5-7, 2012 Tel Aviv, Israel

Abstracts have to be submitted by 1 July 2012.

The 1st International Conference on Cultural Psychiatry in Mediterranean Countries is a highly anticipated and ambitious event that seeks to deal with novel issues appearing in a world of open frontiers, new opportunities and international upheaval and conflicts, particularly relevant in light of recent events in the region.

Identity is an evolving concept, where group boundaries have become blurred. Mental health professionals will be given the opportunity to participate in stimulating and fruitful discussions on a great variety of issues such as clinical aspects of acculturative stress, neuropsychopharmacology and integrative treatment methods.

The conference, to be held 5-7 November 2012, is aimed at leading psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, social anthropologists, students and anyone with a specialized interest in the rapidly evolving area of transcultural psychiatry.

Preliminary List of Topics

Mood, anxiety and psychotic disorders related to migration
Cultural neuropsychopharmacology
Suicide and cultural transition
Trauma and migration
Religiosity and spirituality
Stigma and Culture
Cultural transition

Kenes International
Kenes Group Building
2 Hayarden St.
Airport City, Lod 70151
Israel
Tel: +972 3 9727405
Fax: + 972 72 2447271
E-mail: wpa-tps@kenes-events.com

Call for Abstracts: Society for Acupuncture Research 2013 Conference

Impact of Acupuncture Research on 21st Century Health Care

April 19-21, 2013 University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Co-sponsored by: University of Michigan Department of Anesthesiology and Program in Integrative Medicine

Abstract submission deadline: September 10, 2012

The rising incidence of chronic disease and stress-related illness in the West has led to an increased utilization of acupuncture
as a contemporary health care option. A major reason for this increase in usage is that acupuncture has heeded the call for evidence-based medicine, with a broad range of clinical trials, surveys of safety, and basic science studies of physiological action all contributing to its growing acceptance. The 2013 SAR conference will explore diverse areas of acupuncture research, emphasizing their potential to affect health policy decisions and enhance clinical practice.

-- Leading researchers from the U.S. and abroad will present keynote addresses, participate in symposia and panels, and lead workshops assessing recent progress, challenges and opportunities for the field.

-- Representative speakers from the national and international acupuncture research communities will present original data in three major areas: clinical research, basic science and research methodology.

-- All attendees will be invited to submit Abstracts from which the Program Committee will select oral and poster presentations.

-- A pre-conference workshop will focus on “Current status and issues in acupuncture research for practitioners, students, and educators new to this field.”

Abstract submission
Abstracts are solicited for presentations in the areas of clinical research, basic science and research methodology pertaining to
acupuncture, as well as other modalities of East Asian medicine including traditional herbs, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong.
Please upload your abstracts by September 10, 2012 to:
www.softconf.com/c/sar2013/

Abstracts submitted after September 10, 2012 will not be considered. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Program
Committee and prospective speakers will be informed by November 15, 2012 as to whether their research has been accepted
for oral or poster presentation.

See www.acupunctureresearch.org for more details about the conference program as available.

Call for Papers: Arts – Health – Entrepreneurship?

A Conference on arts and health projects and practices organised on 22-23 October 2012 in Helsinki

Deadline for submissions is 31 May 2012

Throughout the world, from the 1990’s on, there are several projects and studies clearly indicating that cultural consumption and cultural pursuits have a positive effect on health. It is believed that art can encourage empowerment, support life management and add social capital etc. However, further research is needed in order to turn the projects into permanent services. The ARTS – HEALTH – ENTREPRENEURSHIP? conference is focusing on the management and entrepreneurship within arts and health projects. What skills and competencies are needed in the field? What does the field offer to arts/cultural operators? How to solve the challenge of funding and financing?

There have been several projects piloting new methods for using art based process to improve wellbeing of clients in social and health care sectors. Starting point of these projects is an artist working in a care unit and mediators understanding both artistic and health care interests for co-operation. These pilots have shown that in this surrounding the cultural operator needs to have good skills and specific competencies in order to make projects long term and successful. A central challenge is how to turn the innovative pilots into permanent practices, products and stable employment. This conference aims at looking into this challenge. This conference is an initiative of the ENCATC Arts and Health Thematic Area (www.encatc.org/arts-and-health/) and is organsied by the Cultural Management Degree Programme, Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (www.metropolia.fi)

In fact, in the context of arts and health, we are dealing with activities which fall into the border area of art/culture, as well as that of social services/health care. The field of applied art is multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary. We invite the professionals in the field to share the two topics of the conference:

1. CURRICULA DEVELOPMENT – There is a challenge to improve arts management aimed at professionals working in intermediary positions between the artists and health care units. Specific education is needed both in BA and MA levels as well as in continuing studies and in adult education. Key improvements are the better understanding of specific competence needed when working in multi-disciplinary surrounding combining large variety of expertise. Financial management is a part of the arts and health project development.

2. ENTREPRENEURSHIP – As seen in the piloted arts and health projects a central need is to find ways to enhance creative ideas into entrepreneurship. When turning the pilot into innovation with a more stable status along with new employment we need to focus on financing models, client basis and value chain of production as well as the service development. How to develop the managerial and funding skills of the practitioners?

Art in this context is understood any art form or art performance. Art and culture are basic needs for each person and bringing art and culture into hospitals and other care units has value for that sake. Further research is needed in order to develop culture and arts based wellbeing services as well as to develop circumstances for better employment by bringing together artists, mediators and healthcare professionals. In a holistic approach the customer is in the centre. A question of crucial importance is: who are the customers of arts and health services? We need to know the customer and his/her cultural capacities, needs and expectations.

The deadline for submissions is 31 May 2012. The length of abstract is max 300 words. Decisions will be made by the end of June 2012. Please send your abstract to: tanja.juntto@metropolia.fi.

The conference is free of charge but the travels, accommodation and meals are covered by the participants.