SRINAGAR: The 4th National Mid-Term Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme of the Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (IACAM) concluded in Srinagar on Monday after three days of deliberations on the ethical, legal and clinical aspects of child and adolescent mental healthcare.
The conference, held from September 25 to 27, was organised by IACAM in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Psychiatric Society (JKPS) and brought together psychiatrists, psychologists, paediatricians, legal professionals, researchers and mental health practitioners from across the country.
The event, themed “Children, Ethics and Laws,” focused on the intersection of mental healthcare, child rights and legal frameworks governing children and adolescents.
Government Medical College Srinagar Principal and Dean Dr Iffat Hassan Shah inaugurated the conference. Addressing participants, he highlighted the expansion of mental health services in Kashmir and acknowledged the contributions of professionals working in the field.
IACAM Life President Dr Savita Malhotra stressed the need for greater investment in training and deploying mental health professionals to address the growing psychological and developmental needs of children and adolescents.
IACAM President Dr Vivek Agarwal and General Secretary Dr Rachana Bhargava underscored the importance of incorporating ethical and legal considerations into mental health practice to ensure rights-based and child-centred care.
The scientific programme featured lectures, workshops, panel discussions and academic sessions covering ethical challenges in clinical practice, child protection issues, legal concerns involving minors, developmental disorders and mental health assessments. Participants also discussed the responsibilities of professionals working with children and adolescents.
Speakers emphasised the need to recognise children not only as recipients of care but also as individuals with rights, voices and evolving capacities.
Among the notable sessions was a panel discussion titled “From Chalkboards to Chatbots,” which examined the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbot technologies in education and human interaction. Participants discussed the potential of AI to support personalised and equitable learning while also raising concerns about its impact on critical thinking, creativity, communication and social relationships.
The discussion highlighted the importance of responsible adoption of AI technologies while ensuring that human interaction, independent learning and creativity remain central to education and development.
The conference also featured contributions from several experts, including Dr Shekhar Seshadri, whose work in child and adolescent mental health, ethics and child rights has influenced professional practice and training in the field.
Organisers called for evidence-based, ethical and rights-based mental healthcare for children and adolescents, stressing that addressing mental health as a public health priority would require collaboration among healthcare professionals, families, schools, policymakers and legal institutions.
The event also highlighted Jammu and Kashmir’s growing engagement in mental health research and professional collaboration, strengthening links between practitioners in the region and their counterparts across the country.
