by Tom Uribes
Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, professor of psychology, has been awarded the Medal of Congress by Chile for his work with the World Health Organization in combatting major depression and other mental disorders.
Aguilar-Gaxiola was among several of the world's top mental health experts presenting papers earlier this month at the World Federation for Mental Health Conference in Santiago. The group also analyzed and critiqued Chile's National Plan of Mental Health and Psychiatry.
Five of the experts were invited to talk about the importance of mental health issues and to present their findings on Sept. 9 to the Camara of Diputados (Chamber of Deputies), which is similar to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Upon completion of their presentation, the experts were presented with the Medalla de Cámara de Diputados del Congreso by Dr. Patricio Cornejo V., president of the chamber's Commission of Health.
"They were appreciative that we highlighted the importance of mental health problems as a public health priority. They expressed their appreciation by presenting this medal," Aguilar-Gaxiola said. "It's a tremendous honor not only to receive this distinction but also to be a part of this effort to raise awareness of the importance of dealing with mental health problems."
Latin American countries rank low in providing governmental support for mental health problems, with Chile among the lowest. With this in mind, the medical experts told the Chilean legislators that in established market economies like the U.S, five of the 10 leading causes of disability are mental disorders, with major depression as the leading cause.
"Mental health problems are now being recognized as causing extreme disabilities that also create considerable social costs such as absenteeism, diminished work quality and accidents," Aguilar-Gaxiola said.
While experts can discuss and raise awareness about the issues, legislators were told that they are actually in a position to do something by enacting legislature that would allocate appropriate resources, stimulate awareness of the problem, promote outreach efforts, and create prevention and intervention programs to address the mental health problems.
Aguilar-Gaxiola has taught at Fresno State since 1990 and earned an M.D. at Autonomous University in Guadalajara, Mexico and a Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University.
He is the director of the World Health Organization's CIDI Training and Reference Center in Fresno, only one of three such WHO centers in the U.S. The center was officially designated as such by Dr. Julio Frenk, a top WHO executive director, on July 26 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Others receiving the medal were Dr. Martin DeVries, secretary of the World Federation for Mental Health; Dr. Thomas Borne-mann, deputy director of SAMHSA; Dr. John Copeland, professor of psychiatry; and Dr. Edgar Perez, a hospital chief executive.
Aguilar-Gaxiola was in England last week providing training on the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN), a semi-structured clinical interview, in preparation for the World Mental Health 2000 project.
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