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October, 2025 Presidential Letter Be part of the future of how the scientific community understands and treats dual disorders Dear colleagues and friends, It's a pleasure to share the latest updates from the World Association on Dual Disorders (WADD) and celebrate the remarkable progress our scientific community has achieved over the past months. Celebrating the 9th WADD-CAAP joint Congress  - From September 4th to 6th, 2025, the 9th WADD Annual Congress in Vancouver, a joint meeting with the Canadian Academy of Addiction Psychiatry was a resounding success, bringing together experts and professionals from 25 countries around the globe. The congress served as an inspiring platform for sharing knowledge, advancing clinical practice, and strengthening our international collaborations. - During the event, we were delighted to present Honorary Membership of WADD to Dr. Vijay Seethapathy, the current President of the Canadian Psychiatric Association, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to research, education, and development in the field of Dual Disorders. - Furthermore, our community grew significantly in the past year, and we welcomed 230 new WADD members at our Annual General Assembly in Vancouver. Thank you all for making it worthwhile to be a part of WADD. Upcoming Global Event - Looking ahead, we are thrilled to announce that the 10th World Congress on Dual Disorders will be held in Shanghai, China, from June 25-27, 2026.  - Professor Min Zhao and Dr. Jun Chen, along with the 25th Academic Conference, will welcome us to Shanghai to continue building bridges across cultures and advancing our shared mission. Honoring Excellence: The Pedro Ruiz Awards 2025  - The Pedro Ruiz Awards 2025 were presented during the 25th World Congress of Psychiatry (WPA) in Prague (October 5-8, 2025), recognizing outstanding achievements in our field. This was the first edition of these awards held within the framework of the “Agreement of the Americas,” serving as a tribute from all the Scientific Societies in which Pedro Ruiz played a key role throughout his career: the WPA, the American Psychiatry Association (APA) and the WADD. - This ceremony was chaired by Professor Danuta Waserman (WPA President) and shared with Dr. Therese Miskimen (APA President). - A heartfelt congratulations to Professor Marc Potenza and Dr Angelo Maremmani! They were the distinguished recipients of the Pedro Ruiz Academic Fellowship on Psychiatry and Dual Disorders and the “In the Footsteps of Pedro Ruiz” Award, respectively. Their leadership, professionalism, and dedication continue to inspire our scientific community. Scientific & Educational Highlights - We are excited to share a recent scientific and educational achievement: " The Candid Book 2", a resource designed for family members and caregivers of people with dual schizophrenia. It was presented in Athens in September 2025, with the support of Gideon Richter, to whom I express my deep gratitude. It is now available on our website with free access for all WADD members. It will also be translated into different languages soon. - In other areas, the WADD National Committees remain active and vibrant, contributing to WADD’s growth worldwide. We will also be pleased to support and collaborate with several key scientific events in the coming months. A Shared Mission  - As always, WADD's mission is to foster knowledge, collaboration, and innovation in the field of dual disorders. This way, we will have well-equipped mental health experts to provide scientific answers to those in need: people affected by dual disorders. We deeply appreciate your continued support, commitment, and enthusiasm. As always, feel free to contact me by e-mail. A very warm greeting, Nestor Szerman Dr. Nestor Szerman, WADD President WADD Congress Vancouver September,  4th to 6th 2025  "From September 4th to 6th, 2025, the WADD Annual Congress – WADD-CAAP Congress Vancouver – was held, where different members of WADD participated as speakers. Thank you for your invaluable collaboration." During the congress, Dr. Vijay Seethapathy was awarded honorary membership of WADD, an honor addressed to highly prestigious professionals who have made notable contributions to the knowledge, research, and development of Dual Disorders . Vijay Seethapathy was awarded honorary membership of WADD, with Nestor Szerman, WADD President and Icro Maremanni, Vice President Next WADD Congress  10th World Congress of World Association on dual Disorders Shanghai.  China, 26-28 June 2026   SAVE THE DATE Joint Meeting between Chinese Association of Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment (CADAPT) and World Association on Dual Disorders (WADD)   Leaded by Dr. Min Zhao, Dr. Jiang Du and Dr. Jun Chen.   Nestor Szerman and Min Zhao in the Oriental Congress of Psychiatry 2025   The Oriental Congress of Psychiatry took place in Shanghai from September 9–13, 2025, with the theme "Forum on Psychiatry for Universal Conversation and Innovation" and featured international experts in the field, marking the 90th anniversary of the Shanghai Mental Health Center.   Pedro Ruiz Awards 2025 in the WPA Congress Theresa Miskimen Rivera, President of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and Nestor Szerman , President of the WADD with Marc Potenza, Pedro Ruiz Academic Fellowship on Psychiatry and Dual Disorders Award 2025 Theresa Miskimen Rivera, President of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and Nestor Szerman , President of the WADD with Angelo Maremmani, In the Footsteps of Pedro Ruiz 2025     The awards were given during the 25th World Congress of Psychiatry’s in Prague, at the opening ceremony Once more WADD Members will participate in scientific activities during the congress.     The Evaluation Committee, after rigorous selection, decided to nominate in two distinct categories: Pedro Ruiz Academic Fellowship on Psychiatry and Dual Disorders and "In the Footsteps of Pedro Ruiz" Award to Marc Potenza and Angelo Maremmani.    CONGRATULATIONS!   Session on Gambling Disorders during the WPA Congress in Prague From left to right: Kristiana Siste, Henrietta Bowden-Jones, Nestor Szerman and Marc Potenza National Committees Check all updates of our National committees on the WADD Congress CLICK HERE Some of their Actions these months Switzerland Committee    Look out at the Changes in the WADD Switzerland committee welcome Sophia Achab, new chair of Switzerland national committee.     Argentina National Committee  The Argentina National Committee at APSA Congress in Argentina in April 2025, where they presented on high-risk mental state and transition to dual disorder.     IV Latin American and Caribbean Congress and V Colombian Congress on Dual Disorders    The IV Latin American and Caribbean Congress and V Colombian Congress on Dual Disorders held on September 26 and 27, 2025 at the Gabriel García Márquez Cultural Center in Bogotá, Colombia, brought together professionals working in mental health and addictions in the country to review the available evidence to address mental health problems and addictive disorders, at the levels of prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, harm and risk reduction, also reviewing local and international public policies, in order to increase the response capacity to face these problems.    This event was organized by the Colombian Association of Dual Disorder ASODUAL, the Luis Amigo Catholic University and the National University of Colombia, endorsed by the Colombian Psychiatric Association ACP, the World Association on Dual Disorders WADD and the Spanish Society of Dual Disorders SEPD and received the support of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Ministry of Justice and Law of Colombia, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Control UNODC, Servid Salud Integral Clinic SAS, Psico Salud y Transformación SAS and Johnson & Johnson, and was attended by 230 attendees, 23 national and international speakers, including Drs. Rodrigo Marín Navarrete (Mexico), Javier Sagredo (Panama), Gabriel Rossi (Spain) and Darío Gigena (Argentina).    Currently, the Colombian Association of Dual Disorder ASODUAL is working on the V Latin American and Caribbean Congress and VI Colombian Congress of Dual Disorders scheduled to take place on September 24, 25 and 26, 2026 (tentative date) in the city of Barranquilla-Colombia. IX National Congress / II Cross-Border Congress of Dual and Additive Disorders, Portalegre, Portugal  The Portuguese Association of Dual Disorders (APPD), the Portuguese Committee of the World Association of Dual Disorders (WADD), the Spanish Society of Dual Disorders (SEPD), and the Psychiatry Services of the Hospitals of Portalegre, Castelo Branco, and Coimbra held the IX National Congress, II Cross-Border Congress of Dual Disorders, on October 17th and 18th, 2025, in Portalegre, Portugal, with the theme "Addictions  and  Mental  Illness,  Consensus  and Counter-Census." It had been 170 participants, 37 posters and 15 free papers had been presented. Topics such as synthetic drugs, ChemSex, gambling addiction, stigma, service organization, and other topics were  discussed. The participants were very participatory, and the evaluation has been very positive. Next Congresses and related educational activities 2026 February: First Edition of the Austria Conference on Dual Disorders, 26 February Click here 2026 May: Annual Meeting of the Spanish Society of D. D. Sociedad Española de Patología Dual, 6-9 May. Valencia. Click here  2026 May: EUROPAD Conference and 2026 WADD Regional Meeting in Romania, 29-31 May. Paris. Click here 2026 June: 20th Albatros Congress, 9-11 June. Paris. Click here WADD Scientific Window Annual WADD deeply appreciates the financial support of Gideon Richter, who contributed selflessly, as this support is not mentioned in the book. It is free access for all WADD members. It will soon be translated into different languages.  CANDID BOOK 2 (Educational Book for Families and care givers)      The WADD has supported this book for family members and caregivers of people with dual schizophrenia. It is free access for all WADD members. It will translate into different languages soon. It was presented in Athens in September 2025.         Click here    Dual Disorders or Dual Diagnosis?      Editorial for the European Union Drug Agency (EUDA) Comorbidity Expert Group, for the Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine 2025. Sent to the Journal signed by Lars Lien, Ruben Baler, and Nestor Szerman.   The proposal for the editorial has already been approved by the editors, and the final publication is expected within the coming weeks or months.               Antipsychotic Potential of Opioids: Rethinking Substance-Induced Psychosis and Treatment Stratificatio         Check the article A population-based screening program provides insights into the characteristics and behaviors of individuals who self-refer for gambling disorder           Check the article Disorders Journal of Clinical Medicine opportunity      Editorial We invite you to contribute to the special issue of the Journal of Clinical Medicine (Impact Factor 2.9; indexed in PubMed; Citescore 5.2). Attached the link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jcm/special_issues/N2D2JUI868#info Benefit of the free wave, it accepts research papers on clinical populations. Deadline January 2026    If you have any news or article, which could be of interest of the WADD members and could be published on our website, please send it to us: secretariat@worlddualdisorders.org Not yet a member of WADD? CLICK HERE and start enjoying all the benefits Only 25€ per year Copyright © *|2025|*WADD, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails?  secretariat@worlddualdisorders.org