Leo Sher, M.D.

The VI Baltic Symposium on Biological Psychiatry was held on April 23, 2010 in Palanga, Lithuania. The theme of the symposium was “Paraphilias and Sexual Abuse.” About 300 clinicians, researchers and public health administrators attended the symposium.

Dr. Florence Thibaut, Professor of Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Medicine in Rouen, France, and the President of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) gave the Plenary Lecture, “Guidelines for the biological treatment of paraphilias.”

The guidelines were developed by the Task Force of the WFSBP led by Dr. Florence Thibaut. These guidelines are intended for use in clinical practice by clinicians who diagnose and treat patients with paraphilia.

Dr. Robertas Bunevicius discussed the relation between childhood sexual abuse and mental disorders in women. Other speakers talked about the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy for the treatment of paraphilias, the impact of sexual abuse in childhood on the risk of suicidal and homicidal behavior in adulthood, protection of children from sexual abuse, and other related issues.

The meeting was organized by Dr. Robertas Bunevicius, the Director of the Institute of Psychophysiology and Rehabilitation of the Kaunas University of Medicine in Palanga, Lithuania, Professor of Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry at the Kaunas University of Medicine, the President of the Lithuanian Society of Biological Psychiatry, and a Vice-President of the WFSBP. Dr. Bunevicius is a Distinguished Guest on our website, www.internetandpsychiatry.com