Actress, Suicide Prevention Advocate Ashley Judd to Speak at HMP Global’s 2024 Psych Congress National Meeting

MALVERN PA, (June 18, 2024) — Actress, humanitarian, and author Ashley Judd will speak at HMP Global’s 2024 Psych Congress national meeting, participating in a fireside chat with American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Chief Medical Officer Christine Yu Moutier, MD, about mental health, grief, and loss.

Psych Congress, America’s leading conference on practical psychopharmacology, will be held October 29 – November 2 in Boston. In partnership with AFSP, Psych Congress delivers critical education resources for mental health clinicians aimed at preventing suicides.

Judd became a passionate advocate for suicide prevention and privacy protections for loss survivors after her mother, renowned country singer Naomi Judd, died by suicide in April 2022. Among her recent work, Judd and singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc worked with the Biden administration to unveil and promote the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and its accompanying Federal Action Plan, a comprehensive, 10-year strategy for addressing mental healthcare gaps and meeting the needs of at-risk populations.

“Ashley Judd has done tremendous work to strengthen protections for the loss survivor community and create public awareness about the role we can all play in preventing suicide,” said Dr. Moutier. “AFSP is honored to be working alongside her and our partners at Psych Congress to strengthen the ability of healthcare providers on the front lines to deliver mental health interventions and resources that save lives.”

“We are proud to partner with AFSP to host Ashley Judd at this year’s meeting, as we work together to educate clinicians and develop life-saving strategies for at-risk patients,” said Psych Congress Co-Chair Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH. “Nearly 50,000 people in the United Stated died by suicide in 2022. This is an urgent public health challenge.”

Educational Program
Psych Congress’ five-day educational program includes over 100 psychopharmacology focused sessions presented by more than 50 internationally renowned faculty presenters. Three pre-conferences are scheduled this year, including PA Institute, covering the essentials for psychiatric physician assistants; Advanced Psychopharmacology Institute, featuring four cutting-edge, emerging therapies; and Psychedelics Preconference.

A welcome session debate, “Psychedelics in Psychiatry,” will delve into the polarizing topic of psychedelics in psychiatry, featuring Steering Committee member Charles Raison, MD, and — taking the Psych Congress stage for the first time — Stephen Stahl, MD, PhD. New this year, a MATE Act Training post conference will be held, where participants can fulfill the new DEA requirement for 8 hours of training on opioid or substance use disorders, required for all prescribers.

“Psych Congress continues to expand and enhance its agenda, offering more practical psychopharmacology content than any other conference, and enabling mental health professionals improve patient care and outcomes,” said Psych Congress Co-Chair Greg Mattingly, MD.

Partners include the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, AFSP, the Association of Physician Assistants in Psychiatry, Caregiver Action Network, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the International Society of Reproductive Psychiatry, and the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance.

Psych Congress is designed and accredited for all members of the mental health team. For more information, sponsorship options, or to register, visit psychcongress.com.

ABOUT AFSP
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, including those who have experienced a loss. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health through public education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, with a public policy office in Washington, D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico, with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok.

Media interested in comment on this news are encouraged to fill out this press request form and to review AFSP's recommendations for reporting on suicide.

ABOUT HMP GLOBAL   
HMP Global is the omnichannel market leader in healthcare events, education, and insight — with a mission to improve patient care. For 40 years, the company has built trusted brands including Psych Congress, the premier source for mental health education, and the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC), the largest wound care meeting in the world. HMP Global partners with leading experts around the world to deliver more than 450 annual events, medical strategy, and marketing for pharmaceutical and medical device customers through HMP Collective, and pharmaceutical market insight, engaging a global community of healthcare stakeholders that includes nearly 2 million clinicians across 600 medical specialties as well as managed care, behavioral health, senior living, emergency medical, and pharmaceutical commercialization professionals. For more information, follow HMP Global on LinkedIn or visit hmpglobal.com.