Ahmed Okasha is an Egyptian psychiatrist. He is a professor of psychiatry at Ain Shams University Faculty of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt. He wrote books and articles about psychiatry and mental disorders. He is the first Arab-Muslim to be president of World Psychiatric Association from 2002 to 2005.
Career
Professor of psychiatry, founder and emeritus chairman – Institute of Psychiatry Director of WHO Collaborating Center For training and research in mental health, Institute of Psychiatry – Ain Shams University, Cairo Honorary president of Egyptian Psychiatric Association Honorary president of the Arab Federation of Psychiatrists President of the World Psychiatric Association (2002–2005) Member of the Egyptian Presidential Advisory Council of Distinguished Scientists (For Mental Health and community integration) Adviser to the Egyptian President to Mental Health and Community Harmony Member of the Supreme Council of Addressing Fundamentalism and Terrorism Member of the scientific council of the Egyptian Academy of Science and Technology
History
Founder and honorary chairman of the Institute of Psychiatry.
Education MB BCh from Ain Shams University Faculty of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt MSc from Ain Shams University Faculty of Medicine M.D., Ph.D. in Psychiatry from Ain Shams University Faculty of Medicine FRCP (Edin.), FRCPsych (Lond.), FACP (Hon) MB, BCH, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 1957. Diploma of Psychological Medical and Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 1961. Membership of Royal College of Physicians, Psychiatry (Edin.), 1963. Fellowship of Royal College of Physicians (Edin), 1973. Fellowship of Royal College of Psychiatrists (London), 1973. Diploma of Psychotherapy and behavior therapy for international Academy (Colorado).
Scientific and clinical career
Founder and Honorary Chairman Institute of Psychiatry, Ain Shams University Professor and Director of WHO Collaborating Center for Training and Research in Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry – Ain Shams University, Cairo Member Expert Advisory Panel in Mental Health – WHO – Geneva. President Egyptian Psychiatric Association President Arab Federation of Psychiatrists Honorary President World Psychiatric Association Council member World Psychiatric Association President of the Egyptian Society of Biological Psychiatry, of WFSBP Chairman of the Review and Ethics Committee of World Psychiatric Association (2011–2014) Honorary Fellowship of the American College of Psychiatrists (2002) Fellow of Royal College of Psychiatrists (London, 1973) Fellow of Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh, 1973) Honorary Fellow of World Psychiatric Association (2005) International Distinguished Fellow of APA Presidential Commendation of APA (2006)
World Psychiatric Association positions * President of World Psychiatric Association2002 – 2005* Chairperson of the Presidential WPA program on Global Child Mental Health 2002 – 2005* Chairman of the WPA Stigma program 2002 – 2005* Chairman of WPA Program to promote Mental Health Services in SubSaharan Africa and Central Asia1999 - 2002* Chairman of WPA Program for Post-graduate Curriculum, Psychiatry1999 - 2002* President-Elect (Vice President) of World Psychiatric Association1999 – 2002 * Chairman of Ethics' Committee of WPA1993 - 2002* Chairperson of Section of Public Policy and Psychiatry1993 - 1999* Secretary for Sections, World Psychiatric Association1993 - 1999* Honorary fellow of WPA2005* Chairman of WPA Review Committee
* Chairman of WPA Review and Ethics Committee
* Member of WPA Council (Past Presidents)
* Chairman of the Presidential Program on Child Mental Health (An area of global neglect) 2008 - 2011
2011 - 2014
2005 - Till now
(2002 - 2005)
World Health Organization positions and activities * Director, WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training in Mental Health, Okasha Institute of Psychiatry, Cairo1990 - 2014* Member of the advisory panel in Mental Health - WHO - Geneva1981 – 2012* Director of ICD-10 field studies in Eastern Mediterranean WHO 1990 - 1999* Member of the Advisory Board of ICD - 11, Geneva2005
National and international positions and activities * Head of Psychiatric unit - Ain shams University 1966 – 1990* Chairman of Okasha Institute of Psychiatry - Ain shams University
* Member of the Board of Seniors (El Hokamaa) - Ain Shams University
* Member of the National Board of trustees – Zewail City of Science and Technology
* Member of the Supreme Council for Culture1990 – 1995
2009 - Present
2010 - Present
2012 - Present* Chairman of Neuropsychiatry Department – Ain Shams University 1990 - 1995* Chairman of the Committee of promoting Professors and assistant Professors of Psychiatry of the supreme council of Egyptian Universities 2008 - 2012* President of the Egyptian Board of Psychiatry. High Committee of medical specialties. Ministry of Health and population. 2002 – Present* Vice President of the International Academy of Psychotherapy and Behavioral Medicine, Colorado USA1996 - Present* President of the Egyptian Psychiatric Association1981 – 1999
2006 - 2016* President of the Arab Federation of Psychiatrists
* Honorary President of the Arab Federation of Psychiatrists
* Member of the National Council of Addiction Fund 1993 – 1996
2008 - 2010
2010 – life long* President of the Egyptian Biological Psychiatry Society, World Federation of Biological Psychiatry1989 - present* Member of the High Court of Ethics - Egypt1990 - 1993* Member of the Scientific Committee of the Higher Council for Addressing Narcotics in Egypt1992 - present* President of the Franco-Egyptian Psychiatric Association1986 - 2002* Consultant to the Egyptian Minister of Justice in Forensic Psychiatry1984 – 1996* Member of Executive Committee of CIOMS (Council For International Organizations of Medical Sciences) (WHO + UNESCO)2007 - 2010
Publications Editor and contributor of 47 books in the field of psychiatry and psychology in both the Arabic and English languages (see books at Okasha books. He was one of the founders of the Ain Shams Institute of Psychiatry. Supervised 85 MD theses and 150 master theses. Published 284 original articles in national and international journals. Author of 58 books in the field of psychiatry and psychology in both the Arabic and English languages, including two textbooks in Arabic and English, 36 books published abroad.
Prizes and awards Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Edin.), 1974 Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (London), 1974 Distinguished international fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, 1983 Fellow of the French Medico Psychological society, 1984 Honorary doctorate in Medical education (Luzanne), 2000 Awarded the honorary fellowship of the American College of Psychiatrists, 2001 Honorary member of Czech Psychiatric Association, 2004 Honorary fellow of World Psychiatric Association, 2005 Presidential commendation of American Psychiatric Association, 2006 Awarded the golden Medal of IACAPAP (International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions), 2012 Awarded Kraeplin – Alzheimer Medal, LMU Munich, 2012 The Merit Medal of Science and Art (first class), 2013 Member of the Egyptian Presidential Advisory Council of Distinguished Scientists and Experts (Mental Health and Community Integration), 2014 Adviser to the Egyptian President to Mental Health and Community Harmony, 2017 Member of the Supreme Council of Addressing Fundamentalism and Terrorism, 2017 Awards from the Egyptian Academy of Science – The State award for Creativity in Medicine, 2000 – The State merit prize of Medical Sciences, & 2007 – El Nil (Mubarak) award for Medical Sciences, 2010 – The Medal of Science and Art (First Degree), 2013 Member of the Scientific Council of the Egyptian Academy of Science and Technology Member of the Egyptian Presidential Council of Scientist (Mental health and community harmony)
The WPA Okasha Award for developing countries The award includes a diploma, a medal and a donation of US$15,000, given to the two winners since 2005. The Okasha Award recognizes the contribution of two young psychiatrists or neuroscientists, below the age of 40, whose research efforts have best served psychiatry and mental health in a developing country.
Okasha Institute of Psychiatry
The Ain Shams Institute of Psychiatry was named after Prof Okasha in January 2011.
Chapters in international books “Suicide In Asia And The Middle East” (Egypt) Eds. Lee A. Headley, California Press, 1983. “International Classification in Psychiatry Unity and Diversity" (The Egyptian Diagnostic System (DMP-I)) Eds. Mezzich and Michael von Cranach, Cambridge Press, 1990. International Review of Psychiatry Series" Eds. Mezzich et al (American Press), 1993. Interpersonal Factors in the Origin and Course of Affective Disorders". (Expressed emotion in families of a sample of Egyptian depressive patients), Eds. Mundt et al. The Royal College of Psychiatrists. UK, 1996. Manage or Perish? The Challenges of managed Mental Health care in Europe” (Challenges of Managed Mental Health Care in the south-East Mediterranean Region) Eds. Jose Guimon and Norman Sartorius. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers 1999 “Al-Junun” Mental Illness in the Islamic World (Oxford Press) 2000 “Somatoform Disorders A worldwide perspective”, (Somatoform Disorders – An Arab perspective)" Eds. Y. Ono, a, Janca, M. A. Sai and N. Sartorius - Springer, 1999. Issues in Preventive Psychiatry" (Prevention of Deontological Mistakes: The Role of Ethical Codes) Eds. G. N. Christodoulou, D. Lecic – Tosevski and V. P. Kontaxakis. KARGER 1999 Psychiatry” (Professional Ethics and boundaries) Eds. Allan Tasman, Jerald Kay and Jeffrey A. Lieberman. John Wiley, 2003 “A Century of Psychiatry"(International Psychiatry and the work of the WPA) Ed. Hugh Freeman. Mosby and Wolfe, 1999 “Depressive Disorders" (Depression and its treatment: a General Health Problem) Eds. Mario Maj and Norman Sartorius. John Wiley and Sons. Volume 1. 1999 “Schizophrenia" Eds. Mario Maj and Norman Sartorius. John Wiley and Sons. Volume 2. 1999 “Oxford Textbook of Philosophy and Psychiatry" Eds. Fulford et al. 2006 “The Overlap of Affective and Schizophrenia Spectra" (The Concept of Schizoaffective disorder: Utility versus validity and reliability – A Transcultural Perspective) Eds. Andreas Marneros and Hagop Akiskal, Cambridge University Press, 2007 “Culture And Mental Health, A Comprehensive Textbook" (North Africa focus on Psychiatry in Egypt) Eds. Kamaldeep Bhui and Dinesh Bhugra. Hodder Arnold, 2007 “Medicine of the Person Faith, Science and Value in the Health Care Provision” (The individual versus the family: an Islamic and Traditional Societies Perspective) Eds. John Cox, A; Astair V. Campbell and Bill (K.W.M.) Fulford. Jessica Kingsley London and Philadelphia. 2007 “Oxford Textbook of Suicidology " (Suicide Behavior and Sub-Syndromal Disorders - An Arab Perspective) Eds. Wassermann et al. 2010 "Spirituality and Religion" Eds. Haroon Rashid Chaudry et al., 2009 "Religion and Psychiatry: beyond boundaries" Eds. Peter Verhagen et al, Wiley knowledge for generations, 2010. “Wars, insurgencies and terrorist attacks: a psycho-social perspective from the Muslim world" Ed. Unaiza Niaz, John Wiley & Sons, 2011. “Coercive treatment in psychiatry - clinical, legal and ethical aspects", Eds: Thomas Kallert et al., John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
Editor of books in English Clinical Psychiatry, 1986, Dar El Khotob Okasha Clinical Psychiatry, 1988, Anglo Egyptian Bookshop ICD-10 CASE BOOKS", Eds. Okasha et al. American Psychiatric Press, 1996. "OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER" Eds. Okasha et al. WPA Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry Volume 4 John Wiley and Sons. 2002