Editorial

After concluding the National Psychiatry Congress in Cali, the members and the different committees of the Colombian Psychiatry Association (ACP, Spanish acronym.) must carry out the corresponding assessments of the event.

From the standpoint of the Publications Committee results obtained are highly positive: the design of a new web site which is operating since the middle of the year, the A-1 Publindex classification granted to the Revista (the Association's Magazine) for another year and its acknowledgement as strength in the ACP's Quality Accreditation Process.

Intense work is required to attain short and long-term goals set by the Editorial Committee of the Revista. In the short term, the demand level regarding the academic quality of publications should be increased by means of more pertinent, valid and reliable research activities intended to propitiate a better clinical performance. Punctual subjects in the editorial line include discussion and debate concerning social issues related to the national health system and its crisis so as to generate well-defined stances in scientific associations thus providing adequate alternatives and solutions. Of course, there are other subjects equally relevant such as the following up and permanent revision of psychiatrists' formation as well as of the development of their writing skills for publishing purposes.

In the long term, we are working to achieve high quality standards in our magazine. We wish an easy and timely publication process generating greater visibility of authors and easy access for readers. The Open Journal System platform will soon be operating thus offering countless advantages in the delivery, evaluation and following up of the articles of the Revista. This is just the first stepping stone to reach bibliographic data bases with wider diffusion than those we currently belong to. As reported and approved during the General Meeting, contacts with Editorial Elsevier have been made in order to analyze the benefits of subscribing a contract with them.

A clear demonstration of the above is that this issue includes six articles referring to mental health clinical management guides, specifically for depression and alcoholism. Said guides have been worked out for almost two years by a consortium of the three best universities in Colombia, i.e.: U. National, U. de Antioquia & U. Javeriana with participation of the ACP and with the support of Colciencias and the Ministry of Social Protection.

The guides are to be discussed within the academic environment since they are based upon evidence; recommendations shall be fully supported. The guides are going to help our patients to have good alternatives to access care services and different therapeutic options. About 20 guides for different diseases (in mental health, two with very high prevalence) were elaborated. Currently, a similar process has started with 20 additional health entities. This is an important challenge for all actors of the system since another element is considered in the construction of an equitable health system for our country.

After the implementation of these guides, it is compulsory the assessment of their impact. Therefore, the six articles referring to these guides are consistent with the clinical work (prevention, diagnosis and treatment) as well as with the methodology used in the systematic search for evidence and revision.

This issue also includes other original articles of the utmost quality in their methodological and analytical elaboration. They cover subjects such as the polarity in patients with bipolar affective disorder (BAD), patient screening in the primary care services, scale validation for homophobia, the effect of declarative memory in depressive disorder and somatomorphous disorders in children.

We are confdent this issue provides all readers useful elements for their working activity.

Carlos A. Palacio A.
Director-Editor
cpalacio.palacio@gmail.com