One year of ASoP!

Twelve months ago today, we launched the Australian Society of Psychiatrists.

We started with a simple belief — psychiatrists can be a powerful force for better mental healthcare, especially when we work together.

A big year deserves a little highlights reel...

We're incredibly proud of how far we've come.

We've found our voice. From the Bondi Junction Inquest to national debates about mental health funding, safety and access to care, ASoP has become a trusted source of psychiatric expertise across the Australian media — from major newspapers and national radio to breakfast television, evening news and flagship current affairs programs. We've spoken up on difficult issues and worked to keep the focus where it belongs — on better outcomes for the people we serve.

We've earned a place at the table. We've taken our advocacy directly to Canberra, built relationships with government and national health leaders and brought clinical expertise into conversations about the future of mental healthcare. We're making the case for evidence-based care and the resources needed to deliver it.

We've brought people together. From our sold-out Symposiums to our State-by-State Listening Tour, we've created spaces for honest conversations, fresh ideas and genuine connections. We've also built relationships across the wider mental health sector, recognising that meaningful reform requires us all to work together.

All of this while doing the less visible, but equally important, work of building a new national Society from the ground up.

None of this would have been possible without the people who believed in us.

To our founding members — thank you for backing ASoP before there were achievements to point to. Your trust and support have helped lay the foundations for something we hope will endure for generations.

The next chapter

We're closing out 2026 with our National Summit on Mental Health Emergencies and Police Collaboration in Brisbane on 16 November, proudly co-convened with Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR). Registrations close this Monday — don't miss your chance to join us in-person or online!

Looking ahead, we're developing an exciting program of events for 2027, new member benefits and ambitious initiatives to strengthen clinical care and drive meaningful reform. We can't wait to share more with you soon.

Whether you've been with ASoP since the very beginning or are considering joining us for the first time, we'd love you to be part of what comes next.

Thank you for helping turn a vision into something real.

With all our thanks,

Team ASoP

ASoP Board of Directors and Executive

Top row: Prof. Chris Davey, Dr Pramudie Gunaratne, David Faktor, A/Prof. Beth Kotze, Dr Amy Corderoy, Prof. James Scott, Prof. Tarun Bastiampillai

Bottom row: Dr Deepika Yerrakalva, A/Prof. Andy Carroll, Sarah Logan, Dr Kathryn Drew