ADAA Conference Blogs

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If you are attending ADAA's Annual Conference for the first time, welcome. With over 1,200 attendees expected and more than 150 engaging sessions anticipated, events, and networking opportunities, it could be easy to be overwhelmed. But we are here to help combat that feeling with a few helpful tips to make the most of your time!  And, don't forget - everyone was a new attendee at some point - me included!

Pace Yourself

ADAA’s 2025 conference in Las Vegas (April 3 – 5) will focus on youth mental health, which is currently a global crisis. Drs. Fitzgerald and Forbes, this year's conference co-chairs, are dedicated to and passionate about youth mental health. Read the blog to learn more about our 2025 conference topic.
Aleiia Asmundson might just be the youngest person to have ever attended an ADAA conference. Her father, renowned Canadian psychologist and professor, Gordon J. G. Asmundson, PhD, brought his daughter to ADAA conferences when she was a toddler, which may have influenced her decision to follow in her father’s footsteps.
Being transgender is not a mental health problem, says Dr. Keuroghlian, in the same way that being cisgender is not a mental health issue. Rather it is society and political agendas that create the mental health issues in many circumstances, he explains.
The annual Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) conference has become the mecca of evidence-based practitioners and researchers for anxiety, OCD, and depression.
Each year when we return to ADAA, we are reminded of the community that has lifted us up not just in our careers but also in our personal lives. We love this extended ADAA family, and we will always fondly remember that day we met at the conference.
Dr. Widge presented at ADAA’s 2023 conference on how he believes “mental disorders are brain network disorders” and how treatments like Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) are quite possibly the wave of the future for certain mood and anxiety disorders, and particularly those that are treatment-resistant. 
Therapy can vary from patient to patient, clinician to clinician, but two ADAA members who presented at the 2023 Annual Conference believe therapy for SAD and other related disorders can benefit from an additional tool. Their conference session, Me Talk Funny One Day: Teaching Social Skills for Social Anxiety and Other Disorders, not only confirmed that belief but explained it.
ADAA had the chance to chat with the 2023 Donald F. Klein awardee, Emily L. Belleau, PhD, and the 2022 awardee, Sage E. Hawn, PhD, about the award and what it means to each of them. Speaking together, the two clinicians were an impressive duo, each with her own set of skills, knowledge and study, working on separate but incredibly meaningful and valuable research. Both Dr. Hawn and Dr. Belleau expressed the importance of being recognized by ADAA for their work and the significance of their studies.
Working with Black churches to create a better today and a much better tomorrow in the field (literally) of mental health care for African Americans are three Black leaders in mental health who will present at the 2023 ADAA Conference. ADAA is excited to have Bernadine Waller, PhD, Atasha Jordan, MBA, MD and Kimberly Arnold, MPH, PhD discuss their work, research and findings in a presentation titled Implementing Evidence-Based Mental Health Interventions in Black Churches.
“Our first concern must be to assure that the advance of medical knowledge leaves none behind.”  A conversation with ADAA#2023 Conference Keynote Luci Baines Johnson
We anticipate a high-spirited, valuable and memorable ADAA 2023 Annual Conference in the nation’s capital and look forward to greeting you amidst the cherry blossoms in April!  
An impressive trio: a successful psychiatrist, an accomplished social worker with a PhD, and an astute young doctor of psychology with a bright future ahead of her, are father, mother, and daughter, who also happen to be ardent supporters of ADAA and the field of mental health.

At the Anxiety and Depression Association (ADAA), we value each and every one of our members and feel that all of them are a distinguished part of the ADAA “family”. But when we have members who are actually related – mother, son, father, daughter, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew (you see where we’re going here) – we can’t help but find a way to highlight not only the relationship that they have to each other but to ADAA’s work and mission. 

Being an ADAA sponsor at the  conference in Denver in 2022 was a solid business decision, an important way for us to give back to an organization we believe in, and also a blast!

“The ADAA conference provided me with a platform to continue my journey forward into greater understanding of how best to support and treat the patients that I have come to be so inspired by…,” Alex said, adding he is also grateful to his mother and the chance to continue her work into the next era of mental health as the field expands and improves. 

1. Know the conference theme.

Every year, ADAA's annual conference has a theme. Be sure to consider how your submission may fit within the conference theme, and reference this in your submission!

2. Establish your target audience.

So definitely submit to present. You do have something to offer either as primarily a therapist or a researcher or both. Do not doubt, just submit and see what happens. Conference submissions are not weighted based on presenters in the review process, so you have just as good a chance at acceptance as more senior submitters if you have an interesting and well written proposal.

If you're like me, this may be one of the first in-person professional conferences you've attended for the past 2 years! I am thrilled for the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, meet and network with colleagues in my field, and drink in all the latest findings in research and clinical work. I'm also eager to attend the poster sessions!

ADAA’s conferences are incredible, offering unparalleled learning, networking, and engagement opportunities. However, for many attendees – both new and seasoned – the constant hustle can be overwhelming. As professionals, we want to gain the most we can from attending conferences, but the most effective way to do that can be elusive. One terrific tip we can take from mindfulness is to be present. Engaging in sessions and casual conversations can set off our minds about how we can take this information and best utilize it.

Congratulations on your poster acceptance to the ADAA conference! First let's take a moment to celebrate that accomplishment and the opportunity to present your work! This is a testament to the scientific contribution of your work and many conference attendees will be looking forward to seeing your poster at the conference.

As a new postdoctoral resident in 2019, I was nervous about the prospect of transitioning from a “forever-student” into an early career psychologist. After so many years on a prescribed path, it was tough to imagine forging into the job force without a clear plan. Searching for a tether of sorts, my supervisor recommended ADAA and the Alies Muskin Career Development Leadership Program (CDLP). Little did I know the impact this program would have in the trying times ahead!

During the fall of 2019 I was at a pivotal point in my career trajectory. I had just started my pre-doctoral internship year and was preparing to apply for post-doctoral positions – a last step in my training as I pursued a career in research. So, when I learned about ADAA’s Alies Muskin Career Development Leadership Award Program (CDLP) and its focus on providing early career researchers and clinicians with intensive mentoring and professional development opportunities, I knew I wanted to apply.

A longstanding passion of mine has been exploring leadership opportunities and finding ways to develop my skills as a leader; in training, research, mentorship, and more. I love being able to interact with people, those similar to me and those different from me, and sharing my experiences and providing opportunities, tips, and support for their growth. I also happen to find leadership to be a very symbiotic relationship where I can learn and grow from those I “lead” - what better arrangement is there!

ADAA’s 2019 Annual Conference quickly approaches! The conference tagline “Transcending Cultural, Racial and Socioeconomic Barriers” was a call to action for presenters. We asked and you delivered. Of our over 160 amazing sessions, 75 will address the topic of diversity! Thank you to each and every one of our presenters.