Like other psychiatric conditions, obsessive compulsive disorder is common yet it holds a stigma among different cultures. Mental health professionals across the U.S. and Latin America strive to break the stigma and have constructive conversation about this disorder. In September, they will reunite for the fourth annual Latin American OCD Congress in Valparaíso, Chile.

“The purpose of the meeting has always been to accomplish all those goals: to educate providers and people with lived experience, and also to foster a community of OCD providers in Latin America,” said Dr. Eric Storch professor and vice chair of psychology in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor and director of the meeting.

The annual meeting derived from the Latin American Trans-ancestry INitiative for OCD genomics (LATINO) study, a research study that aims to identify factors contributing to the development of OCD in Latino / Hispanic individuals. The study is funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Baylor College of Medicine, LATINO study and Universidad de Valparaíso are collaborating with advocacy group International OCD Foundation to provide education, research and support to elevate the quality of OCD care and research in Latin America. Beginning three years ago, the meeting has convened in Cartegena, Colombia (2022); Lima, Peru (2023); and Quito, Ecuador (2024). This year’s conference in Valparaíso takes place Sept. 25-26.

Two tracks will be available in this two-day hybrid meeting, each designed to meet the needs of different stakeholders. One track is oriented to professionals and trainees to provide training in the nature and treatment of OCD; this track offers continuing medical education credits.

“The goal is to improve the workforce in Latin America for treating OCD. Access to care is a massive issue that plagues those with OCD. There is a shortage of expert providers in the U.S., and even more so in Latin America,” Storch said.

The second track focuses on individuals with OCD and / or their family members, which will discuss intervention, ways to support a loved one with OCD and how to build a community for individuals so they do not experience their condition alone.

The hybrid model allows individuals to attend the conference in person or virtually. The in-person experience has proved successful in building relationships and accomplishing set goals. A virtual option is available for anyone to tune in and learn more about the work; translations will be available for presentations in both English and Spanish.

“We set about forming this meeting to complement some of the research we were doing. While this research was important, it was even more important to build capacity to support those with OCD,” Storch said. “Here, we are engaging stakeholders and collaborators, building relationships and doing science that not only improves the state of the science, but helps people in doing so.”

Storch is proud of the forward strides the cohort has made in the OCD community. The meeting touches this population and encourages them to not feel alone in their condition while equipping healthcare workers with tools needed to intervene.

Other collaborators include Dr. Jim Crowley with The University of North Carolina and Drs. Wayne Goodman, Ogechi “Cynthia” Onyeka, Andrew Wiese, Anthony Zoghbi, Elizabeth Atkinson, Amy McGuire, Erika Trent, Kevin Wagner, Caitlin Pinciotti and Stacey Pereira with Baylor College of Medicine.

To learn more information and to register for the meeting, visit the event webpage.

By Homa Warren