萝莉视频

Dear Colleagues,

At the beginning of my Presidency in 2023, the Officers and I asked for a review of the College’s communications platforms, including its social media presence, messaging, and branding. This was a considered process, aimed at ensuring clarity in how we represent the College’s work.

As part of this review, we reflected on our past approach to adapting the College logo in response to global events, awareness days and festivities. While these gestures were always well-intentioned, I became increasingly concerned that they could unintentionally shift our focus away from what we do best, which is to provide expert and evidence-based support and treatment for those with mental illness; train psychiatrists and other mental health professionals; encourage and support mental health research and determine and uphold high quality standards in mental health care around the world.

Changing logos or making political statements without any real action to make improvements, risks virtue-signalling. This did not sit well with me. I was also concerned that certain causes appeared to be favoured over others, implying that there is a hierarchy of relative importance. We can all agree that a cause that might be especially important to one person might be of little consequence to another – which then do we laud or promote?

Some will question why the College still focuses heavily on equity issues. Why the focus on people from minoritised ethnic groups; women; LGBTQ+ people and disabled people? This is because there is strong evidence that people from these minoritised groups are more likely to suffer mental health problems and/or have worse access, experience and outcomes in mental health care. It is also the case that doctors from racialised backgrounds are more likely to fail professional exams – despite previously proven ability; not progress in their careers and be referred for disciplinary sanction. Essentially, the focus on equity issues is because this is where the evidence about mental health need and the evidence for who needs support, leads us.

And so, following much discussion with the Officers and Senior Management Team and taking into account the broad range of views of the College membership and the breadth of the College work, for consistency, the decision was taken, that moving forward the College logo would permanently remain in its original form without changing, regardless of the circumstance.

This decision was aligned with the new International Strategy, where it was also agreed as part of our emergency response plan, that the College will focus its efforts on providing practical mental health support where it is needed most, rather than making political statements.

This new approach was implemented from the beginning of January 2024.

The decision was not taken lightly. I deeply respect the passion and concern of those who call on us to take a public position. However, by maintaining a consistent, non-political stance, we avoid the difficult task of weighing one crisis, cause or festivity against another and ensure that our actions are guided by our charitable mission; our values of respect and fairness for all and our evidence-driven approach. It also allows us to build trusted relationships with decision-makers, offering our expertise based on the evidence. By sharing our expert information, resources and learning we are making a meaningful impact.

We probably need to be better at communicating what we are doing to make change happen. But don’t ever doubt that we are One College, and as One College, we remain fully committed to improving outcomes for people with mental illness and supporting the clinicians who care for them.

Your President,

Lade Smith CBE