A Message from EPA President, Philip Gorwood

Dear EPA Members, colleagues and friends,

As I present my wishes for the new year to the whole EPA community, it is difficult to envisage 2021 without looking back at 2020.

Who could have imagined the upheaval the pandemic has brought to each of us and to our association? The activity and functioning of all its dimensions and constituencies (Committees, Sections, NPAs, Board and staff) have been deeply impacted. However, together we have discovered possibilities that we had not anticipated and learned from change!

The successful evolution of the EPA annual congress in a fully digital format for the first time ever is an inspiring example of what we can achieve, even in these challenging times, by working together. Thanks to the commitment of everyone, this innovative format proved to be a great success bringing together more than 2000 delegates from 97 different countries!

I am very proud of the EPA’s strong adaptability, energy and creativity shown in dealing with such critical situation. We were able to turn, quickly and efficiently, many of our more future-based ideas into reality, such as digital booming, thus accelerating organisational transformation.

On leaving the Presidency of the association in a couple of months, I look forward with confidence to its future, convinced that we will be able to transform new challenges into opportunities. Following the path mapped out by the EPA long-term strategic plan, currently under development, the association has all the strengths to achieve its ambition: “To unite, share and enhance professional, scientific and policy building competencies aimed at achieving excellent standards of mental health care, training and research across Europe”.

Hope to see you all at the EPA 2021 Congress (10 – 13 April) under the motto: “Personalising and Integrating Mental Health Care in the Digital Era“.

Philip Gorwood
EPA President