10th EPA Forum
The 10th EPA Forum, titled “Towards Inclusive Mental Health Care: Multiple Perspectives,” took place on Saturday 6 April 2024, preceding the opening of the 32nd European Congress of Psychiatry in Budapest, Hungary. Organized under the auspices of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Forum welcomed more than 400 participants onsite, with many more attending the live-streaming on the EPA congress website.
The Forum delved into inclusiveness in mental healthcare, with a specific focus on identifying barriers to access across different social groups, as well as challenges for the current and future workforce.
The 2023 edition was opened by EPA President Prof. Geert Dom, who introduced the two Chairs, Dr. Julian Beezhold, EPA Secretary General, and Dr. Joan Marsh, Editor-in-Chief of Lancet Psychiatry. The Forum included three sessions, gathering speakers representing clinicians, patient groups, as well as multiple international and EU organizations. During the first session, experts delivered presentations on the main barriers to inclusive mental health care. The second session gathered a roundtable discussion on the challenges faced by the mental health workforce, while the third and final session brought together clinicians, experts, and policymakers to explore solutions towards more inclusive healthcare systems.
During the 2024 EPA Forum, the fifth edition of the EPA Ambassadors Survey was officially launched by Prof. Rojnic Kuzman.
Read the 10th EPA Forum Programme and watch the video-recording below.
PROGRAMME
9:00 – 9:10 | Opening speech – Geert Dom, President, EPA
9:10 – 9:15 | Introduction – Julian Beezhold, Secretary General, EPA
9:15 – 9:45 | SESSION 1 – What are the barriers to inclusion in mental health care: setting the scene
Moderated by Julian Beezhold, Secretary General, EPA
- (9:15 – 9:25) Speech from Guglielmo Schininà, Head of Mental Health Psychosocial Response and Intercultural Communication Section, IOM
- (9:25 – 9:35) Speech from Kjell Larsson, President, FEANTSA
- (9:35 – 9:45) Perspective of patient and families in mental health: stigma, access to care and barriers to access – Péter Kéri, GAMIAN-Europe & André Decraene, EUFAMI
9:45 – 10:25 | SESSION 2 – Dialogue on Healthcare professionals and socio-economic aspects: education, ongoing training and workforce challenges
Moderated by Julian Beezhold, Secretary General, EPA
- Andrea Fiorillo, President Elect, EPA
- Nina Kilkku, President, HORATIO
- John Francis Leader, Board Member, EFPA
- Elena Moro, President Elect, EAN
10:25 – 10:35 | Presentation of Ambassadors Survey 2024 – Martina Rojnic Kuzman, Treasurer, EPA
10:35 – 10:55 | Coffee break
10:55 – 11:35 | SESSION 3 – Roundtable on finding solutions to a more inclusive mental health care
Moderated by Joan Marsh, Editor-in-Chief, Lancet Psychiatry
- Geert Dom, President, EPA
- Doron Wijker, Health Policy Analyst, OECD
- Ledia Lazeri, Regional Adviser for Mental Health, WHO Europe
- Cyrus Engerer, Member of the EU Parliament (S&D)
11:35 – 11:55 | Q&A Session
11:55 – 12:00 | Closing remarks – János Réthelyi, LOC Chair EPA Congress 2024
