european psychiatric association

Training and sharing for optimal mental health care in Europe

30 April 2019 – On the heels of the EPA’s most attended congress in history that gathered over 4,300 participants from 102 countries in Warsaw, I am honoured to have entered my mandate as EPA President and look forward to the challenges this new role will bring.

Building on the many successes of past presidents, I hope to continue guiding the association toward further growth and development with a vision in mind: making EPA the only European platform where mental health care providers (clinicians and beyond) find unique ways and opportunities to share, learn and train.

To achieve that vision, over the next two years, we will focus on 3 key priorities:

  1. To foster knowledge and experience sharing among all the stakeholders of mental health care around the provision of purposeful resources and tools: data and practices in different European countries (“Geography of Mental health care in Europe”), surveys and information (e.g. “Publications of the year clinicians should be aware of on…”).
  2. To promote the creation of a European identity within the profession through the development of inspirational training programmes and exchanges among European countries (e.g. “European psychiatry residency”, “Gaining Experience Programme”) and innovative online tools such as online courses that cover the whole field of  psychiatry.
  3. To strengthen the role of the EPA as a key player in the European scenario of mental health care: lobbying European actors and institutions, alongside users and their families, in favour of improving psychiatric and mental health care in Europe; generating synergies with key stake-holders through intensified joint activities, and cooperation (GAMIAN, EUFAMI, EFPA, ECNP…).

The contribution of everyone and a shared responsibility for working together are essential in meeting these challenges head on. Thus, I invite the entire EPA Community to work jointly with me as active participants in supporting the 2019-2020 Strategic Plan, and I thank the EPA Board, Committees, NPAs, Sections and Members for their continued commitment and support.

I look forward to seeing you all in Madrid in 2020 (28-31 March) at the 28th European Congress of Psychiatry for yet another rich professional, educational and scientific experience that celebrates great collective progress and the remarkable shared heritage of European psychiatry.

 


Philip Gorwood
EPA President