April 2025—EFPA was happy to participate in the European Congress of Psychiatry hosted by the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) in Madrid, as part of a mutual initiative to develop the relationship between European psychology and psychiatry.
There were three highlights of this collaboration during the congress:
The EPA Forum precedes the official opening of the annual European Congress of Psychiatry. It brings together the EPA community, EU and UN institutional representatives, civil society organisations, and diverse stakeholders in the field of mental health and care from across Europe.
EFPA participated to share the voice of European psychology on the topic of Carer Communities & Work Environments: Translating Policy into Action for Mental Health in Europe. Discussion with representatives from lived experience and professional associations focused on how interprofessional collaboration can best be achieved.
The European Congress of Psychiatry also featured the launch of the Rethinking Schizophrenia: Optimising Schizophrenia Care Pathways in Europe study paper. This project was a multistakeholder initiative led by the European Brain Council, addressing tangible policy and care pathway changes aiming to improve the lives of people living with schizophrenia across Europe.
Cédric Duarte from the EFPA Standing Committee on Clinical Neuropsychology participated alongside representatives from a range of lived experience and professional associations throughout Europe. The aim of the project was to refresh the European policy debate on people living with schizophrenia, endorsing a biopsychosocial approach and to encourage multi-stakeholder-driven Policy development. The study paper can be read here >
EFPA was also happy to participate in the EPA-EAN-ESRS-EFPA Joint symposium on “The Power of Sleep in Brain and Mental Health”. EFPA’s contribution was a collaborative project between EFPA’s Working Groups on the topic of Sleep in Different Contexts: The Perspectives of European Psychology. More about this project can be read here >