The European Congress of Psychiatry serves the EPA’s educational mission by offering high-quality EPA Courses that cover all aspects of psychiatry. Each course consists of two 90-minute sessions. Please note that fees for the courses are charged separately.
How to Register
You can register for an EPA Course through the EPA Congress Registration System.
- Registration for the EPA Courses is only available for onsite Congress participants.
- Pre-registration for each Course is required.
- Space is limited – register now to ensure a spot in your preferred Course.
Take note: rates provided below exclude 22% VAT.
| Courses (on-site only) | ||
| Courses – Country A | Pre-registration (early and regular fees) | EUR 65 |
| On-site registration | EUR 75 | |
| Courses – Country B | Pre-registration (early and regular fees) | EUR 45 |
| On-site registration | EUR 55 | |
Accreditation
The EPA 2027 Courses
How to Write A Good Scientific Paper and Get It Published
Director: Sophia Frangou, USA
Co-Director: Umberto Volpe, Italy
This course is designed to equip researchers with the practical skills required to produce and successfully publish high-quality scientific papers. It will guide participants through each stage of the writing and publication process, including structuring a manuscript, presenting data effectively, and adhering to journal expectations. Emphasis will also be placed on developing clear, concise scientific narratives and responding to peer review. By the end of the course, participants will have a strong foundation in preparing manuscripts for submission and navigating the publication process to maximize the reach and impact of their research.
Suicidal behaviour: from current evidence to hands-on clinical skills
Director: Jorge Lopez Castroman, Spain
Co-Director: Carla Gramaglia, Italy
This CME course offers an advanced, experiential approach to suicide risk assessment and prevention, integrating current evidence with participant-centred, skills-based learning. It begins with a discussion of cultural and professional perspectives on suicide to foster a safe and reflective learning environment.
The first half covers the epidemiology and risk factors of suicidal behaviour, warning signs, prevention strategies, major theoretical models of suicide, and the strengths and limitations of current risk assessment tools. Emerging research on biomarkers and predictive approaches is also addressed. Film clips and interactive exercises are used throughout to connect theory with lived experience and clinical practice. Participants engage in complex clinical and ethical scenarios—including chronic suicidality, involuntary hospitalization, balancing autonomy and safety, and means restriction—through case discussions, audience-response systems, and structured tasks designed to strengthen clinical reasoning under uncertainty.
The second half focuses on applied clinical skills. After a brief review of acute suicidality management, participants take part in experiential learning through simulated patient scenarios or structured role-play exercises in small groups. These activities emphasize communication, empathy, safety planning, and the practical application of suicide assessment and intervention strategies.
The course concludes with a plenary debrief.
Involving families in treatment of psychosis
Director: Merete Nordentoft, Denmark
Co-Director: Tina Iversen, Denmark
There is strong scientific evidence for the effectiveness a range of outcomes of early intervention services in first episode psychosis in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Early Intervention Services are characterized by comprehensive, multi-modal and phase-specific treatment of first-episode psychosis, modified to suit the needs of this patient population, including intensive/assertive case management and family involvement.
In this course, the evidence for Early Intervention Services will be presented together with the principles and rationale for involving families.
The format of psychoeducational multifamily groups will be explained in detail, and in role plays, participants will train the problem-solving in multifamily groups. Videos and vignettes will be presented.
Pharmacotherapy of depression: the art of prescribing antidepressants
Director: Pavel Mohr, Czech Republic
Co-Director: Lucie Bartova, Austria
This interactive, evidence-based course is an updated follow-up of the successful course on antidepressant treatment, organised by the Psychopharmacology Section. The primary target audience is early career psychiatrists, but it may be also of interest to more experienced practioners who want to deepen their knowledge and become familiar with the latest developments in the field.
The course is divided into several topics that cover novel nomenclature of antidepressants (NbN), their pharmacology, clinical efficacy and safety, evaluation of treatment response, drug-drug interactions, treatment in specific situations (children and adolescents, elderly, pregnancy), evaluation of treatment response, management of non-response. In addition to the antidepressant drugs, other novel treatment interventions (herbal remedy, neurostimulation, chronobiology, psychedelics) will be discussed.
Complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder across the lifespan: clinical specificities and tailored management strategies
Director: Hala Kerbage, France
Co-Director: Abbas Alameddine, Lebanon
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) share significant clinical overlap, particularly in domains of emotion dysregulation, interpersonal instability, and self-identity disturbance. However, important differences exist in their aetiologies, trajectories, and treatment approaches. Misdiagnosis or conflation of these two conditions can lead to suboptimal care, especially in adolescents and young adults where early intervention is crucial.
This course aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the phenomenology, neurobiological underpinnings, developmental and clinical aspects, as well as evidence-based therapeutic strategies for C-PTSD and BPD. The session will highlight current diagnostic challenges, review recent research findings, and offer clinical tools for differential diagnosis and personalized treatment planning across developmental stages. Interactive clinical vignettes will illustrate key distinctions and therapeutic decision points. Attendees will gain practical insights into trauma-informed care models, including the integration of stabilization techniques, psychotherapeutic modalities (e.g., DBT, EMDR, TF-CBT), and the management of comorbidities.
Risk assessment and risk management of violent patients in general psychiatry
Director: Kris Goethals, Belgium
Co-Director: Kolja Schiltz, Germany
The course will provide the knowledge and research results about the risk of psychiatric patients of becoming violent and of becoming offenders with violent crimes. It will focus on the indicators of risk for violence and delinquency but also on the indicators of immediate threat and imminent aggression on wards and in outpatient settings. It will teach on how to develop a structure in the assessment and to come to a professional judgment on the severity and on the imminence of risk. It will also teach on risk formulation and risk communication among staff and outside of the clinicians’ surroundings (relatives, police, courts, caretakers). It will address risk management, when to intervene and how, the methods of prevention and the long-term guidance of risky patients. Finally, psychopharmacological strategies will be discussed.
Sexual health matters in psychiatry - how to address sexual long-term needs in patients with psychiatric disorders
Director: Michal Lew-Starowicz, Poland
Co-Director: Goran Arbanas, Croatia
Sexual health is an essential yet frequently neglected component of psychiatric care. Patients with psychiatric disorders experience high rates of sexual dysfunction, risky sexual behaviours, relationship difficulties, stigma, and barriers to discussing sexual health needs with clinicians. At the same time, psychopharmacological treatment may substantially affect sexual functioning, adherence to treatment, quality of life, and overall recovery.
This educational course will provide psychiatrists with practical, evidence-based knowledge and communication strategies to address sexual health needs in routine psychiatric practice. The course will cover sexual health issues in patients with psychotic, neurodevelopmental, and neurodegenerative disorders; mood, anxiety, eating, and personality disorders; and the impact of psychopharmacological treatment on sexual functioning and its management. Particular emphasis will be placed on integrating sexual health assessment into everyday psychiatric interviews, recognizing warning signs, discussing sensitive topics in a culturally competent and non-judgmental manner, and implementing practical interventions or referral pathways.
The course will combine lectures, interactive clinical examples and case-based discussions. Participants will receive selected readings and evidence-based recommendations for use in daily practice.
ADHD in adults: neurobiology, clinical presentation, comorbidities and treatment - hot off the press!
Director: Dora Wynchank, Netherlands
Co-Director: Christian Fadeuilhe Grau, Spain
ADHD in adults remains one of psychiatry’s most underdiagnosed and undertreated conditions. Despite a prevalence of 2.5–4%, it is frequently missed or misattributed — with significant consequences for functional outcomes, quality of life, and psychiatric comorbidity.
This course offers an up-to-date review across four core domains: neurobiology, clinical presentation, comorbidities, and treatment. Participants will explore recent advances in neuroimaging, genetics, and dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems. Clinical presentations across the lifespan — including late diagnosis, gender differences, and masking — will be examined, alongside the updated DIVA-5-R diagnostic interview. The course addresses comorbid conditions including mood and anxiety disorders, substance use, autism spectrum disorder, and sleep disturbances, and their implications for diagnosis and treatment planning. Pharmacological strategies (stimulants and non-stimulants) will be reviewed against the latest guidelines and emerging evidence. Delivered across two 90-minute interactive sessions combining structured debate, the course is designed for psychiatrists and mental health professionals seeking to integrate current knowledge into everyday practice.
Preparing for the European Board Examination
Director: Andrew Brittlebank, United Kingdom
Co-Director: Krzysztof Krysta, Poland
The second sitting of the European Board Examination in Psychiatry takes place in September 2026. The exam design and delivery processes with then undergo evaluation in preparation for it being quality assured by the Council of European Specialist Medical Assessments (CESMA). The first sitting of the exam attracted more than 150 candidates and this number exceeded in the second sitting. It is planned that the examination will be held annually. Following the experience of other European Board examinations, there will be considerable and growing interest in the examination from trainees nearing the end of training, from Early Career Psychiatrists, trainers looking to prepare their trainees for the exam and from established psychiatrists who are considering becoming examiners.
In this educational course, participants will be introduced to the theory behind the assessment of professional competence and will cover the concepts of reliability, validity, educational impact, cost-effectiveness and acceptability as they apply to written assessments. We will introduce the Psychiatry Exam Curriculum, Syllabus and its blueprint. There will be opportunities to interactively engage with this material.
The course will explore different types of questions and consider the characteristics of highly effective machine markable questions.
Participants will be supported to write different types of examination items.
This course will support those preparing to sit the exam and their trainers.
Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and digital tools in psychiatry: clinical and public mental health perspectives
Director: Mariana Pinto da Costa, Portugal
Co-Director: Raquel Iniesta, Spain
This session examines the ethical, legal, and public mental health implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital tools in psychiatry. These tools create new opportunities for assessment, decision support, and service delivery, while also raising important questions about responsibility, professional judgement, standards of care, and equity.
Participants will explore the main ethical and legal challenges associated with the clinical use of these tools in psychiatry, including how standards of care may evolve in digitally mediated practice and where potential sources of liability may arise. The session will distinguish between the responsibilities of clinicians, healthcare institutions, and technology developers, and how these roles interact in everyday psychiatric care.
A central focus will be the impact of automation bias, over-reliance on digital systems, and defensive rejection of technology. Participants will recognise how these dynamics may shape psychiatric judgement, therapeutic relationships, and clinical decision-making.
The session will also address the broader public mental health implications of AI and digital tools, including their potential effects on access to care, inequalities, population outcomes, and public trust in mental health systems.
Through discussion of practical psychiatric cases, participants will apply these concepts to real-world scenarios and develop ethically defensible approaches to complex clinical situations in digital psychiatry.
Hospital architecture – how to renovate, repurpose and built psychiatric facilities
Director: Nikolina Jovanović, United Kingdom
Psychiatric hospitals are often poorly designed, contributing to violence, boredom, and staff burnout. Emerging evidence suggests that the built environment can significantly influence patients’ sense of safety, autonomy, recovery, and therapeutic engagement, while also improving staff wellbeing and efficiency. Despite this, there is little practical guidance available for clinicians, architects, and commissioners on how to create more therapeutic psychiatric environments.
This interactive course aims to:
increase awareness of the impact of the built environment on patients, staff, and visitors;
teach participants how to assess the quality of psychiatric hospital spaces;
and provide practical guidance on renovating, repurposing, and designing psychiatric facilities to enhance their therapeutic potential.
The course will be delivered in two 90-minute parts. The first part will explore how hospital design influences patient experience, therapeutic relationships, ward culture, and staff wellbeing. Participants will also learn how to assess ward and hospital spaces using a simple practical tool. The second part will focus on practical approaches to improving psychiatric facilities. Participants will be encouraged to bring examples, photos, or plans from their own workplaces for discussion. Commonly challenging areas such as communal ward spaces, nursing stations, and patient bedrooms will be explored through interactive group work and case-based discussion.
Digital addictions: assessment, diagnosis and treatment, including digital interventions
Director: Sophia Achab, Switzerland
Co-Director: Takahiro A. Kato, Japan
The widespread adoption of digital technologies is changing the way people communicate, work and access information. This landscape is shaping and building new forms of social interaction and identity with variable effects on mental health and wellbeing. The emphasis on personal autonomy and self-expression is becoming more pronounced, as individuals seek to assert their identity and differentiate themselves from others in a rapidly changing and fragmented world. Whereas technology is developing disproportionately, new psychopathological expressions are emerging, mostly technology/digitally driven and not fully explained by classical psychopathology, particularly among young digitarians. Innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches proposed the integration of highly catching digital solutions (e.g., digital phenotyping, robotics, metaverse, AI etc.).
The course will address the complex interplay between technology and mental health in the modern world. The course will discuss the new psychopathological trajectories due to the digital world, by providing a critical overview on the behavioral addictions, discussing the dilemma on new ‘digital’ addictions, the pathological threshold of a problematic versus culturally/socially accepted use of new technologies and new emerging psychopathological trajectories. Finally, a section will provide an overview on innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches such as digital tools and interventions including the potentials of AI.
Navigating the road to wisdom: advanced insights into bipolar disorder in the elderly
Director: Thomas Desmidt, France
Co-Director: Pierre Lavaud, France
Bipolar disorder in older adults represents a major and often underrecognized clinical challenge for psychiatrists. Its presentation frequently differs from that observed in younger patients, with subtler manic symptoms, severe depressive episodes, cognitive complaints, and frequent psychiatric and medical comorbidities. Mania may be mistaken for dementia or delirium, while bipolar depression can overlap with neurodegenerative or vascular conditions, making diagnosis particularly complex.
This symposium will provide psychiatrists with practical and up-to-date knowledge on the specificities of old age bipolar disorder, including diagnostic challenges, differential diagnosis, and therapeutic management. Particular attention will be paid to the impact of aging on clinical presentation, psychopharmacology, cognition, and functional outcomes.
Participants will also explore the careful use of mood stabilizers and antipsychotics in elderly patients, as well as the importance of integrated approaches combining pharmacological treatment, psychotherapy, family involvement, and management of comorbidities.
Through theoretical updates, clinical discussions, and interactive exchanges, this symposium aims to strengthen clinicians’ confidence and expertise in managing this complex and increasingly relevant condition in everyday psychiatric practice.
Shared decision-making in complex care: bridging physical and mental health for better outcomes
Director: Pilar Lusilla, Spain
Co-Director: Anastasia Sikora, Ukraine
Shared decision-making (SDM) is a collaborative process that empowers patients and healthcare to make informed, patient-centered care choices together. However, patients with comorbid medical and mental health conditions face unique challenges, including fragmented care, stigma, and varying treatment priorities.
This interactive course will explore practical strategies for implementing SDM in complex cases, emphasizing skills, interdisciplinary collaboration, and evidence-based tools to align treatment plans with patient values and clinical needs.
In addition, participants will be able to learn practical examples of SDM program implementation such as the SELFHELP+(SH+) programme developed by WHO and implemented with the International Medical Corps, which focuses on individual decision-making, stress regulation, and goal setting in people with high emotional burden — often in humanitarian or complex care settings. This experience will complement the SDM approach, especially when working with dual-diagnosis populations or patients with trauma-related barriers to communication.
Throughout the course, the attendees will analyse real case examples and through role-playing, and expert insights, will gain the confidence and skills to navigate SDM effectively in dual-diagnosis populations.
Useful open science tools for conducting research in psychiatry
Director: Thomas Gargot, France
Co-Director: Jesper Noergaard Kjaer, Denmark
Scientific methodology can be difficult to understand. In psychiatric research, different tools ease the process of collecting and analysing data but they can be expensive.
In this course we will present and review free and open-source software that help to collect, analyse and publish data. These tools can easily be reused and shared. This improves validity and reproducibility of scientific research. While discussing all these challenges and in order to be interactive, we will involve the participants in the steps of a prototypical scientific study, an international cake testing database!
An overview of the processes and tools:
We will evaluate a study protocol and pre-register this protocol defining the primary outcome. Which is the best cookie from two different brands?
We will discuss sample selection. Who will taste the cookies?
Randomizer helps us to attribute a condition (cookie A or B) to each subject.
Limesurvey helps to run online surveys. What did you think about each characteristic of your cookie?
R helps to analyse and plot the data. What is the mean score? Is the difference significant?
GitHub helps to share our data and to analyse scripts.
The EQUATOR Network provides guidelines that improve scientific manuscripts.
Open-source ChatGPT models assist preparing the manuscript but be aware of the pros and cons of AI.
ArXiv helps to publish manuscripts before journal publication.
Lastly, we promote our work on Wikipedia and discuss the advantages and issues to promote your own work.