Philosophy Special Interest Group Conference 2022: biopsychosocial model revisited; myth and reality

The Philosophy Special Interest Group would like to invite you to its 2022 conference titled Biopsychosocial model revisited: myth and reality. The conference will take place in-person and online on Tuesday 13 December 2022. We want this to be an opportunity to return to in-person events but also allow for the wider reach that technology offers.

Years of research led to an increased emphasis on the role of social determinants for common mental disorders during the life-course of an individual. Philosophers and psychiatrists have regained interest in the biopsychosocial model, and we have seen the publication of a series of books and articles, offering fresh perspectives and proposals to overcome the criticisms it attracted in the past. Psychiatrists working within mental health systems operate predominantly in multidisciplinary environments, providing clinical and often organisational leadership. The increased complexity and uncertainty of everyday practice provides a variety of challenges from a clinical, research, and educational perspective that will shape the development of a psychiatrist’s professional identity.

We really hope that you decide to join us for this event either in person or online. The return to in-person meetings is important, since philosophy is a discipline that thrives when it offers a space for dialogue and reflection. Your support will encourage us to organise similar events in the future.

The International Network for Philosophy and Psychiatry (INPP) and the World Psychiatric Association Section for Philosophy and Humanities in Psychiatry (WPA SPHP) are academic sponsors for the conference.

The scope of the conference is to create a space for reflection and dialogue that will generate insights on the developing scientific discourse about the nature of mental illness, and proposals on the developing role of the psychiatric profession in delivering care. To navigate this task, we have five excellent speakers to guide us.

Professor Derek Bolton and Professor Nassir Ghaemi have written and debated extensively over the years on the philosophical underpinnings of the biopsychosocial model. Professor Sir Michael Marmot will share his vast expertise on the impact of social determinants in mental health, Dr Rebecca Roache will discuss how the mind relates to the brain, and Professor Subodh Dave will talk about the Royal College’s plan to enhance psychiatric education to reflect the increased emphasis on them.

The presentations will be followed by extensive Q and A sections. We hope that the breadth of ideas and values shared during this event will help shape the thinking of the participants about the discipline they practice, the challenges and limitations they face, and what contributions they can use in facing them.

Download the programme

This event will take place both in-person and via a live stream. When booking onto the event, you will need to choose whether you will attend the event in-person or online only, via the live stream.

All delegates, whether attending in-person or online will receive access to the recordings from the event, to watch on demand.

The registration fees are the same, regardless of whether you attend the event in-person or online only, via the live stream.

Book your place online.

The event will take place at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, 21 Prescot Street, London E1 8BB. You can view directions and a map to help you plan your journey.

The Citymapper website/app can help you plan your route within London, giving the best walking, cycling, bus and tube routes available. Use postcode E1 8BB as your destination.