Programme

 

View the Congress 2023 programme overview.

If you are a student or a trainee please also view the student and trainee guide which was put together by the Psychiatric Trainees’ Committee (PTC) and highlights some of the trainee top picks of the programme!

Please note that the programme is still subject to change and all times are listed in BST.

  • Monday 10 July

  • Tuesday 11 July

  • Wednesday 12 July

  • 8.00am - 10.00am
    Galleria
    Registration

  • Chair: Anthony Cleare, King's College London, United Kingdom 

    Treatment resistant depression and difficult to treat depression: what’s the difference and do we need both?

    Hamish McAllister-Williams, Newcastle University, United Kingdom 

    Pharmacological management of treatment resistant depression: choosing and using augmentation therapies

    Anthony Cleare, King's College London, United Kingdom 

    Psychological therapies for TRD in adults

    Nicola Wiles, University of Bristol, United Kingdom

     

  • Chair: Toby Pillinger, King's College London, United Kingdom 

    First do no harm: using network meta-analysis to evaluate side-effects of antidepressants, stimulants, and hypnotics

    Anneka Tomlinson, University of Oxford, United Kingdom 

    Digital pharmacology: using data to better understand and use psychiatric medications

    Robert McCutcheon, King's College London, United Kingdom 

    Psychotropic medications: women are different from men

    Iris Sommer, UMC Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands

  • Chair: Suyog Dhakras, Solent NHS Trust

    Tele psychiatry - more of the same or more with the same?

    Alka S Ahuja, TEC Cymru

    The NHS remote workforce – what does the data tell us?

    Gemma Johns, TEC Cymru

    Digital psychiatry – it’s a team thing!

    Nyembezi Faith Ndebele, Solent NHS Trust

  • Chair: Professor Ilana Crome, Drug Science Charity, London, United Kingdom

    Drugs, drug harms and drug laws

    Professor Ilana Crome, Drug Science Charity, London, United Kingdom

    The role of neuroscience in influencing national policy on addiction

    Professor Anne Lingford-Hughes, Imperial College London, United Kingdom

    Reforming drug policies: ending criminalisation to improve the health and rights of people who use drugs

    Niamh Eastwood, Release, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Hugo Critchley, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, United Kingdom 

    The ESSENCE of neurodevelopmental presentations

    Guy Chadwick, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Psychiatry, United Kingdom

    Which is the chicken which is the egg?

    Helen Minnis, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom 

    Beyond neurotypes: bodily influences on emotion regulation in neurodivergence

    Jessica Eccles, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, United Kingdom 
  • 11.15am-11.45am
    Hall 2
    Break

  • Dr Shubulade Smith CBE and Professor Ian Jones, Congress Co-Chairs and Dr Abdul Raoof, Associate Dean for Advanced Learning and Conferences.

  • Chair: Dr Shubulade Smith CBE and Professor Ian Jones, Congress Co-Chairs

    Dr Adrian James, President, RCPsych

    Read more about this speaker.

  • Chair: Dr Ian Jones, Congress Co-Chair

    Ms Laura Dockrill, Writer, Author and expert by experience

    Read more about this speaker.

  • Chair: Dr Ian Jones, Congress Co-chair

    Mr Paul Rees, MBE, CEO, RCPsych

    Read more about this speaker.

  • 1.05pm - 1.55pm
    Hall 2
    Lunch
  • Join fellow SAS doctors to network and say hello during the Monday lunch hour in this dedicated session, hosted by the SAS Doctors Committee.
  • A masterclass run by RCPsych Books Committee on writing a book: the good, the bad and the ugly. This session will focus on the bones of writing academic books and general book writing, how to get involved, how to deal with rejection/negative feedback and the skills to progress. The panel will include expert authors from the RCPsych Books Committee. The speakers will also share anecdotal stories of their own personal experiences from being new starters to acclaimed writers. The audience will be psychiatrists who want to start their authorship journey and those who wish to learn new skills.

    Speakers
    • Dr Suhana Ahmed, Clinical Director West London NHS
    • Dr Anne Doherty, Editor-in-Chief, RCPsych Books Committee; Liaison psychiatrist, Mater Hospital; Associate Professor, UC
    • Professor Femi Oyebode, Professor and Head of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Birmingham (Retired)
    • Professor Rob Poole, Professor of Social Psychiatry at Bangor University, North Wales and Honorary Consultant in liaison psychiatry in Wrexham

     

  • Meet your PTC officers during this lunch time session taking place in the student and trainees' lounge
  • 1.20pm - 1.50pm
    Hall 2
    Rapid-fire poster presentations

  • Chair: Marsha McAdam, Mental Health Advocate, London, United Kingdom

    In conversation with...

    Peter Fonagy, Anna Freud Centre, London, United Kingdom

    Adrian James, President, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Jo O'Reilly, Camden and Islington NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom

    Assessment of mind and body in borderline states of being

    Simon Heyland, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

    Psychotherapy in liaison settings for self harm

    Else Guthrie, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

    Liaison Psychotherapy: Close Encounters of the Hospital Kind

    Nafeesa Nizami, Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

    Padakkara Saju, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Andrew Molodynski, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

    Institutional abuse: the role of organisational culture

    Alex Thomson, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

    The lived experience of institutional abuse

    Emma McAllister, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, United Kingdom

    Values-based leadership: how professionals can respond

    John Baker, University of Leeds, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Professor Wendy Burn, Consultant in Old Age Psychiatry, Leeds, Chair of Public Engagement Editorial Board, RCPsych, United Kingdom

    An introduction to social media

    Benjamin Janaway, East London Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom

    Guidance on the use of social media

    Professor Wendy Burn, Chair of Public Engagement Editorial Board, RCPsych, United Kingdom

    Boundaries, advantages and disadvantages of social media

    Suhana Ahmed, Clinical Director Older People’s Mental health Services, West London NHS Trust, RCPsych London Division Chair, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Iain Buchan, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom 

    The MYRIAD study: family and school connectedness as a buffer to adverse events

    Tamsin Ford, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

    The OxWell Student Survey: modern challenges for today’s adolescents: findings from four waves of the OxWell Student Survey

    Mina Fazel, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

    The MindKind Study: where do we go from here? Examining adolescent perspectives on mental health research

    Blossom Fernandes, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom 

  • Chair: Hannah Ali, East London NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

    Speakers:

    Femi Oyebode, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom

    Allan Beveridge, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

    Horatio Clare, Independent Writer and Journalist, London, United Kingdom

    Hannah Ali, East London NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Rachel Gibbons, Chair, RCPsych Working Group on the Effect of Suicide and Homicide on Clinicians, United Kingdom

    Discussion panel: 

    Smita Pandit, Oxford health, United Kingdom

    Helen Killaspy, University College London, United Kingdom

    Philipa Greenfield, Camden and Islington Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom 

    Nisha Shah, Camden and Islington Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom 

  • Chair: Ananta Dave, Black Country NHS ICB, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

    Development of the national RCPsych Leadership and Management Fellows Scheme for higher trainees in psychiatry

    Helen Crimlisk, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, United Kingdom

    Trust-led leadership and management development initiative to facilitate the development of skills across trainee, SAS and consultant psychiatrists

    Mike Hunter, Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust, Sheffield, United Kingdom

    A journey in medical leadership and management as an SAS psychiatrist

    Marcin Ostrowski, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS FT, Newcastle, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Gary Winship, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom 

    Mental health deaths in 2020 were at least 48% higher than COVID deaths but, far from a declaring a national emergency, we have seen huge funding cuts since 2013

    Caroline Turriff, BBC freelance reporter, London, United Kingdom

    Changing lives: how drug and alcohol charities have supported people through the challenges of historic funding cuts and rising deaths during the pandemic

    Oliver Standing, Humankind, London, United Kingdom

    What has really happened to mental health funding since 2010 and how have those on the front line coped?

    Musa Sami, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Oli Sparasci, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, Blackburn, United Kingdom

    The impact of COVID-19 on children and young people

    Tamsin Ford, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

    Lessons for pandemic preparedness: learning from the impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare staff

    Richard Williams, University of South Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom

    The impact of COVID-19 on the psychological wellbeing of people living in Pakistan

    Nusrat Husain, University of Manchester, United Kingdom

  • 4.40pm - 5.10pm
    Hall 2
    Break

  • Overview

    Psychiatry is often criticised, for example for the continued use of ECT, preoccupation with the minutia of DSM/ICD diagnoses, excessive use of medications or compulsory treatment. The critics include pseudoreligious groups such as the Scientologists with whom dialogue is impossible. Others with extreme views include radical psychologists who consider that their profession should take over the care of most of the mentally ill from psychiatrists. However, significant criticism also comes from user groups, other mental health professionals, Hearing Voices groups, psychiatric historians, and even from fellow psychiatrists such as those in “Critical Psychiatry”. This criticism can, at times, be vitriolic - see the website for “Mad in America” (and its offspring “Mad in the UK”). 

    Psychiatry sets out to provide care for those with mental health problems i.e. to provide a service to them. Service industries (e.g. hotels, airlines), generally survey their consumers to assess their satisfaction or otherwise. However, the orthodox psychiatric response to criticisms of care has often been to discount sceptics as ill-informed, paranoid, or simply misled. Some psychiatrists have attempted to have dialogue with the critics, not always successfully. This presentation will consider the options, bearing in mind that bad experience of psychiatric care drives patients away, and that companies that lose touch with their customers tend to go out of business. 

    Speakers

    Chair: Subodh Dave, Dean, Royal College of Psychiatrists, United Kingdom

    Sir Robin Murray, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom

    Read more about this speaker.

  • Directly following his plenary lecture titled, 'How should psychiatry respond to its critics - with vehemence or conciliation?', Sir Robin Murray will be answering your questions!

    You will be able to submit questions for Sir Robin through the Congress app, or ask them live in the room.

  • Following an incredibly successful launch in 2022, the Mindmasters quiz returns to Congress!

    Join us for the semi-finals and finals to cheer on your team and find out who will be the 2023 Mindmasters champions.

    Find out more about the exciting Mindmasters quiz for members.

  • 8.00am - 9.00am
    Galleria
    Registration

  • Overview

    Medicine is the application of the best evidence to improving patients' health. However, publication bias and other systematic errors exist in the scientific literature and clinical guidelines. 

    This session will comprise a short update about research integrity activity within the College, followed by personal stories from individuals with lived experience of apparent poor institutional integrity, affecting the content of national guidelines. This is relevant to every clinician. We will then host a panel discussion.

    Speakers

    Chair: Dr William Lee, University of Exeter, United Kingdom

    Antipodean antipathy

    Professor Gin Malhi, University of Sydney, Australia

    Arguable atypicals 

    Professor Stephen Lawrie, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

    Concluding thoughts

    Professor Kenneth Kaufman, Rutgers University, US

  • Overview

    What effective leadership and management training looks like in practice is often hard to describe but much better to experience. This workshop aims to deliver to all doctors working in mental health just this – an interactive mini leadership module. We will emulate the format of the teaching days of the RCPsych Leadership and Management Fellowship Scheme (LMFS), to structure this masterclass. Alex Till, Programme Director of the RCPsych LMFS will chair this workshop and field questions.

    Firstly, we will ‘learn from leaders’ with an interview of Suhana Ahmed, Chair of RCPsych London Division by Subha Thiyagesh, Medical Director, South West Yorkshire Partnership Foundation Trust. Secondly, Deepa Bagepalli Krishnan will provide a ‘theory burst’ where there will be some focused teaching on how we can manage projects as doctors. Lastly, Ross Runciman, will facilitate a reflective interactive exercise for attendees to the workshop for them to understand more about their values, strengths and aspirations to help them on their leadership journeys.

    Learning objectives:

    • To experience how leadership and management training can be delivered for the future mental health leaders of tomorrow.
    • Witness a learning from leaders segment and ask questions
    • Learn from a focused theory burst on how to manage projects
    • Participate in an interactive activity to learn about their values, strengths and aspirations in leadership

    Speakers

    Chair: Dr Alex Till, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and RCPsych Leadership and Management Fellow Scheme Programme Director

    Learning from leaders

    Dr Alex Till, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and RCPsych Leadership and Management Fellow Scheme Programme Director and Suhana Ahmed, Clinical Director Older People’s Mental health Services, West London NHS Trust, RCPsych London Division Chair, United Kingdom


    How we can manage projects as doctors

    Dr Deepa Bagepalli Krishnan, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and module lead for RCPsych LMFS

    Reflective interactive exercise for attendees to the workshop for them to understand more about their values, strengths and aspirations to help them on their leadership journeys 

    Dr Ross Runciman, Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust and Education lead for RCPsych LMF

     

  • In this workshop I will start by discussing what Haiku is, talk about the structure of classical Haiku, and focus on the nature of images in Haiku. I will give examples drawn from Basho (1644-1694) and other masters. Most of the time will be spent on writing Haikus and discussing how to think about Haikus and how to improve on the examples produced during the workshop.

    Speakers:

    Professor Femi Oyebode, Professor and Head of Department of Psychiatry, University of Birmingham (Retired)

  • Overview

    Digital mental health interventions have the potential to transform mental health services through improved access to evidence-based resources and interventions, providing novel therapies and automating parts of diagnostic, monitoring and treatment pathways. Effective, usable and accessible digital innovations could redress the current treatment gaps and ensure that evidence-based interventions reach the people who need them most.

    However, this potential is still largely unrealised in clinical practice. Many commercially developed digital interventions and services available in the marketplace have minimal evidence base and some could even be harmful. Meanwhile, academic-led evidence-based digital interventions are available, but few, if any, have shown sustained uptake and deployment in real-world settings, and many are not available to the public.

    The challenge is to close this academic/commercial divide and research to practice gap, creating an efficient pipeline of usable and effective digital mental health interventions that address clinical unmet needs, reduce health inequalities and can be deployed at scale in real-world settings to improve service efficiency and people’s mental health outcomes.

    Speakers

    Chair: Dr Subodh Dave, Dean, Royal College of Psychiatrists, United Kingdom

    Professor Chris Hollis, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Digital Mental Health, Director, NIHR MindTech MedTech Co-operative, University of Nottingham

    Read more about this speaker

  • Overview

    Between 75% to 90% of individuals with a mental disorder have no access to evidence-based psychological treatments. Our research has shown that non-specialist providers such as community health workers can be trained to deliver evidence-based psychological interventions for common mental disorder. Technology can play a key role in scaling-up such interventions. Recent exciting developments in this area from an ongoing research programme in Pakistan will be presented.  

    Speakers

    Chair: Dr Abdul Raoof, Associate Dean for Advanced Learning and Conferences, Royal College of Psychiatrists, United Kingdom

    Professor Atif Rahman, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom

    Read more about this speaker.

  • Overview

    Addiction to video games, cybersex, internet gambling, social media, texting and emailing, and online auctions can be as addictive as substances. These technological addictions have real-world ramifications and lead to the loss of jobs, money, and loved ones. As technology becomes integrated into many facets of modern life, the appreciation of such addictions has become increasingly challenging. This session will explore the addictive potential of technology and discuss the legitimacy of technological addictions as psychiatric conditions worthy of medical assessment, diagnosis and treatment.

    Speakers

    Chair: Dr Adrian James, President, Royal College of Psychiatrists, United Kingdom

    Dr Petros Levounis, Professor and Chair, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, President, American Psychiatric Association

    Read more about this speaker

  • 10.30am - 11.00am
    Hall 2
    Break

  • Chair: Fiona Gaughran, National Psychosis Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

    Does brain structure and function causally determine mental disorder?

    Graham Murray, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

    Is it possible to predict treatment resistant schizophrenia at initial diagnosis of first episode psychosis - the current evidence

    Saeed Farooq, Keele University, United Kingdom

    Precision medicine in psychosis - where are we now?

    James MacCabe, National Psychosis Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Mariana Pinto da Costa, King's College London, United Kingdom

    The Zimbabwean friendship bench – globalisation of an African mental health programme

    Jermaine Dambi, Friendship Bench, Zimbabwe, University of Zimbabwe

    Addressing maternal mental health through task-shifting in Pakistan: challenges and opportunities

    Siham Sikander, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom

    Depression and Adherence to Treatment for Chronic Medical Illness: Learning from current trials in African countries

    Melanie Amna Abas, King's College London, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Kamaldeep Bhui, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

    Psychiatrists writing fiction: creativity, personal development, public health

    Kamaldeep Bhui, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

    What we fear most: reflections on a career in forensic psychiatry

    Humphrey Needham-Bennett, The Priory Group, London, United Kingdom

    Fiction as self-care and representations of mental illness in mass marketing

    Tim Stevens, Psychiatrist and Novelist, London, United Kingdom

    Aileen O'Brien, Springfield University Hospital

  • Chair: Chloe Beale, Homerton University Hospital, London, United Kingdom

    Speakers:

    Amy Green, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, United Kingdom

    Stephanie Behan, The Bristol Priory, United Kingdom

    James Downs, Psychiatric Liaison Accreditation Network, London, United Kingdom

  • Dr Mary Docherty, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Royal College of Psychiatrists 

    Dr Vivek Srivistava, National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD)

    Dr Hannah Shotton, National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD)

  • Chair: Fiona Gaughran, National Psychosis Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

    Clozapine 2023: translating molecular targets to clinical outcomes

    Christoph Correll, The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York, USA

    Is our mistake trying to identify a “homogeneous” schizophrenia construct?

    Paola Dazzan, King's College London, United Kingdom

    The INTREPID study of psychosis in the Global South

    Robin Murray, King's College London, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Hugo Critchley, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, United Kingdom

    The grieving brain: neuroscience as a lens for prolonged grief disorder

    Mary-Frances O'Connor, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA

    Bereavement and the COVID-19 pandemic: a study of the disruption to normal grieving and its psychological impact on family members

    Kelly Norwood, Ulster University, United Kingdom

    The course of symptoms in the first 27 months following bereavement: a latent trajectory analysis of prolonged grief, post traumatic stress, and depression

    A A A Manik Djelantik, University of Utrecht, Netherlands

  • Chair: Derek Tracy, West London NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom

    Publishing abstracts and posters: top tips and practical strategies

    Sam Chamberlain, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

    What are journal editors looking for in manuscripts and peer reviews?

    Joan Marsh, The Lancet Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom

    Resources to develop research skills and publications: how to meet new curricula and GMC requirements

    Derek Tracy, West London NHS Trust, United Kingdom

    The student perspective: publish or perish?

    Nikki Nabavi, University of Manchester, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Rohit Shankar, University of Plymouth, Truro, United Kingdom

    Mental Health Act changes for people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism in England- an overview

    Rohit Shankar, University of Plymouth, Truro, United Kingdom

    Mental Health Act changes for people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism in England- the patient perspective

    Dan Scorer, Royal MENCAP Society, London, United Kingdom

    Mental Health Act changes for people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism in England- the psychiatrists viewpoint

    Inder Sawhney, Hertfordshire NHS Foundation Trust, Hatfield, United Kingdom

    International comparison of the Mental Health Act changes for people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism in England

    Samuel Tromans, Leicester University, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Owen Bowden-Jones, Central North West London NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

    An overview of student drug use. What is happening in UK universities?

    John De Pury, Universities UK, United Kingdom

    Changing unwanted behaviours: outcomes of a specialist NHS drug service for students

    Owen Bowden-Jones, Central North West London NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

    Mental health, substance; use and young people

    Louise Theodosiou, Consultant Psychiatrist, Manchester, United Kingdom

  • 1.40pm - 2.40pm
    Hall 2
    Lunch
  • Join fellow examiners to network and say hello in this dedicated lunch session, hosted by the Chief Examiner, Dr Ian Hall. Lunch will be served in the room.

  • There will be opportunities for 1:1 speed coaching at the International Congress this year. Following previous years participants have reported benefits from exploring issues ranging from career progression, work-life balance and creative aspirations in a safe, confidential 1:1 session. The coach will guide the discussion to explore options, barriers to progress and develop an action plan.

    In order to make the most of this we ask participants to identify prior to the session an issue, dilemma or difficult decision they wish to address. The 15 minute sessions will be held over the lunch period and will need to be booked in advance via this booking page.

  • Meet your College officers in this special session in the student and trainees' lounge during the lunch break
  • 2.05pm - 2.35pm
    Hall 2
    Rapid fire poster presentations
  • Overview

    Are you ready to take control of your narrative in today's fast-paced media landscape? 

    In an era where every word matters, being prepared is paramount. Our Media Mastery - an introduction to becoming a media spokesperson training is designed to empower you with the necessary skills and strategies to become an expert contributor with confidence. 

    With years of industry experience, we will share how the news cycle for broadcast, print and online media works. You will also learn tips on how to project your message effectively and the best way to portray yourself as a seasoned expert. 

    Discover the art of crafting impactful soundbites, mastering body language and handling tough questions in the interview.

    Don't let the media dictate your story. Take charge, build credibility, and protect your image.  

    In this session you will gain:

    • An understanding of the media landscape, and how the College works to influence change through the voice of psychiatry.
    • Top tips and expertise to help you build your credibility during media interviews.
    • Skills on promoting and protecting yourself, after a media interview. 

     

    Speakers:

    Corrine Bishop, Royal College of Psychiatrists

    Sal Lalji, Royal College of Psychiatrists

  • Overview

    This talk the will focus on how our understanding of obesity has moved on and how much better we understand how the body regulates weight. We now know that for 90% of people weight gain is 90% irreversible. Adipose tissue thermogenesis regulates this process and is influenced by medication – contributing to medication induced weight gain.
    Understanding this interaction between medication and weight helps with empathy in raising the issue of weight and allows a positive start to address weight reduction with realistic goal setting and less self-stigmatisation.   

    Speakers

    Chair: Dr Lade Smith, Congress Co-chair

    Professor Donal O'Shea, National Clinical Lead for Obesity, University College Dublin and Health Service Executive, Ireland

    Read more about this speaker

  • Overview

    Extensive evidence now supports diet quality as an independent risk factor for common mental health problems across countries, cultures and age groups. Experimental evidence also shows that dietary improvement can treat even severe clinical depression.

    This knowledge is now reflected in clinical guidelines. Mechanisms are many and relate particularly to the human microbiota. There is enormous potential for both clinical and public health interventions focused on nutrition for the prevention and treatment of mental, neurodevelopmental, and neurodegenerative disorders, including new possibilities for precision nutrition.

    Speakers

    Chair: Professor Hugo Critchley, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, United Kingdom

    Professor Felice Jacka, Alfred Deakin Professor of Nutritional Psychiatry and Epidemiology

    Read more about this speaker.

  • 3.40pm - 4.10pm
    Hall 2
    Break

  • Chair: Rachel Gibbons, London, United Kingdom

    EDI matters. Why is it important to talk about them? What are the factors that hinder the open and honest conversations?

    Swapna Kongara, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT), Preston, United Kingdom

    Candace Bedu-Mensah, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT), Preston, United Kingdom

    Panel discussion: How to enable helpful conversations regarding racial equality, diversity and inclusion?

    Smita Pandit, Oxford Health, United Kingdom

    Ananta Dave, Black Country NHS ICB, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

    Christy Thozer, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT), Preston, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Anna Crozier, Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Colchester, United Kingdom

    Responsiveness to verbal suggestion: neurocognitive mechanisms and dissociative psychopathology

    Devin Terhune, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom

    Modelling altered self-experience in psychopathology and cultural settings with suggestion, EEG and fMRI

    Quinton Deeley, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom

    Hypnosis and functional neurological disorder

    Wendy Phillips, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Pavan Joshi, RCPsych, Rainbow LGBT SIG Chair, London, United Kingdom

    'On being me'

    Deborah Harman, Former CEO, Ambulance Services, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom

    Transgender journey with healthcare

    Sameera Jahagirdar, West Middlesex University Hospital, London, United Kingdom

    The impact of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia; and the value of LGBTQ+ sub-cultural awareness and competence

    Tim Foskett, North London Group Therapy, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Rory Sheehan, East London NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

    Avoidable causes of death for people with a learning disability- evidence from the Learning from Lives and Deaths (LeDeR) programme

    Andre Strydom, King's College London, United Kingdom

    How mental health services can reduce avoidable deaths

    Anne Worrall-Davies, NHS England, Leeds, United Kingdom

    Decision Support Tool (DST-PH) to reduce premature mortality in people with intellectual (learning) disability- a novel mechanism for stratifying needs

    Sujeet Jaydeokar, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Chester, United Kingdom

    Discussion

    Rachel Snow-Miller, NHS LeDeR programme 

  • Chair: Sam Chamberlain, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

    Long duration of untreated illness in OCD: implications and treatment approaches

    Luca Pellegrini, University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

    Treatment innovations in hair-pulling disorder and skin-picking disorder

    Jon Grant, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA

    Latest evidence-based treatments for gambling disorder: why we shouldn't neglect medications

    Sam Chamberlain, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

  • 6.00pm - 8.00pm
    Hall 1A
    AGM

  • Are you a student or trainee looking to meet other students and trainees? Then don't miss out on the student and trainee event of Congress!

    Join friends and colleagues for a relaxed and informal evening at PINS Social Club, where they put fun at the centre of everything they do.

    Your ticket will include two free drinks, an evening buffet and games, including bowling and ping pong!

    There will also be a cash bar open throughout.

    Book your ticket now!

  • 8.00am - 9.00am
    Galleria
    Registration
  • Overview

    Receiving an invitation can be exciting but daunting to any researcher, particularly to those early on in their academic careers.

    This fringe session aims to demystify peer review and give delegates practical and up-to-date tips and signposts to resources that will help you review a paper more effectively, with more confidence.

    The session will be facilitated by BJPsych Journal Editors and members of the Journals' New Reviewer Programme working group and will include real examples of papers and actual reviewer comments that were submitted for them.

    Speakers

    Chair: Patricia Casey, University College Dublin, Ireland

    Richard Duffy, Rotunda Hospital, Ireland

    Humma Andleeb, University College London, United Kingdom

  • The Congress run is a gentle, guided 5km run leaving from outside the Congress venue at 8am. The event has been a part of the International Congress since 2017 and is designed for everyone, whatever speed you run. So, lace up those trainers and join us for a morning shakeout before the congress sessions begin!

  • Overview

    In this session, Florian will briefly introduce the rationale for psychiatrists becoming familiar with mindfulness-based interventions. Mindfulness can be useful for psychiatrists themselves, but also for their patients. Florian will guide through some meditation practices and share resources that can be used to try this out at home.

    Speaker

    Florian is a Consultant Psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital in London. He is the lead for training and teaching of Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT, Schema Therapy). 

    As lead for the Maudsley Mindfulness Service he has been delivering Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Groups (MBCT) for patients with chronic depression and anxiety problems for 15 years. He is running an MBCT-based program to improve compassion, well-being and resilience in junior doctors. During the pandemic, Florian initiated the Mindfulness-for-All (M4ALL), a live online program for health staff support. Florian is the London-lead of a randomised-controlled multicentre trial investigating mindfulness on patients with CBT-resistant depression.

    Florian teaches Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and MBCT on two MSc Courses in London. He has published in the areas of MBCT, anxiety and depression. 

  • Overview

    Lifestyle and self-care is an engaging session focused on the transformative power of healthy habits and the growing evidence based on the impact of physical activity, nutrition, social connections, sleep, and stress management on mental health and wellbeing.

    The participants are encouraged to use the session to develop their unique lifestyle plan. In addition, the session includes a mindfulness-guided meditation session and practical information and tips needed to make changes that optimise wellness. 

    The session is led by Dr Mihaela Bucur and Dr Sarmila Sinha. 

  • Overview

    Dr Thara Rangaswamy will provide an overview of the activities of the Schizophrenia Research Foundation ( SCARF), a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation in Chennai, India. Dr Rangaswamy will illustrate how the findings and the experience of the many international collaborative research programmes has fed into and impacted community care programmes. This has not just enriched our care programmes but also enabled the optimal utilisation of our scarce resources. This is the journey spanning 40 long years.

    Speakers

    Chair: Dr Abdul Raoof, Associate Dean for Advance Learning and Conferences, Royal College of Psychiatrists

    Dr Thara Rangaswamy, Vice chair, Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF), India

    Read more about this speaker

  • Overview

    Disappointing results from high-profile dementia drug trials tend to grab the headlines and can obscure the reality that psychiatrists already have access to a large number of evidenced interventions that improve symptoms and quality of life and are approved by NICE for use in the NHS. If we were to use the full range of potentially available and clinically effective treatments with our patients, this would have a much greater positive impact on people with dementia and their families than any of the expensive and invasive drug treatments currently in late-phase trials.

    And yet, we don’t appreciate and celebrate the treatment tools that we already have and consequently our patients suffer from a huge implementation gap. Using the examples of long-term cholinesterase inhibitor treatment, evidence-based use of low-dose risperidone, adapted psychological treatments and interventions to support family caregivers, Professor Robert Howard will argue that we should make sure that no patient with dementia is left behind when it comes to access to treatments that we already know work before we invest NHS resources in headline-grabbing novelties that lack clinical effectiveness.   

    Speakers

    Chair: Dr Trudi Seneviratne, Registrar, Royal College of Psychiatrists

    Professor Robert Howard, UCL Division of Psychiatry

    Read more about this speaker
  • 10.00am - 10.30am
    Hall 2
    Break

  • Chair: Lynne Drummond, South West London and St George's NHS Trust

    Economic cost of untreated/poorly treated OCD

    Jemma Reid, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

    Study of what happens to patients with OCD in Community Services

    Sumeet Gupta, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, Harrogate, United Kingdom and Gagandeep Singh, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Birkenhead, United Kingdom

    The experience of patients trying to access help for OCD

    Ashley Fulwood, OCD-UK, Belper, United Kingdom

    What are the problems with current services with respect to helping people living with OCD?

    Lynne Drummond, South West London and St George's NHS Trust, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Alan Carson, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

    Neurological exam for psychiatrists

    Adam Zeman, University of Exeter, United Kingdom

    Cognitive examination beyond the MMSE

    Adam Zeman, University of Exeter, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Daniel Whiting, Nottingham University, United Kingdom

    Human sexuality and factors associated with sexual offending 

    Channa Jayasena, Imperial College, United Kingdom

    Medication to manage sexual preoccupation: a systematic review of the evidence 

    Artemis Igoumenou, University College London, United Kingdom

    Current practice: national audit on medication to manage sexual preoccupation 

    Callum Ross, Broadmoor Hospital, London, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Helen Smith, NHS England, London, United Kingdom

    The harms of restrictive practices 

    Helen Smith, NHS England, London, United Kingdom

    The importance of coproduction - the perspective of an expert by experience

    Brendan Stone, NHS England, London, United Kingdom

    A human rights-based and trauma-informed approach to care and how to create a national movement

    Kate Lorrimer, NHS England, London, United Kingdom

    Why this is a complex culture-based intervention

    Tom Ayers, Royal College of Psychiatrists,  London, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Peter Byrne, East London Foundation NHS Trust, United Kingdom

    Update on data on rising premature mortality in people with mental disorders and addictions

    Peter Byrne, East London Foundation NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom

    Implementing physical health interventions in mental healthcare: next steps for the Lancet Psychiatry Commission

    Joseph Firth, University of Manchester, United Kingdom

    Service user perspectives on smoking and healthy weight management

    Hannah Moore, Equally Well, Southend on Sea, United Kingdom

    Actions to reverse falling UK life expectancy and rising drug related deaths

    Maggie Rae, Faculty of Public Heath, London, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Alan Carson, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

    A clinical approach to dizziness

    Veronica Cabreira, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

    Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness and the sensory mechanisms that promote stable world perception

    Paul Warren, University of Manchester, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Ian Jones, Congress Co-Chair

    Clare Dolman, Bipolar UK and King's College London, United Kingdom

    Simon Kitchen, Bipolar UK, London, United Kingdom

    Allan Young, Centre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom

    Tania Gergel, UCL and Bipolar UK, London, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Gavin Reynolds, Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom

    Cardiometabolic risk factors in people with schizophrenia 

    Gavin Reynolds, Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom

    Translating genetic risk to the clinic 

    Caroline Dalton, Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom

    Ameliorating cardiometabolic consequences in at-risk individuals with psychosis 

    Adrian Heald, Salford Royal Hospital, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Rachel Gibbons, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, United Kingdom

    Interview with Hadiza Bawa-Garba 

    Rachel Gibbons, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, United Kingdom and Hadiza Bawa-Garba, Nottingham NHS Trust, Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Reflecting on the interview with Hadiza Bawa-Garba

    Clare Gerada, Royal College of General Practitioners, London, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Subodh Dave, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, United Kingdom

    History of British Empire and colonialism: lessons about racism and inequalities from history

    Santosh Mudholkar, West London NHS Trust, United Kingdom

    Addressing unequal power structures to embed equality in mental health care

    Rajesh Mohan, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom

    How to decolonise the psychiatric curriculum - RCPsych initiatives

    Subodh Dave, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, United Kingdom

  • 1.10pm - 2.10pm
    Hall 2
    Lunch
  • Meet the Chief Examiner, Dr Ian Hall, during this lunchtime session taking place in the student and trainees' lounge.

  • There will be opportunities for 1:1 speed coaching at the International Congress this year. Following previous years participants have reported benefits from exploring issues ranging from career progression, work-life balance and creative aspirations in a safe, confidential 1:1 session. The coach will guide the discussion to explore options, barriers to progress and develop an action plan.

    In order to make the most of this we ask participants to identify prior to the session an issue, dilemma or difficult decision they wish to address. The 15 minute sessions will be held over the lunch period and will need to be booked in advance via this booking page.

  • 1.35pm - 2.05pm
    Hall 2
    Rapid fire poster presentations
  • Overview

    Are you ready to take control of your narrative in today's fast-paced media landscape? 

    In an era where every word matters, being prepared is paramount. Our Media Mastery - an introduction to becoming a media spokesperson training is designed to empower you with the necessary skills and strategies to become an expert contributor with confidence. 

    With years of industry experience, we will share how the news cycle for broadcast, print and online media works. You will also learn tips on how to project your message effectively and the best way to portray yourself as a seasoned expert. 

    Discover the art of crafting impactful soundbites, mastering body language and handling tough questions in the interview.

    Don't let the media dictate your story. Take charge, build credibility, and protect your image.  

    In this session you will gain:

    • An understanding of the media landscape, and how the College works to influence change through the voice of psychiatry.
    • Top tips and expertise to help you build your credibility during media interviews.
    • Skills on promoting and protecting yourself, after a media interview. 

     

    Speakers:

    Corrine Bishop, Royal College of Psychiatrists

    Sal Lalji, Royal College of Psychiatrists

  • A written model of care provides a shared set of goals, ways and means to deliver measurable health gains for patients. Specialist mental health services are delivered by experts and driven by excellence. Setting goals, describing resources and processes, relating treatments to health gains through measurement based care is a foundation for all that follows in a modern specialist mental health service. 

    Speakers

    Chair: Dr John Crichton, Treasurer, Royal College of Psychiatrists

    Professor Harry Kennedy, Professor of Forensic Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin

    Read more about this speaker

  • Mood disorders are common, complex and costly. They occur throughout the lifespan and impact every demographic group. Treatment modalities range from psychotherapy to pharmacotherapy and other physical interventions (from probiotics to neurostimulation). Combinatorial approaches (e.g virtual reality delivery of psychotherapy) are being developed. The future for these approaches and the impact of technological change upon treatment will be discussed.

    Speakers

    Chair: Fiona Gaughran, National Psychosis Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

    Professor Allan Young, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London

    Read more about this speaker

  • 3.10pm - 3.40pm
    Hall 2
    Break

  • Chair: Apostolos Tsiachristas, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford

    EIP services - what is currently being provided and what should we be aiming for? 

    Belinda Lennox, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

    Predictors of a positive patient reported outcome from early intervention in psychosis – results from a national study

    Ryan Williams, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom

    Health economic evidence for EIP services 

    Edward Penington, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Alan Carson, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

    Brain injury and offending

    Seena Fazel, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

    The neuropsychiatry of brain injury

    Lucia Li, Imperial College London, United Kingdom

  • Samuele Cortese, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom

    Ulrich Muller-Sedgwick, Adult Neurodevelopmental Service, Government of Jersey, Jersey

    Jane Sedgwick-Muller, Education Department, Government of Jersey, Jersey

  • Chair: Peter Thompson, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, United Kingdom

    Improving quality in mental healthcare – what have we learnt and what next?

    Mary Docherty, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, United Kingdom

    Improving prescribing practice in mental health services: the role of the Prescribing Observatory for Mental Health

    Thomas Barnes, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom and Carol Paton, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, United Kingdom

    Learning and impact of quality improvement in ECT 

    Vimal Sivasanker, Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Basildon, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Devika Patel, Black Country NHS Foundation Trust, Dudley, United Kingdom

    Perimenopausal depression

    Prof. Jayashri Kulkarni, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

    Reproductive mental health programme - research and clinical practice

    Professor Arianna Di Florio, Cardiff University, United Kingdom

    Making menopause matter in mental health services: service user and clinician experiences

    Dr Sophie Behrman, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom, Katherine Cannon, expert by experience, Nadira Awal expert by experience and Suzy Crowe, expert by experience

  • Chair: Dr Lisa Page, King's College London

    The importance of nature connectedness in mental health

    Rosa Roberts, Sustainability Champion, Southwest Division and Katie Hall, University of Bristol

    Climate anxiety - an exploration of psychological responses to our global climate emergency

    Peter Knapp, Imperial College London, Marion Neffgen, Consultant Medical Psychotherapist, Dasal Abayaratne, Higher Specialist Trainee in Medical Psychotherapy

    Practical approaches to the climate and ecological emergency for psychiatrists

    Amelia Cussans, Pip Clery, Francis Bennett, Stuart d'arch Smith, Jessica Ball, El Cooke


  • Chair: Alan Carson, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

    COVID CNS - the story so far

    Brendan Sargent, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom

    Cognitive phenotyping in Long Covid

    Alan Carson, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Professor Rob Howard, UCL Division of Psychiatry

    Neuropsychology and neuroanatomy of false memory and delusions in ADNI

    Emma McLachlan, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, United Kingdom

    Evidence-based treatments for psychosis in dementia

    Lon Schneider, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA

    Improving the safety of treatment of psychosis in dementia

    Suzanne Reeves, University College London, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Kate Lovett, United Kingdom

    Psychiatrists and autistic people: making a difference

    Conor Davidson, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds, United Kingdom

    Caring and living with autism: the professional and the personal

    Sujeet Jaydeokar, University of Chester, Chester, United Kingdom

    Autistic people and their experiences of health services

    Ken Courtenay, Care Quality Commission, Newcastle, United Kingdom

  • Chair: Mohammed Al-Uzri, University of Leicester, UK

    Abu Dhabi’s mental health strategy - highlights on integration

    Nahida Ahmed, Ambulatory Health Services-SEHA, Abu Dhabi, UAE

    Can primary prevention be the ultimate goal of integration in low-income countries?

    Manoj Kumar, Mental Health Action Trust, Kerala, India

    Integrated care systems: an opportunity to do things differently

    Paul Gilluley, East London NHS Foundation Trust

    Discussion

    Manoj Kumar, South Asia Division Chair

    Ovais Wadoo, Middle Eastern Division, Chair

    Steve Kisely, West-Pacific Division Chair

    Catherine Mutisya, Africa Division Chair

  • This session will screen Khaldoon's 23 minute film “John Meyer Ward” and focus on the oral history of buildings. We will discuss the past and recent history of psychiatry with Dr Aileen O'Brien, from Springfield Hospital and the communicative power of film, with Dr Peter Byrne.

    John Meyer Ward was the psychiatric intensive care at Springfield Hospital, demolished in 2018. Khaldoon was funded by the National Lottery to record the memories of staff and patients there. 

    Although the film is about a specific place, it represents the histories of similar Victorian asylum buildings across the UK that are no longer in use. These buildings contained many, often painful, stories. The film is now installed at the Museum of the Mind, at the Royal Bethlam Hospital.

    Speakers

    Chair: Dr Khaldoon Ahmed, East London Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

    The Springfield Asylum

    Dr Aileen O'Brien, South West London St Georges NHS Trust, United Kingdom

    Film and psychiatry

    Dr Peter Byrne, East London NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

  • Through the Psychiatrists Support Service (PSS) we are aware that some psychiatrists with a lived experience of mental illness wish to use their experiences to change the systems where many of us work. This workshop will provide a facilitated discussion where we can openly discuss some of these suggestions and make in an impact to the workplace. 

    The workshop will take the format of a large group, facilitated by psychiatrists with experience in this area. RCPsych Registrar Dr Trudi Seneviratne OBE, as College officer with oversight of the work of the PSS, will chair the session.

  • TONIC Music for Mental Health wishes to announce its new pilot programs 'Never Mind the Stigma' and 'Rehabilitation Plus Music:RPM' by showcasing live performances of music which connect people to themselves and others, address stigma, empower and enhance sense of belonging.

    Live at the Congress Fringe, we are to be joined once more by songwiter and recording artist Vinny Peculiar (Silver Meadows, Parlour Flames) following his rave reviews from delegates in Leeds at RCPsych Rehab Conference in 2019 and the virtual RCPsych International Conference in 2021.

    Also this year we have the pleasure of introducing our special guests; The Bebbington Bittermen choir and their musical director James Sills (Do Sing: Reclaim your Voice. Find your singing Tribe. Do Books, 2019). The Bittermen are equally at home singing on the concert stage, at festivals and especially in their spiritual home: The Rose & Crown pub in Bebington, Wirral, UK. James will speak about his passion of helping men to overcome the barriers to participation in the life affirming activity of singing in a choir.  

    Telling of his journey from trainee nurse in a learning disability mental hospital in the 70's, to that of busy recording artist and gigging musician in several bands today Vinny performs songs from his Silver Meadows album and describes his work in the charity TONIC Music for Mental Health

    Dr John Barnes Consultant Rehabilitation Psychiatrist Somerset Foundation Trust and Advisor Tonic Music for Mental Health, will provide a cultural-evolutionary context for music in mental health and outline how delegates can use the music scene in their own locale as a resource for recovery of their adult patients through the Never Mind the Stigma and Rehabilitation Plus Music:RPM programs. 

    www.tonicmusic.co.uk

  • Following the success of our first Congress Party last year we will be returning this year to host another fun filled event!

    We can't wait to welcome you for an evening packed full of dancing, music, food and socialising! Included in your ticket is a complimentary drink on arrival, an evening buffet and music from the Cavern's resident Beatles tribute band!...

    There will also be a cash bar available throughout the night. 

    Book now to avoid missing out!