Welcome

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to invite you to attend the 16th European Congress of Psychiatry, which will take place in Nice, France, April 5 – 9, 2008.

This annual Congress is organized by the Association of European Psychiatrists (AEP), which is the largest international association of psychiatrists in Europe with members in 63 countries.

The theme of the Congress is Pathways to Integrative Care, which are important in all health sectors, in particular psychiatry, where the professionals are confronted to a dual challenge.

First of all, developing practical care pathways adapted to the patients, while emphasising the specificity of the field as to its relational and biological aspects.

At the same time, these pathways are also to be structured so as to enable a multidisciplinary approach.

The structuring of these care pathways must stand at the following levels:
(a) at teaching, student level and (b) at diagnostic, treatment and research level.

The objective of this congress is to provide tools allowing each and one of us to reflect better on this type of organisation, based on the experience issued from different parts of Europe.

The high quality Scientific Programme will include state-of-the-art lectures, plenary lectures and core symposia will indeed provide you with a full update on the most important aspects of treatment in psychiatry and on the latest achievements in this field.

The Congress will serve as well the educational mission of the AEP through a variety of CME courses, educational workshops, lectures and symposia. The Congress will be fully accredited by the EAC-CME of the UEMS (European Accreditation Committee for Continuous Medical Education).

Last, attending this meeting in Nice will also be an opportunity for you to discover, or rediscover, the capital and emblem of the French Riviera. The city of Nice is indeed both a world-famous and enchanting beach resort and an old city of unique charm with a very rich cultural, artistic and culinary tradition. Nice is also an excellent starting point for excursions in the nearby Côte d’Azur, which is renowned for its beautiful scenery and luminous light.

We look forward to welcoming you in Nice!