The European Brain Council (EBC) was proud to participate in the 34th European Congress of Psychiatry, organised by the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) and held at the Prague Congress Centre from 28 to 31 March 2026. Gathering thousands of mental health professionals, researchers, policymakers and patient advocates from across Europe and beyond, the Congress convened under the theme “Mental Health: Improving Care and Expanding Horizons” — a call to action that resonated deeply with EBC’s own mission to improve care pathways for people living with brain disorders, mental and neurological alike.

Throughout all four days of the congress, participants were engaged in interdisciplinary exchanges and the kind of collaborative spirit that only a gathering of this scale can generate. From cutting-edge research presentations to policy-focused roundtables, the programme offered something for every strand of the mental health community. The diversity of perspectives on display — clinicians, neuroscientists, lived-experience experts, carers, and advocates — made this congress especially rich and inspiring.

EBC contributed actively to this agenda through four key sessions and a dedicated exhibition booth, reinforcing its role as a bridge between neuroscience, clinical practice and European health policy.

The discussion was energetic and forward-looking, with strong consensus emerging around the idea that ‘expanding horizons’ in mental health must begin with dismantling the silos that still characterise too much of European health systems. The conversation furthermore emphasised that Europe is not lacking innovation, but rather implementation strategies. Frédéric Destrebecq announced that the newly launched European Partnership for Brain Health will included calls dedicated to exactly that – implementation of innovative research findings into real-world impact!

The session brought together clinicians, policy voices and patient representatives to explore mental and brain health across the lifespan, the intersection of physical health and multimorbidity, the role of lifestyle and social determinants, and the persistent challenge of reducing the mortality gap for people living with serious mental illness. The Policy Forum set a tone of ambition and collaboration that carried through the rest of the congress.

EBC President Suzanne Dickson’s presentation drew on the growing body of evidence linking early biological and psychological markers to psychosis onset, and challenged the audience to think about what it would mean to truly invest in prevention — not just in the clinical sense, but as a political and systemic commitment. Schizophrenia, she argued, is not simply a late-stage psychiatric syndrome — its most damaging consequences (cognitive impairment, loss of function, physical comorbidity, social exclusion) accumulate early, during a high-plasticity window in late adolescence and early adulthood when brain development is still ongoing. This biological reality, she emphasised, is both the challenge and the opportunity: “The brain is still malleable — but only if services can act before disability consolidates.” She spoke to the power of a brain health framing: by understanding schizophrenia and related conditions through the lens of brain development and neurobiology, clinicians, researchers and policymakers can make far more targeted, evidence-based decisions about where to intervene and when.

The auditorium was well-attended, and the exchange that followed the presentations was lively and substantive. The collaboration between FENS and EBC was itself a statement: neuroscience and psychiatry, for too long operating in parallel, have much to gain from working in close, structured alignment. This joint symposium embodied exactly the kind of ‘expanding horizons’ the congress theme called for.

The Rethinking Schizophrenia project — a joint initiative between EBC and the EPA — aims to assess the health and societal benefits of improved interventions compared to current or inadequate care, and to translate data into actionable policy recommendations. This phase of the project builds on extensive fieldwork across nine European countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom), drawing on insights gathered from over 200 health practitioners to map patient care pathways and identify systemic gaps.

The APA-WPA setting gave the project important visibility on a truly global stage. The results, which highlight the urgent need for more coordinated, multidisciplinary approaches to schizophrenia care, prompted a rich discussion about the challenges of translating research into reform — and about the role of international organisations such as EBC in bridging that gap. The conversation in the room confirmed what EBC has long argued: that schizophrenia remains a condition where the distance between what we know and what we do is far too wide, and where the human and economic cost of inaction is simply too high.

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Recommendations clustered around three priorities: shortening delays to care through scalable early detection and rapid-access pathways; making functioning a core outcome rather than an afterthought, with routine assessment and targeted psychosocial support; and building reform readiness in health systems through sustainable financing, cross-sector governance, and the careful, equitable use of digital tools.

These exchanges reminded us precisely why multistakeholder dialogue is not a nice-to-have but a strategic necessity. Policy does not exist in a vacuum: the decisions made at European and national level about funding, care standards, workforce, and system design translate — directly and often rapidly — into the structures that clinicians work within and the options available to their patients. When a European directive shapes a national mental health strategy, when a reimbursement decision determines which treatments are accessible, when a policy recommendation pushes for integrated care pathways, the effects trickle down to every consultation room and every patient interaction. These conversations reinforced EBC’s conviction that one of its most important roles is to be that bridge: making the policy-to-practice chain visible and legible to clinicians, and in turn ensuring that clinical realities and patient needs remain audible at the policy level.

Beyond the formal programme, the congress offered countless informal opportunities for exchange — over coffee, in the corridors, at side meetings — and EBC’s team made the most of every one.

Introduction 

Following the recommendations set out in the Rethinking Schizophrenia Care Pathway in Europe study paper, the next phase of the project — Country Profiles: Beyond Mental Health – A Brain Health Approach to Schizophrenia Prevention and Care — focuses on analysing country-specific models of care and identifying opportunities to improve prevention, early detection and integrated care across Europe. After a roundtable meeting in Poland in June 2025 and a webinar exploring the Danish context in December 2025, the project continued with a dedicated Germany-focused webinar on 4 March 2026. The event was organised by the European Brain Council (EBC) and the German Brain Council, together with the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the University of Munich and the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the University of Lübeck. The webinar, titled "AI-supported prediction and intervention: A comprehensive approach to integrated biopsychosocial schizophrenia care", brought together clinicians, researchers, policymakers, patient advocates and representatives from mental health organisations to discuss current developments and challenges in schizophrenia prevention and care in Germany. The programme featured presentations covering AI-supported early detection, translational research linking genetics to brain function, innovative care delivery models such as inpatient-equivalent home treatment, lifestyle interventions, and the perspective of families and caregivers. These contributions were followed by a roundtable discussion on future directions for improving schizophrenia care within a broader European brain health framework. 

Opening address by Prof. Peter Falkai

In his opening remarks, Prof. Peter Falkai (Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Munich) welcomed participants and emphasised the importance of advancing schizophrenia care through a comprehensive brain health approach that integrates prevention, early detection and long-term recovery support. He highlighted that schizophrenia remains one of the most complex psychiatric disorders, often emerging in adolescence or early adulthood and requiring coordinated action across healthcare, social and community services. 

Prof. Falkai also stressed the importance of combining scientific innovation with system-level transformation, noting that advances in digital technologies, neuroscience and personalised medicine offer new opportunities to improve early identification and treatment outcomes. He underlined that initiatives such as the Rethinking Schizophrenia project provide a valuable platform to translate scientific progress into improved care pathways and policy development across Europe.

The Rethinking Schizophrenia Project – European perspective by Prof. Pavel Mohr

Prof. Mohr (National Institute of Mental Health, Prague) introduced the Rethinking Schizophrenia project, which evaluates schizophrenia care models across nine European countries. The initiative aims to identify systemic gaps, assess outcomes and propose strategies to strengthen integrated care pathways across Europe. 

The study involved a survey of more than 200 mental health professionals, assessing access to services, care continuity and recovery outcomes. The findings highlight significant challenges across Europe. More than half of respondents considered national schizophrenia care systems inadequate, while many reported limited access to community mental health services. Early detection services were available in less than half of the cases reported.  The study also highlighted barriers affecting recovery and long-term care, including lack of social support, negative symptoms and cognitive impairment. Fragmented services and delayed recognition of symptoms were identified as factors that prolong pathways to care. 

The project proposes eight strategic action areas, including strengthening early detection programmes, expanding psychosocial interventions, improving workforce capacity and investing in research and data-driven decision-making.

AI-supported early detection and intervention by Prof. Nikolaos Koutsouleris and Dr. Léon Franzen

Prof. Nikolaos Koutsouleris (Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich) presented advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence for early detection of psychosis. His research focuses on integrating large multimodal datasets, including clinical information, neuroimaging, genetic data and cognitive assessments, to improve the prediction of psychosis risk. AI-based models can identify patterns that are not detectable through traditional clinical assessment alone, enabling clinicians to stratify individuals according to risk levels and personalise preventive interventions. This approach has the potential to support earlier diagnosis and reduce the transition from high-risk states to full psychotic disorders. 

Prof. Koutsouleris emphasised that while these technologies show significant promise, their successful implementation requires robust validation, ethical oversight and careful integration into clinical decision-making processes. 

Dr Léon Franzen (University of Lübeck) presented the PASTA project (Preterm-to-Adolescent Specifically Tailored Assessment), which aims to identify risk markers for psychiatric disorders during adolescence. By analysing clinical, biological and behavioural data, AI tools can support clinicians in detecting patterns that indicate increased risk of psychosis much earlier. 

Such approaches have the potential to improve risk stratification and enable preventive interventions earlier in the disease trajectory. Early identification of individuals at high risk could reduce the likelihood of progression to full psychosis and improve long-term functional outcomes. 

However, both speakers emphasised that predictive models must be carefully validated and integrated into clinical workflows in ways that support clinicians and protect patient rights.

From genetics to animal models: understanding disease mechanisms by Prof. Sabine Hölter-Koch

Prof. Hölter-Koch (Helmholtz Munich) presented research exploring how genetic findings can be translated into insights about brain function and psychiatric disease mechanisms. 

Schizophrenia is a highly complex disorder with both common genetic variants and rare mutations contributing to risk. Recent genomic studies have identified hundreds of associated loci but understanding how these genetic factors influence brain function remains a major scientific challenge. In genetics, an associated locus (plural: loci) refers to a specific location on a chromosome that has been statistically linked to a disease or trait through genetic studies. In schizophrenia research, large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of loci associated with increased risk of the disorder. These loci do not represent single “schizophrenia genes”; rather, they indicate regions of the genome where genetic variations contribute to disease susceptibility. Many of these loci influence biological processes such as synaptic signalling, neuronal development and neurotransmitter systems, helping researchers understand the complex biological mechanisms underlying schizophrenia. 

By combining genomic data with brain transcriptome mapping and animal models, researchers can better understand how disease-related genes affect neural circuits. Mouse models and behavioural phenotypes such as prepulse inhibition (PPI) provide valuable tools to study mechanisms relevant to schizophrenia. 

These approaches enable researchers to identify candidate genes and pathways involved in synaptic function and glutamatergic signalling, helping to bridge the gap between genetic discoveries and clinical applications. 

Inpatient-equivalent psychiatric care (StäB) by Prof. Andreas Bechdolf

Prof. Bechdolf (Charité/Vivantes Berlin) presented evidence on inpatient-equivalent home treatment (StäB), a model introduced in Germany through legislation in 2018. 

This approach allows hospital-based multidisciplinary teams to deliver intensive psychiatric treatment directly in a patient’s home environment. Daily visits and structured treatment protocols ensure that patients receive care equivalent to inpatient services while remaining in their familiar surroundings. 

Evidence from a multicentre cohort study comparing home treatment with traditional inpatient care found similar clinical outcomes across several indicators, including symptom severity, quality of life and employment integration. 

However, the home treatment model demonstrated higher patient satisfaction, greater involvement in decision-making and reduced reliance on hospital services over time. The model is increasingly implemented in Germany and represents an important step towards more recovery-oriented mental health care.

Lifestyle and exercise interventions by Prof. Rebekka Lencer

Prof. Lencer (University of Münster/University of Lübeck) highlighted the role of lifestyle interventions in schizophrenia treatment, particularly the benefits of physical activity. 

Medication remains an essential component of treatment, but pharmacological approaches alone are often insufficient. Many patients experience metabolic side effects from antipsychotic medication, and treatment adherence can be challenging. 

Exercise and lifestyle interventions can help to improve metabolic health, cognitive functioning and overall wellbeing. Physical activity has also been associated with structural changes in the brain, including improvements in hippocampal volume. 

However, barriers such as low motivation, negative symptoms and self-stigma can limit participation. To overcome these challenges, programmes should focus on individualised fitness plans, motivational support and peer engagement. 

Perspective of families and caregivers by Gabriele Glocker

The webinar also included an important perspective from families and caregivers. 

Gabriele Glocker (Federal Association of Relatives of Mentally Ill People (BApK)) highlighted several major challenges faced by families supporting individuals with schizophrenia in Germany. These include persistent stigma, fragmented welfare systems, and shortages of mental health professionals. 

Families often experience significant stress when patients refuse treatment due to lack of insight into their condition. In addition, gaps in coordination between hospital services and community care can make it difficult to ensure continuity of support after discharge. 

The presentation emphasised the need for greater involvement of families in care planning, stronger support structures for caregivers and reductions in stigmatization from clinicians.

Roundtable Discussion

The webinar concluded with a roundtable discussion moderated by Prof. Peter Falkai (University of Munich, European Brain Council), bringing together perspectives from clinical research, policy and patient advocacy. Participants included Prof. Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg (German Brain Council), Prof. Christoph Correll (Charité University Medicine Berlin), Bernhard Seidenath (Member of the Bavarian State Parliament), and Gabrielle Glocker (Federal Association of Relatives of Mentally Ill People – BApK).  

Prof. Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg highlighted the importance of linking advances in neuroscience and genetics with improvements in clinical care pathways. He emphasised that schizophrenia should be increasingly addressed within a broader brain health framework, where early identification, prevention and long-term functional recovery are central objectives. Strengthening collaboration between research institutions and health systems was identified as a key priority to ensure that scientific discoveries translate into real improvements for patients. 

Prof. Christoph Correll stressed the importance of early intervention and integrated treatment approaches, particularly during the early stages of psychosis. He noted that combining pharmacological treatment with psychosocial interventions, lifestyle approaches and digital tools can significantly improve long-term outcomes. Prof. Correll also highlighted the potential of data-driven and personalised medicine approaches, including AI-supported risk prediction, to support more targeted and preventive care strategies. 

From a policy perspective, Bernhard Seidenath, Member of the Bavarian State Parliament, underlined the need to strengthen mental health services and ensure sustainable investment in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. He emphasised that innovative care models—such as community-based services and home treatment approaches—should be further supported to improve accessibility and continuity of care. Mr. Seidenath also stressed the importance of reducing stigma and improving public awareness of schizophrenia. He pointed out that some German states have good care in place that other states could benefit from adopting. Representing the perspective of families and caregivers, Gabrielle Glocker reiterated the challenges faced by relatives supporting individuals living with schizophrenia. She highlighted the need for greater involvement of families in care planning, improved coordination between hospital and community services, and stronger support structures for caregivers. Addressing stigma and improving access to information and support were identified as key priorities for improving outcomes and quality of life for patients and their families. 

Overall, the roundtable discussion emphasised the need for greater integration across research, clinical practice, policy and lived experience. Participants agreed that strengthening early detection, improving continuity of care and promoting recovery-oriented services are essential steps toward a more comprehensive and effective approach to schizophrenia prevention and care in Germany and across Europe. 

The discussion reinforced the value of approaching schizophrenia within a broader brain health framework, which recognises the interconnected nature of neurological and psychiatric disorders and promotes prevention across the lifespan.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Prof. Peter Falkai and Frédéric Destrebecq (Executive Director, European Brain Council) closed the meeting. The Germany webinar represents an important milestone in the Country Profiles phase of the Rethinking Schizophrenia project. By bringing together diverse perspectives from research, clinical practice, policy and lived experience, the event provided valuable insights into the strengths and challenges of schizophrenia care in Germany. 

Key themes emerging from the discussions include the importance of early detection, integrated biopsychosocial care, innovative service models and stronger support for families and caregivers. 

The insights generated through the Germany webinar will contribute to the broader European analysis of schizophrenia care pathways and inform future policy recommendations aimed at improving prevention, treatment and recovery outcomes across Europe.