OVERVIEW

32nd International Symposium on Controversies in Psychiatry is organized by Association of Controversies in Psychiatry / Asociacion de Controversias en Psiquiatria and will be held from Apr 16 - 17, 2026 at Modernist site of Sant Pau - Museum, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Theme: Mental disorders of the 21st century

Description:
This year we once again offer the mixed event format introduced in 2016, with in-person attendance and the possibility of joining via live videostreaming, in order to reach all professionals anywhere in the world who cannot travel to Barcelona. In any case, we trust that Controversies in Psychiatry will continue to be a reference meeting for the global community of mental health professionals.

Each year the symposium deals with a relevant Mental Health topic for which the main experts from around the world are invited as speakers. Each of them presents their experience and the results of their research completely independent of the pharmaceutical industry. Controversias is the only event of its kind in continental Europe and we believe that the continued success of the audience over time validates its format and proposed methodology.

This year’s theme, will address four areas: emerging addictions beyond traditional substance use, including digital overload, chemsex and new substances; depression and affective disorders, with emphasis on why they are harder to treat and the debate on psychedelic therapy; self-harm and suicide, with special focus on adolescence and risk prediction using AI and biomarkers; and emotional dysregulation and the limits of distress, including adolescent distress, behavioral alteration and the role of psychiatry in a society obsessed with happiness.