Welcome to the Congress

Distinguished Members of the International and Russian Organizing Committees, and the Scientific Committee,

Dear colleagues,

I am deeply honored to welcome you to the II Congress on Mental Health: Meeting the Needs of the XXI Century!

The first Congress, held in Moscow in 2016, has created a platform for an open professional dialogue along with an exchange of views and experiences of the world’s leading experts, scientists, researchers, and practitioners united by a common goal — that is to improve the quality of services in the field of mental health.

The forthcoming event is intended to discuss the role that education plays in solving problems related to mental health.  The philosophical nature of mental health and its connection with the fundamental aspects of human life defines the versatile nature of the modern education system.  This system features multi-layered structure of educational sources including specialists from various sciences and sectors as well as “non-specialists” - mental health care users, their families and NGOs representing their interests.  Our primary goal is to create favorable conditions for their effective collaboration on the basis of mutual understanding.

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to improve professional education in the field of mental health.  This involves the integration of the latest research findings in psychology, psychotherapy, functional neurology, neuroscience as well as the best medical and non-medical practices into the system of continuous graduate and post-graduate professional education. 

The importance of education in the field of mental health is highly relevant not only to certain professions and academic disciplines, but also to the mental health service users as well as their families and other social groups.  This is precisely why the contemporary education system should be comprehensive and interdisciplinary yet still be open-minded in nature.  It should take into consideration the needs of each targeted group along with the age, gender and social requirements of every consumer segment of society.

The Congress enables us to discuss the content and methods of the modern educational process, exchange experiences and, finally, to prepare recommendations for improving the education system in mental health which could be included in our national agendas.

The Congress is expected to become a truly great academic and social event. I would like to note that this has only become possible through the effective team work of our partners including Russian and international professional organizations as well as individuals, which generously shared their knowledge and experience.  May I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude and deep appreciation to the members of the Russian and International Organizing Committees, the Scientific Committee for their invaluable contribution to the preparation of the Congress program.  I am particularly pleased to highlight that we have been successfully collaborating with many of them for years and this is a great honor for us.

We look forward to meeting you in Moscow! We will make every effort to ensure you enjoy Russian hospitality, friendly atmosphere and the beauty of historical sites in Moscow.