The 22nd International Congress of the European Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (ESCAP 2027) is held in Athens, Greece, from 24 to 27 June 2027. Hosted jointly by the Greek and European child and adolescent psychiatry communities, the congress carries the theme "Child and Adolescent Mental Health in a Polarized World."
The organising committee frames the theme around a clear clinical reality: today's world is marked by profound change and stark contrasts at national, European and global level, all of which affect the mental health of children, adolescents and young adults. Successive crises — economic, health-related, political, climatic and migratory, including war — form a persistent framework of risk factors for mental health and for chronic, long-term psychological trauma. At the same time, significant advances have been made in research into mental illness, in the range and evidence base of psychological therapies, and in the opportunities created by technology.
ESCAP 2027 will therefore explore in depth the impact of successive crises on young people, the influence of technological advancement and the digital age on both daily clinical practice and young people's lives, and the progress of research and neuroscience across child and adolescent mental health. The published congress structure includes a committees section, a full programme with invited speakers, an agenda overview and defined congress themes, an abstract submission track, a Research Academy for early-career delegates, and an industry exhibition and sponsorship programme, all governed by a published code of conduct.
Practical information published by the organisers covers registration, visa invitation letters, accommodation, the congress venue, moving around the city, and general guidance for visitors to Athens. A separate listing of other associated events is also maintained on the congress site.
Athens — described by the hosts as the land of Asclepius and Hippocrates and the birthplace of democracy and dialectics — offers an accessible European destination with direct connections from the Gulf. For child psychiatrists, paediatricians with a mental health interest, clinical psychologists, psychiatric nurses, school and community mental health teams and researchers, ESCAP 2027 is Europe's central multidisciplinary meeting in the field, and the Research Academy in particular is worth noting for trainees planning an academic career.
