The NVvP Spring Congress (Voorjaarscongres) is the annual conference of the Dutch Association for Psychiatry, with over 4,000 members and more than 2,000 attendees each year. The congress brings together psychiatrists, residents in psychiatry, and researchers from across the country to discuss the latest developments in the field.
From Insight to Impact
From 15 to 17 April, the theme was ‘From Insight to Impact: Psychiatry in Motion’. This year, the department of Psychiatry of Amsterdam UMC and partners were once again broadly represented, both in terms of content and organisation. Colleagues contributed to a wide range of topics, from guideline development and AI in the consulting room to metabolic psychiatry, depression care, neuromodulation, and LGBTIQ+ care. For example, Dr. Jurjen Luykx gave a plenary presentation on real-world studies, Prof. Dr. Guido van Wingen discussed the opportunities and prerequisites of AI in psychiatry, Dr. Roel Mocking, Dr. Mardien Oudega, Prof. Dr. Patricia van Oppen, and Prof. Dr. Neeltje Batelaan contributed to the symposium on the revised guideline for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, and Dr. Anja Lok chaired a symposium on metabolic psychiatry, in which Dominika Karaszewska also participated. Dr. Yasmin Namavar was involved in a discussion group on attention to Gaza in psychiatry.
There were too many options to choose from. In every time slot, several parallel sessions featuring contributions from colleagues could be attended. A selection of those involved includes: Dr. Sem Cohen, Dr. Sisco van Veen, Mette Palm, Hanna Bosman, Stéphanie Dijkstra. Dr. Tim van de Grift, Dr. Yasmin Namavar, Prof. Dr. Birit Broekman, Prof. Dr. Christiaan Vinkers. Vera Korenblik, Dr. Wouter van Ballegooijen, Dr. Hein van Marle. Dr. Tara Arbab, Dr. Jet Heering, Dr. Debbie Zittema. Dr. Karel Scheepstra, Gosse Mol, Dr. Laura Han, Dr. Sophie Fitzsimmons, Dr. Welmoed Krudop. Prof. Dr. Sandra Kooij, Dr. Esmeé Verwijk, Prof. Dr. Odile van den Heuvel, Prof. Dr. Lieuwe de Haan. Prof. Dr. Arne Popma, Prof. Dr. Jan Booij, Prof. Dr. Aartjan Beekman. Dr. Wouter de Jong, Dr. Junus van der Wal, Dr. Irma Hein Prof. Dr. Hilgo Bruining, and Prof. Dr. Ramón Lindauer.
Read more about the congress on the NVvP website.
Organisation
Amsterdam UMC was also visible in the congress organisation, with Dr. Mariken de Koning (member of the Academic Collaborative Center for Severe Psychotic Disorders) as chair of the congress committee. And Dr. Roel Mocking, Dr. Wouter Peyrot, and Dr. Marco Boks as committee members. At the end of the congress, Mariken handed over the chairmanship to Roel.
Even outside the scientific programme, we were strongly present. At the well-attended themed party night, set in the 1980s, Arne Popma, Gosse Mol, and Ramón Lindauer played in the band, with Rob Wichers as singer. Crowd surfing and a collective sit-down made the party especially memorable.