Countdown to the 16th EAMHID-Congress in 2027
Save the date for our next EAMHID Congress in Thessaloniki!
The EAMHID call for the paper award 2026 is open!
For papers published in 2025 or 2026 by researchers in the field of intellectual disability and mental heath.
Papers will be evaluated by a scientific commission of the eamhid scientific committe through the following criteria:
-the article is published in 2025-2026
- the article is well written, in a fluent and clear english language
- the article is related to the Joint Seminar topic, emotions, relationships, bonds, communication in Intellectual Disability and mental health.
- the paper regards an experimental study (either qualitative or quantitative) with persons with ID and their families, it is not supposed to be a review or a metanalysis.
- the impact of the results for people with ID is clear.
To submit:
write a motivation letter together with your published paper and send it to info@eamhid.eu wit as subject: EAMHID paper award 2026
Deadline for submission: 15 October 2026
We are pleased to invite you to CoDis 2026 – Meeting Them Where They Are: Emotion, Communication, and the Power of Connection, which will be held in Rome on 5–6 November 2026 at Casa Santa Rosa.
The conference is dedicated to intellectual disabilities, with particular attention to adulthood, and aims to promote dialogue between research, clinical practice, and services.
The programme, registration details, and all updates are available on the dedicated CoDis 2026 webpage. The registration is now open.
Good news! EAMHID gathered a team of guest editors for a special issue of the conference “TOWARDS 100% SOCIAL EQUITY AND PARTICIPATION IN THE AΙ AGE” which will take place from 23th to 25th of September 2027 in Thessaloniki, Greece.
We welcome submissions in areas related to this theme, including but not exclusive to mental health, child and family care, social policy, coproduction, education advances and public health.
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See more:
Mental Health, Mental Well-being and Intellectual Disability Research
www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com
We are seeking submissions of original research for a special edition to celebrate the European Association of Mental Health in Intellectual Disability (EAMHID) congress in September 2027.
EAMHID is in Hamburg 🇩🇪 at Campus Uhlenhorst!
We’re here with Konekt APEMH and In-Red Galicia for the second TPM of our Erasmus+ project Exploring the Inclusive Power of Co-creation in Events (EXP-IPCC-E) — and the message is simple: an event is only truly successful when everyone can take part.
Accessibility and inclusion mean that all people, whatever their physical, sensory or cognitive abilities, can fully participate and engage. The most reliable way to get there? Building events around Human-Centred Design and co-creation from the very first planning step.
That means bringing everyone to the table — persons with disabilities, educators, event planners, community representatives — so that inclusion is designed in, not added on.
Through co-productive focus groups analysing real events, EXP-IPCC-E will map what works and what gets in the way. The findings will come together in a dedicated toolkit and video tutorials to help educators, support staff and event planners create events that meet Universal Design principles — fully in line with the #UNCRPD and the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Because a society that starts by making its events inclusive is a society building stronger, fairer, shared foundations for everyone. 💙
#Inclusion #Accessibility #UniversalDesign #CoCreation #DisabilityRights #InclusiveEvents
Big news! A new partnership for inclusion and mental health.
We're thrilled to share that EAMHID and Plena Inclusion Spain have officially joined forces! 🎉
Today, May 6 2026, we signed a cooperation agreement to work side by side for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities — strengthening mental health, promoting inclusion, and improving quality of life across Europe. 🌍
Together, we'll be working on:
✅ Joint training to improve support practices
✅ New strategies for mental health and inclusion
✅ Sharing scientific and hands-on knowledge ✅ More visibility and advocacy
✅ Accessible info, translations, and adapted materials
✅ Webinars, conferences, and joint events
✅ New European projects and initiatives
Because real change happens when we work together. 💙
Together, we make a difference.
#Inclusion #MentalHealth #IntellectualDisability #DisabilityRights #Europe
Dear members and interested parties,
we want to point out our 5th Internationat Joint Seminar with St. Lukas-Klinik, NEED and the Anton Došen Foundation on 7th of May 2026
Advanced Aspects of Emotional Development (SEO/ED) in People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
More information about fees and registration are available in the file enclosed.
Big news for the 16th EAMHID Congress!
We just had the pleasure of visiting our future venue, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you!
The Thessaloniki Concert Hall is nothing short of breathtaking. Designed by world-renowned Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, this iconic landmark sits right on the waterfront of Thessaloniki, where the sea breeze meets stunning architecture that blends contemporary design with echoes of the city’s rich Byzantine heritage.
With a main auditorium seating over 1,400, multiple flexible halls accommodating from 100 to 500 guests, and cutting-edge technology throughout, this venue is perfectly equipped to host our congress in style. Whether it’s plenary sessions, workshops, or networking moments, the Concert Hall has it all — including a magnificent multi-level foyer bathed in natural light and overlooking the Thermaic Gulf. 🌊
And the location? Simply wonderful. Just minutes from Thessaloniki’s vibrant city centre, easily accessible by car, bus or a scenic stroll along the newly renovated waterfront promenade.
We are thrilled to be bringing the 16th EAMHID Congress to such a remarkable and inspiring setting. Stay tuned for more updates — this is going to be one to remember! 💙🤍💛
#EAMHID2027 #Thessaloniki #ThessalonikiConcertHall
On 28 januari 2026 the EAMHID members had the opporyunity to attend a webinar on: Understanding Meaning in Stereotyped and Self-Injurious Behaviour: A Child-Centred, Step-by-Step Approach. The presenter was prof. dr Paula Sterkenburg.
58 psychiatrists, psychologist and pedagogues managed to join and participate during question time and in the chats. The strength of the approach, as illustrated through four case studies, lies in its systematic exploration of the possible functions that such behaviours may serve.
The Dutch book is in the process of translation and will be ready in the summer. This is the link to the Dutch version: bartimeus.nl/alle-publicaties/boek-begrijp-je-me-goed
Today is the International day of Persons with Disabilities, an important moment to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.
EAMHID joins organisations across Europe and beyond in marking this important celebration, which reminds us that inclusion is not a slogan, but a continuous commitment to rights, dignity, and equal participation. Across our network, we witness every day the talent, resilience, and contributions of persons with disabilities…but we also see the barriers that persist in accessing decent employment, housing, education, digital access, and community life.
Removing these barriers is not just a social imperative — it is a collective responsibility.
Mental health and wellbeing for persons with intellectual disabilities are not optional add-ons — they are human rights that must be embedded in every system, every policy, every community. EAMHID stands at the intersection of research, practice, and human dignity — building bridges, advancing knowledge, and championing the right of every person to flourish.
#IDPD2025 #mentalhealth #intellectualdisability #humanrights #inclusion #accessibility #eudisabilitystrategy #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs
Very interesting vacancy: Assistant Clinical Professor/Associate Clinical Professor - School of Social Policy and Society - 106600 - Clinical
edzz.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com
The University of Birmingham is seeking to appoint an Assistant or Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry or a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry within the newly established Intellectual Disabiliti...📣📣📣
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.What was your favourite moment during #eamhid25? We asked some people on the final day! Watch it here🤩
Volunteers Milo and Levi asked participants on the last day what their most important insight was. Watch it here! 👀
“𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦, 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳.”
𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗘𝗔𝗠𝗛𝗜𝗗!
At #EAMHID25, more than 50 volunteers made the difference. You couldn't miss them, wearing their red shirts 👚 🔴.
They welcomed participants, guided people through the ICC building, supported speakers during the Q&A’s, shared stories and input as part of the inclusive communications team, and even showed the beauty of Ghent as city guides.
This congress was not just talking about inclusion – it was about putting it into practice. And that was only possible thanks to our volunteers.
THANK YOU ❤️
A week ago today self-advocate Harry Roche gave a keynote on the rights of people with disabilities to make their own decisions. He spoke with a clear passion for advocacy, accessibility and human rights. And he reminded us that most of all, we need to make the change together. #eamhid25
Do you remember the video we shared during the opening ceremony? It highlighted our journey to co-creation, starting from individual talents and working together to shape the EAMHID congress as an inclusive, collaborative experience for everyone.
Missed it? Watch it here!
Photographer and volunteer Marc Beaucourt captured the atmosphere of the congress through his lens. Enjoy!
We hope you all enjoyed #EAMHID25. Coming weeks we will be sharing some more photos, videos and insights from this year's congress.
Can you spot yourself dancing during the congress party? Check out the photos here!
Thank you Kristof Bellens to capture these moments 📸
👍🏻
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𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮!
Over the last 3 days, we welcomed 956 people from all over the world to #eamhid25. There were 80 registrations for client and coach. We received 400 abstracts. Thank you for 3 days filled with education, connection and inspiration. We are so honored to have welcomed all of you in the beautiful city of Ghent.
Check out our recap of the final day! 👉 mailchi.mp/eamhid2025.eu/recapday3
🤩Congratulations to the winners!
The poster prize goes to ‘Development of the Trauma Screener. Intellectual Disability TS-ID for adults with mild intellectual Disability or Borderline Intellectual Functioning’ - Anne Versluis
The Anton Dosen dissertation prize winner is ‘The SID Pain App. Design, development and testing of a pain measurement application for use in the care for adults with Severe or profound ID’ - Helen Korving
The most inclusive contribution is ‘In connection with the neighborhood. How residential care facilities of Philadelphia Care Foundation are working towards more connectedness with the neighborhood based on reciprocity.’ - Kaeren Elbrese, Mariska Van Cutsem, Miriam Zaagsma.
We asked some participants why the EAMHID congress is important to them.
Check out the answers here 👇
At #EAMHID25, we aim to be as inclusive as possible. Practically, that means people with and without disabilities work side by side, before and behind the scenes. Everyone contributes from their own set of talents and their unique point of view.
Tane is a volunteer who has taken on different roles in the past 3 days: he worked in our Communications Team to interview speakers and guests, he’s been a host, and today he is co-chair. “I liked trying new things. I was a bit nervous to interview people, but it went really well. It was interesting to hear their thoughts. I had a lot of fun!”
Good morning. What a fun party yesterday! I hope you all enjoyed and are fresh for a new day 😉. We only have 2 more keynotes and a lot of parallel sessions to go, before the end of #EAMHID25. At 13:00 there's a closing ceremony.
Enjoy the final talks!
What a 2nd day at #eamhid25!
Ready for a daily recap? Check it here! 🔗👉 mailchi.mp/eamhid2025.eu/recapday2
Professor of clinical psychology Tony Ward gave a keynote about how the Good Lives Model can be applied for people with intellectual disabilities and mental health needs. He challenges us to see difficult or even criminal behaviour through the lens of primary human goods. We have to recognise that every human being has the same basic needs, such as happiness and relationships. We often take on problems from a perspective of tackling negative behaviour, instead of looking at the reason for that behaviour: which needs are not being met?
If we look through the lens of the Good Lives Model, we can ask 1 primary question: “What did you always want to do?” Start from the answer to that question, then learn new, different skills. This way, alternative life paths come into view and connection forms through a purpose, a community and shared values. #EAMHID25
We asked some participants how they would describe EAMHID in one word! Or two, or three...😄
Check out the answers here 👇
Professor of clinical psychology Tony Ward just started his keynote. He tells us how the Good Lives Model can be applied for people with IDs and mental health needs.
Don't forget to take a look at the posters on floor 1! One of these will be awarded tomorrow at the closing ceremony🥂
A new adventure begins at the EAMHID25 Congress. Today we officially kick-off the Exploring the Inclusive Power of Co-creation in Events (EXP-IPCC-E) Project, together with Konekt, APEMH, In-Red Galicia, and @CampusUhlenhorst
An amazing occasion to analyze real cases of organized events via co-productive focus groups involving partners, educators, persons with disabilities, event planners, community representatives. The action is aimed at helping improving the competences of educators and other learning and supporting staff of social service providers that are regularly involve in the organization of events of any size, as well as event planners that will then have tools to ensure events are fully accessible and inclusive, in line with the UNCRPD and the European Strategy for the rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Harry Roche gave a keynote about Rights to make our own decisions. We had some follow-up questions for him, and wondered what the participants took away from his experiences. #eamhid25
Harry Roche is a self-advocate, driven to promote inclusion and equality for people with intellectual disabilities. With his experience in advocacy, accessibility and human rights, he is committed to building an inclusive future where no one is left behind. Today he spoke at #EAMHID25 about the rights for people with intellectual disabilities to make their own decisions. Here's what we remember most from his keynote...
Meanwhile dr. Noelle Blackman starts her keynote with a question: How can we support people in their grief? Dr. Blackman has worked extensively to support people with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disabilities and their families who have experienced severe trauma.
Harry Roche kicks off the day with his keynote. He is driven in self-advocacy, accessibility and human rights. Today he speaks on the right for people with intellectual disabilities to make their own decisions.
Goodmorning! It’s a new day at #EAMHID25, with thought-provoking sessions and meaningful exchanges on the horizon. We will hear from keynote speakers Harry Roche, Dr. Noelle Blackman, and Prof. Dr. Tony Ward. Stay tuned for interesting insights from their sessions. And tonight we end the day with a congress party. See you there!
𝗪𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗼𝗳 ‘𝗚𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁’ 𝗯𝘆 𝗟𝘂𝗸 𝗗𝗲𝘄𝘂𝗹𝗳
Did you enjoy the talk about talent by Luk Dewulf? Enter our contest en win a copy of his card set for young talent!
🎉 How can I win?
✅ Post a photo of the congress on Facebook, Instagram or Linkedin, before 19/09 11:00 AM
✅ Mention how you could use Luks vision on talent.
✅ Tag with #EAMHID25 AND #talent.
We treated everyone to a sweet local delicacy: ‘neuzekes’. They were new to all of you but are a true classic in Ghent!
𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺!
Wondering who’s managing our social media? Meet the team behind the scenes! Volunteers with a talent for interviewing, writing and photography join forces with Konekt’s communications team to keep you updated on all things EAMHID.
Want to say hi? You can find us right by the entrance, or post using #EAMHID25.
International lecturer and autism expert dr. Peter Vermeulen kicked off the #EAMHID25 congress with his keynote speech ‘From neurodiversity to neuroharmony’. He shared some interesting strategies to enhance the well-being of people with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities. Here are 5 insights to remember from his keynote...
EAMHID25 has officially started with an opening ceremony. Ghent choir Zie Ze Zingen started us off with some music! #eamhid25
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