The 10th EAMHID International Congress: integrating different approaches in the neurodevelopmental perspective – the mental health care evolution timeline

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of main outcomes of the 10th EAMHID International Congress and a critical overview of some key contributions. Design/methodology/approach – A discussion on the impact of the neurodevelopmental perspective on mental health care achievements and failures in the field of intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Findings – The considerable progress in the field of mental health care for people with ID that has been made in the last 30 years and that is reflected through the 350 papers presented in this Congress represents the continuation of the work of great pioneers, such as Frank Menolascino, Felix Platter or William I. Gardner, who have been honoured by the EAMHID in the naming of the congress rooms, and the dedication of the poster award. The neurodevelopmental perspective was confirmed to be the current most valued conceptual framework to explain relations across systems and to support multi-level, transnosographic, life-long, interdisciplinary approaches in the production of aetiological insight and good-quality intervention for mental health problems; on the other hand it might determine a premature abandonment of the traditional nosology and the appearance of very broad spectrum conditions covering the full range of psychopathology. Also psychopharmacology was extensively considered, with the explicit aim to raise the attention of researchers and clinicians on this neglected topic. Unfortunately, adults with ID/ASD are still deprived of the right to receive treatments that are based on strong evidence, as it is for the general population. Originality/value – This editorial outlines the second part of a special issue that offers a comprehensive and varied collection of papers from the contributions to the 10th International Congress of the EAMHID.