The conference in brief
The spirit of the conference
The twenty-fifth conference approached relapse not as a failure but as a signal that can be understood and prevented. The theme linked the genetics and neurobiology of recurrent conditions with the therapeutic relationship, psychoanalysis and the organisation of care, while new questions – artificial intelligence, digital mental health, adult ADHD – found their place in the programme. The 2026 Assoc. Prof. Georgi Koychev Award was presented to Dr Chavdar Dilov, and the Dr Zdravka Guerdjikova and Dr Ivan Guerdjikov Award for young psychiatrists, presented for the second time, went to Dr Silviya Ralovska (its first recipient, in 2025, was Dr Evgeni Papazov).
Programme highlights
- Ivan Koychev (Imperial College London) – dynamic biomarkers for translational experimental medicine in Alzheimer’s disease.
- Anna Guerdjikova (University of Cincinnati, USA) – relapse in eating disorders: diagnostic complexity and weight stigma.
- Vladimir Nakov – “Cras, cras et semper cras…”: the recurring pattern of reform in Bulgarian psychiatry.
- Dancho Dilkov, G. Dimitrova and T. Nikolova (Military Medical Academy) – rTMS for preventing relapse in depression.
- Georgi Dzhupanov (Suhodol psychiatric hospital, Sofia) – social contagion and mimetic desire (René Girard) in addiction.
- Tania Guenova (Antibes, France) – a psychoanalytic view of repetition and relapse; Valentin Kalinov (Plovdiv University) – artificial intelligence between psychopathology and psychoanalysis.
- Yavor Delchev (Paris) – digital mental health in France (with Velina Negovanska) and “Caring for patients with ADHD in France: clinical, social and inclusive challenges” (with S. Nikolaeva).
- Elena Mihaylova (Kalimat Medical Centre) – medical and psychosocial management of ADHD.
- Silvia Sarakostova (Pirogov Hospital) – psychiatric aspects of post-intensive care syndrome.
- A working group led by Ana Popova and Evgeni Papazov (Prof. N. Shipkovenski Mental Health Centre) on relapse action plans and psychiatric emergencies; educational modules in psychopharmacology and in forensic psychiatry and psychology (Petar Marinov and colleagues).
Participants
Psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and psychotherapists from institutions across Bulgaria – St George University Hospital in Plovdiv, Sofia University, the Military Medical Academy, Pirogov Hospital and the Shipkovenski Mental Health Centre – were joined by colleagues from the United Kingdom (Ivan Koychev), the United States (Anna Guerdjikova) and France (Tania Guenova, Velina Negovanska, S. Nikolaeva).
XXV SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON PSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
WITH INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION
„THE RELAPSE“
15-16 May 2026
Sofia
Hyatt Regency
Dear colleagues,
Once again our annual conference passed successfully, bringing us positive emotions and a lot of new knowledge! We are very happy that we had the opportunity to organize this event and that you all supported us by attending it!
We are grateful to all the participants who shared this event with us! We are grateful to all our colleagues and friends from abroad who especially came and joined the conference. We are grateful to all the active participants who filled our program with so many important and increasingly interesting topics. We also are grateful to the organizers who made this event happen. And last but not least, we are grateful to all the sponsors who made this event possible.
We are looking forward to meeting you again next year!
We will be waiting for you!
From the Organisation commitee
of "College of Private Psychiatry" Association
SPONSORS
IN COLLABORATION WITH THE
EUROPEAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION
ORGANISATION COMMITTEE
Chairperson:
Dr Ana Popova
Members:
Dr Fanka Koycheva
Dr Silviya Ralovska
Dr Georgi Vishev
Dr Lozana Arsova
Dr Anna Dzhisova
Dr Ruslan Zhelev
Dr Lora Tsutsumanska
Dr Evgeni Papazov
Dr Katerina Petkova
Dr Avram Chankov
Dr Kalin Gardev
Dr Siyana Kaneva
Dr Antoana Uzunova
Dr Andzhela Stefanova
Dr Tsvetelina Chakova
Dr Doroteya Koleva
Dr Mihaela Marinova
Dr Ivana Ivanova
Dr Konstantina Belchilova
Iva Halova
Dimitar Ganchev
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Chairperson:
Prof. Dr Petar Marinov
Members:
Dr Ana Popova
Dr Nikola Markov
Prof. Rumyana Krumova-Pesheva
Dr Ivan Koychev
Dr Yavor Delchev
Assoc.prof. Dancho Dilkov
Dr Ivo Natsov
Dr Yordan Ganev
Assoc.prof. Vladimir Nakov
Dr Anna Dzhisova
Dr Ruslan Zhelev
Dr Lora Tsutsumanska
Dr Katerina Petkova
Dr Evgeni Papazov
Dr Siyana Kaneva
Dr Antoana Uzunova
Dr Mihai Pirlog