The biennial conference is an established event organised by the Centre for Mental Health Research in association with the University of Cambridge. The conference discusses topics ranging from neuroscientific basis of mental health to state-of-the-art treatments for various psychological, psychiatric, neurodevelopmental and psychosomatic illnesses.
Now in its seventh year, the conference aims to foster national and international collaborations, and to encourage the undertaking and delivery of research that can be fed back into treatment programmes to enhance primary and secondary prevention.
Dr Angie Cucchi’s work, Mentalising in Eating Disorders and Personality Disorders: the role of emotions, explores the relationship between these two conditions in the context of recent evidence that suggests shared underlying core difficulties for both disorders.
‘Presenting at the Cambridge International Conference on Mental Health is always an absolute honour. I particular enjoy the challenge of bringing a psychological and systemic outlook to an audience who is often biologically and neuroscientifically inclined. While I recognise the importance of brain scans and the medical model, I am passionate about encouraging a more psychologically and relationally-oriented approach to mental health.
‘I noticed this year an increase in the exploration of the role of the arts in the treatment of mental health, which was a refreshing change from previous years and a sign of a more holistic approach to psychological and psychiatric distress – even at Cambridge! After all, as Larner (2004) argues: human beings are complex presentations that can be explained in relational, spiritual, ethical and political terms. So, why not use a variety of approaches to conceptualise and address what’s going on for us?'