06/16/2026
What a wonderful start to the conference in !
Today, we officially kicked off the start of our conference, welcoming attendees from more than 30 . With nearly 300 across posters, oral presentations, panels, and symposia, the of truly highlight the strength of our work within forensic mental health and our community.
The day began early with a meeting of the Board of Directors and Advisory Board, reflecting on the past year and discuss future directions for instance for the conference, the journal, the newsletter, our Special Interest Groups (SIGs), and the , , and Committee.
We then received a warm welcome from our current , Vivienne de Vogel, setting the stage for an exciting conference ahead.
One of the highlights of the opening session was the of the IAFMHS Forensic Mental Health Nursing Standards, presented by Tess Maguire - an important milestone for the forensic mental health field.
We were also privileged to hear an keynote address from Linda Gröning on "How are mental disorders relevant to criminal responsibility? A legal research perspective", reflecting on controversial topics such as the defense, diagnoses and the relevance of in the system.
then joined parallel sessions covering a wide range of topics, for instance on , , , and building for forensic mental health .
The day concluded with a fantastic at the beautiful Helsinki City Hall, where colleagues and friends came together over a glass of wine and delicious food to reconnect, network, and celebrate the start of the conference.
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to making the first day such a success. Looking forward to the days ahead!
