Mission Statement

The Winter Workshop on Psychosis (Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorders) meeting has been established for many years and remains true to its original principles. These are as follows:

• To provide excellent quality continuing medical education.
• To further the understanding of all aspects of the science and treatment of the broad group of symptoms known as psychoses, focusing mainly on Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorders.
• To create a forum for the exchange of information, ideas and research results across country boundaries.
• To generate a dynamic and provocative single track programme including: plenary lectures, debates, workshops, oral poster platforms, and poster tracks.
• To provide an interactive framework for communication between industry and academia.
• To facilitate the ongoing education and communications between researchers, academics and clinicians through a not-for-profit conference, the Winter Workshop.
• To particularly encourage the contribution and attendance of Young Scientists.

In recent times definitions and diagnoses of many conditions in Psychiatry have come under question and terms that were commonplace have been superseded.  Advances in knowledge and understanding of genetics, plus imaging techniques allowing us to see the pathological processes underpinning psychiatric conditions have played a major role.

Psychosis as a symptom cluster, is at the core of the controversy over the definition of Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective disorders.  Can we call these conditions ‘Dopamine Dysregulation Disorder’ or is this too specific (involving only one neurotransmitter)? The psychoses are also closely involved in the expansion of the diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder into the much broader Bipolar Spectrum – but how much are they involved in Bipolar II disorder for example, or is that purely an affective disorder?  Psychotic symptoms are involved in many other conditions such as severe depression, chronic and acute/sub-acute neurodegenerative disorders, epilepsies, choreas and many neurological states induced by environmental factors (infections, stress, migration, drugs…), much can be learnt from the underlying organic pathology and the symptoms experienced which relates to more mainstream Psychiatric disorders.

In this ever-progressing environment of better understanding, the WWP will review the current situation regarding the aetiology and underlying pathogenesis of psychoses.  The consequences for diagnoses and definitions will also be reviewed along with a full update on current therapeutic options.