UK Critical Psychiatry Network Symposium
Friday 17th April 2026
‘Recent developments in psychiatry and critical psychiatry’
Venue: Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL
‘Recent developments in psychiatry and critical psychiatry’
Venue: Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL
Programme
09:00 Tea/Coffee
09:30 – 09:35 Chair’s Welcome
09:30 – 09:35 Chair’s Welcome
Session 1
09:35 – 10:20
Martin Plöderl
Ketamine and Esketamine: Breakthrough or Hype?
Martin Plöderl
Ketamine and Esketamine: Breakthrough or Hype?
10:20 – 11:05
Michael Hengartner
Creeping Depression: The Expansion of The Concept of Depression
Michael Hengartner
Creeping Depression: The Expansion of The Concept of Depression
11:05 – 11:30 Coffee
11:30 – 12:00
Josef Witt-Doerring
Lessons I’ve Learned from Tapering over 300 Patients over the Last 5 Years
Josef Witt-Doerring
Lessons I’ve Learned from Tapering over 300 Patients over the Last 5 Years
12:00 – 12:30
Mark Horowitz & Adele Framer
The Art and Science of Deprescribing
Mark Horowitz & Adele Framer
The Art and Science of Deprescribing
12:30 – 13:00 Discussion
13:00 – 14:15 Lunch
Session 2
14:15 – 15:00
Rosemary McCabe
Epistemic injustice in emergency psychiatric care and how to overcome it
Rosemary McCabe
Epistemic injustice in emergency psychiatric care and how to overcome it
15:00 – 15:45
David Bell
Psychiatric Diagnosis: an essentialist error – highlighted by the case of gender distress in children and adolescents
David Bell
Psychiatric Diagnosis: an essentialist error – highlighted by the case of gender distress in children and adolescents
15:45 – 16:15 Coffee
16:15 – 17:00 Discussion
17:00 Close