"United Minds: A Connected Approach to Trauma, Resilience, and Mental Health" represents an innovative effort within the EUTOPIA Alliance to address significant mental health challenges intensified by global crises like the war in Ukraine, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic. This community leverages cross-disciplinary expertise from leading European universities to explore the neural, socio-affective, and socio-cognitive mechanisms that underpin trauma and resilience. By marrying academic rigor with real-world application, this initiative seeks to revolutionise mental health strategies and support systems for the betterment of individuals and communities alike. Our comprehensive programme includes hybrid symposia, interactive workshops, and participatory sessions designed to engage a diverse array of participants, including students, researchers, mental health professionals, policymakers, and those with personal experiences of trauma. Together, we aim to foster a deep understanding and cultivate resilience across Europe, setting new standards in mental health education and research. Join us in this vital journey towards a more resilient society.
Our Activities
International Symposium on Trauma, Resilience and Mental Health (May 7–8, 2026, Dresden & online)
United Minds: A Connected Approach to Trauma, Resilience and Mental Health
The Social and Digital Psychiatry group at the University of Warwick is part of the EUTOPIA Connected Community on Trauma, Resilience and Mental Health. This community organised a joint international symposium, hosted at Dresden University of Technology. Taking place on 7th – 8th May 2026, the event brought together an eclectic mix of academic researchers, mental health practitioners and students from across the University of Warwick, Dresden University of Technology (Germany), Babeș-Bolyai University (Romania) and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium). Attendees exchanged cutting-edge international research and practice developments for trauma and mental health, working together to generate ideas for novel strategies aimed at improving mental health for individuals and wider communities.
The event started with a warm welcome and engaging presentation by the event’s host, Dr Annika Konrad (Dresden University of Technology), sharing her research on intrusive thoughts and empathy in individuals with affective disorders and PTSD. We then heard from Professor Andrei Miu from Babeș-Bolyai University, who presented his work on empathy and emotional regulation, followed by his colleague Professor Aurora Szentagotai-Tatar, who gave an engaging talk on childhood adversity and positive emotions. The programme then explored practical applications of trauma-informed approaches, with Dr Luna Grosselli presenting an interpersonal psychotherapy programme designed to support teenagers affected by the war in Ukraine. These presentations then concluded with
Professor Domenico Giacco from the University of Warwick, who showcased the novel and multifaceted work of the Social and Digital Psychiatry group, including the development and evaluation of social interventions for people with severe mental illness and their families, and the group’s emerging work on AI-based intervention models.
Following the event, Dresden University of Technology arranged a walking tour of Dresden. The tour offered a poignant insight into the devastation caused by the bombings of the Second World War, and the city’s incredible efforts to rebuild their grand architecture. This tour demonstrated Dresden’s resilience to adversity, and its ability to generate beauty from profound destruction, providing a fitting metaphor for the event and the potential of this academic collaboration.
