Guayaquil to host II International Mental Health Congress in 2026

The II International Mental Health Congress, titled ‘Mental Health in Times of Crisis 2026 — From Vulnerability to Collective Resilience’, will take place on September 1, 2, and 3, 2026, in Samborondón, Ecuador. Organized by the Hospital de Salud Mental (HSM) and the Universidad Espíritu Santo (UEES), the event will host over 40 national and international experts, including psychiatrists, psychologists, neuroscientists, and legal specialists.

The congress aims to address contemporary challenges such as increased social violence, collective grief, migration, and the impact of emerging technologies. The academic program is divided into thematic axes, including a focus on the neuropsychiatry of trauma and violence, post-traumatic stress, suicidal ideation, and gender-based violence.

Scheduled at the UEES Aula Magna, the event honors Dr. Pedro Benjamín Posligua Balseca, a former President of the Ecuadorian Society of Psychiatry. Featured speakers include international psychiatrist Rodrigo Córdova Rojas, who will discuss mental health prevention and psychotic episodes.