ARPP President-Elect, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ciprian Băcilă, at the World Congress of Psychiatry in Prague: Romania needs palliative care in Psychiatry

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ciprian Băcilă, Medical Director of the “Dr. Gheorghe Preda” Clinical Psychiatric Hospital in Sibiu and President-Elect of the Romanian Association of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (ARPP), participated between October 5–8, 2025, in the World Congress of Psychiatry held in Prague. The event, organized under the auspices of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), is the most prestigious global forum in the field, representing 147 psychiatric societies from 123 countries and over 250,000 psychiatrists worldwide.

Psychiatry and the ethics of palliative care

Dr. Băcilă was invited to speak in the Presidential Session on Ethics, where he joined experts from Poland, Italy, Israel, and Senegal to discuss the role of psychiatry in a rapidly changing world. In his address, he emphasized the importance of integrating psychiatrists into multidisciplinary teams that care for terminally ill patients.

“There is a major need for palliative care in Psychiatry in Romania. It is essential that psychiatrists be part of the team caring for terminally ill patients, to assess their mental state and the usefulness of psychotropic treatments that can ease suffering, ensuring that life ends in as much dignity as possible,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ciprian Băcilă, ARPP President-Elect and Vice President of the Romanian Association of Social Psychiatry (ARPS).

Romania in line with global psychiatric dialogue

Romania’s participation in the World Congress of Psychiatry in Prague highlights the country’s growing engagement in global discussions on medical ethics and interdisciplinary approaches to patient care.