The International Conference of Sports Psychiatry (ICSP) is the leading global event in the field of sports psychiatry, providing a platform for scientific and clinical exchange on sports, exercise, and mental health. The ICSP is a collaborative conference organized jointly by the Swiss, German, and Austrian Societies for Sports Psychiatry and Psychotherapy.

Under the leadership of the Swiss Society for Sports Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, and Dr. Malte Claussen, the 4th ICSP will take place on May 8th and 9th, 2026, bringing together professionals from psychiatry, psychology, sports medicine, and research at the beautiful Psychiatric Centre Muensingen, located in the Canton of Bern.

Over the course of two days, inspiring keynotes, interdisciplinary symposia, and a high-caliber panel discussion will foster an exceptional environment for knowledge exchange and networking at an international level.

08:00
Registration

08:45
Opening and Welcome Remarks
Malte Claussen

09:15
Keynote 1
From Early Frameworks to International Standards:
The Literature Defining Sports Psychiatry
David Prossor, London, United Kingdom

10:00
Session 1
Physical Activity and Mental Health
Chairs: Christian Imboden, Markus Gerber

Structured Physical Activity in Swiss Psychiatric  Hospitals - Current State and Recommendations 
Christian Imboden, Solothurn, Switzerland

Using dual-mode theory to design the next-generation physical activity counseling programs in patients with depressive disorders
Markus Gerber, Basel, Switzerland

Transdiagnostic physical activity counseling in outpatient adolescent psychiatry: Results from the TRANSPAC study   
Christin Lang, Bern, Switzerland

Scaling-up trauma-informed sport and play: Moving from expert delivery to a coach-the-coach approach in forced migration settings 
Florian Knappe, Basel, Switzerland

Physical activity and mental health in university students: Results from a large international cohort study (UniLife-M)
Maria Eduarda Guimaraes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

12:00
Lunch Break
Sports Program

12:30
General Assemblies
Swiss Society of Sports Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
German Society of Sports Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Austrian Society of Sports Psychiatry and Psychotherapy

13:30
Lecture Recreational sports
Anabolic Androgenic Steroids in Recreational Sports
Ingo Butzke, Muensingen, Switzerland

14:30
Session 2
Alpine Sports
Chairs: Christian Mikutta, Katharina Huefner

Building a treatment registry for elite athletes in mountain sports to improve mental healthcare 
Evelyn Pircher-Nöckler, Innsbruck, Austria

How can we make mountain sports more easily accessible for individuals living with mental disorders?
Alina Dieminger, Innsbruck, Austria

PTSD treatment options for alpine elite skiers recovering from highspeed accidents
Daniela Sinsel, Meiringen, Switzerland

The potential of therapeutic climbing and bouldering psychotherapy in the treatment of mental disorders 
Katharina Luttenberger, Krems, Austria

Mental traumata in alpine Sports
Christian Mikutta, Meiringen, Switzerland

16:30
Panel Discussion
To be announced

20:00
Evening Program and Networking

08:30
Registration

09:00
Opening 
Malte Claussen

09:15
Keynote 2
Changing the Game: The Emergence of Sports Psychiatry in the United Kingdom
Carolyn Nahman, Oxford, United Kingdom

10:00
Session 3
Data to Action - Interprofessional Mental Health Care in Swiss Competitive sports 
Chairs: Michael Liebrenz, Daniel Birrer, Philipp Röthlin

Mental Health in Swiss Elite Sport: Prevalence,  Organisational Responses and Early Interventions 
Philipp Röthlin, Magglingen, Switzerland

From Screening to Support: Interprofessional Helth-Care in Swiss Sports 
Isabelle Schramm, Magglingen, Switzerland

Mental Health Clinics in Elite Sport: A Swiss Sports Psychiatry Model
Michael Liebrenz, Bern, Switzerland

From Physical Complaints to Mental Health Concerns: The Role of Sports Medicine in Interprofessional Care 
Patrik Noak, Abtwil, Switzerland

12:00
Lunch Break
Sports Program

13:00
Keynote 3
Mental Health in Athletes Following Concussion: A Clinical Profile Perspective 
Raymond J. Pan, Pittsburgh, USA

14:00
Session 4
Behind the Medal - Sports Psychiatry in Elite Sports
Chairs: Frank-Gerald Bernhard Pajonk, Alexander Schorb

Mental health among professional soccer players 
Frank-Gerald Bernhard Pajonk, Zell, Germany

REDs and eating disorders in elite athletes
Petra Dallmann, Heidelberg, Germany

Optimal Sports: a mental health care concept
Petra Kronberger, Krems, Austria

From screening to support: a nationwide SMHAT-1 system for olympic and paraolympic athletes 
Wojciech Waleriańczyk, Warsaw, Poland

16:00
Conference Closing