Running in the FAMILY - Understanding and predicting the intergenerational transmission of mental illness

From 27–29 October 2026, the FAMILY consortium gathered in Bologna, Italy, for its 5th General Assembly (GA) Meeting. Partners came together for three days of inspiring discussions, knowledge exchange and collaboration, reflecting on the project’s progress, sharing new findings and results, and defining priorities for the final year of the FAMILY project.

The meeting kicked off on 27 October with a dedicated Early Career Researcher (ECR) Masterclass, entitled “How Many Arms Does an Academic Need? Women, Men, and the Reality of Career Building”. The session provided an opportunity to explore different aspects of academic career development, discuss challenges and opportunities, and exchange experiences and perspectives.

The two main meeting days were filled with exciting new findings, scientific results and lively discussions across the different work packages. Partners reviewed the progress achieved so far, exchanged ideas and addressed key priorities and next steps for the final project year. An important focus was also placed on the sustainability of FAMILY’s results and activities beyond the project’s lifetime, exploring how the knowledge, resources and collaborations established throughout the project can continue to create impact.

The meeting also provided a valuable platform for the next generation of researchers. During a dedicated ECR poster session, early career researchers had the opportunity to present their work, share their findings and receive feedback from colleagues across the consortium.

Beyond the scientific discussions, the GA Meeting was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect in person, strengthen collaborations and look ahead together.

A big thank you to all FAMILY partners and early career researchers for their active participation and inspiring contributions. We look forward to building on this momentum and seeing the FAMILY project make further progress during its final year!

The FAMILY project will bring together international research on the FAMILY project at the EPA Congress 2026 in Brescia, Italy, with a dedicated symposium on young people at high familial risk.

The symposium, “Identification of genetic, individual and environmental risk factors for the development of mental disorders in young offspring at high familial risk,” will be chaired by Caroline Vandeleur and co-chaired by Anne Thorup.

The session will provide findings from longitudinal studies across Europe, focusing on how mental health difficulties emerge and develop from childhood into adolescence and early adulthood.

FAMILY Researchers will present new evidence on early psychotic experiences and psychopathology, childhood predictors of later mental disorders, potential protective factor, and the interplay between direct genetic effects and parental environmental influences.

To sum up, the presentations underline the importance of understanding risk and resilience from the earliest stages of development. By identifying factors that increase vulnerability and that may protect against later difficulties, the research can help towards a better understanding, earlier identification and more effective prevention of mental disorders.

The FAMILY project is looking forward to meeting you at EPA Congress 2026 in Brescia and share our research findings with you.

At the EPA Congress 2026 in March in Prague, EUFAMI presented  the FAMILY project at their booth, emphasizing the vital role of families in mental health care and explaining how the project aims to change how we understand and prevent the intergenerational transmission of mental illness by integrating genetics, environment, and lived experience into innovative prediction models.

EUFAMI as a key partner in the project ensures that family perspectives guide both research and policy translation. The initiative underscores a core message: effective prevention begins with understanding—and understanding starts by listening to families.