23-24 September, Radisson Blu Marina Palace, Turku, Finland
Nordic Marcé Congress 2025
IMPORTANT DATES
Deadline for the abstracts: Abstract submission is now extended until May 1st!
Early bird registration deadline: 30 June 2025
Final registration deadline: 15 September 2025
Warm welcome to Turku and Nordic Marcé Congress 2025!
The next Nordic Marcé Congress will be held 23-24 September in Turku, Finland. We invite you to Turku to meet new and familiar faces to get inspired and discuss with Nordic colleagues. The topic of the congress is "Preventing and treating perinatal mental health problems".
The lovely city Turku has a long history as the first capital of Finland. The congress participants will find vivid cultural events and superb restaurants to visit and enjoy. The river Aura, flowing through the centre, is the heart of the city and can easily be followed down to the sea on a walk or a bike ride.
Congress is co-hosted by the Itla Children´s Foundation/the First 1000 days, the Finnish Perinatal Mental Health Association and the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.
Registration
Early bird registration: open until 30 June
Deadline for registration: 15 September
Early bird registration is now open!
More information of the registration can be found on the registration form.
The registration fees are free of VAT, except for the congress dinner tickets (VAT 25.5%).
If you have any questions concerning the registration, contact aboaevents@certia.fi.
Abstracts
Congress participants are invited to submit abstracts. Abstracts for the congress are submitted via Google docs.
Abstract submission opens 10 February 2025.
Deadline for submitting Abstract submission is now extended until May 1st. Notification of an approved abstract will be sent out by 25 May 2025.
Instructions
You can write the abstract in English. The maximum length of the abstract is 300 words. You can choose between a scientific or a clinical abstract, we welcome both.
Clinical abstract should include: title, introduction/background, purpose of the project or work, description of the project/work, conclusions, names of the contributors and their workplace/affiliation.
Scientific abstract should include: title, introduction, aim of the study, materials and methods, conclusions and implications, names of the contributors and their workplace/affiliation.
If you have any questions concerning the abstract process, please contact eeva-leena.kataja@utu.fi (Nordic Marcé president).
Keynote speakers
Pim Cuijpers
Prof. dr.
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
Title of the talk:
“Preventing and treating perinatal depression: State-of-the-art and future challenges”
Pim Cuijpers is Professor emeritus of Clinical Psychology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands and director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Dissemination of Psychological Interventions in Amsterdam.
He is specialised in conducting randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses on prevention and psychological treatments of common mental disorders across the life span.
Hasse Karlsson
Emeritus Professor
University of Turku
Title of the talk:
“Maternal depression and anxiety during pregnancy – What happens in the fetal brain”
Hasse Karlsson is Emeritus Professor of Integrative Neuroscience and Psychiatry at University of Turku and Chief Physician at Turku University Hospital as well as former Chairman of the Board of Neurocenter Finland.
He is the founder of FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. This cohort has so far resulted in over 250 publications and 25 PhD theses. Currently 45 PhD students are working on their theses. He has published 514 scientific articles.
Shannon Lenze
PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine
Title of the talk:
“Perinatal Interpersonal Psychotherapy: A review of the evidence and glimpse into the future.”
Dr. Lenze is a clinical psychologist, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Washington Univeristy School of Medicine in St. Louis Missouri, and Adjunct Professor in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University.
She serves as the Co-Director of the Perinatal Behavioral Health Service and the Director of Psychotherapy training for the psychiatry residency program. She has been a member of the International Society of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for over two decades and currently serves on the ISIPT Executive Council. Dr. Lenze’s research and clinical work is primarily focused on mood and anxiety disorders during pregnancy and postpartum.
Invited speakers
Eeva Ekholm
Docent, Faculty of Medicine
University of Turku
Title of the talk:
"Advanced care for high-risk pregnancies: Interactive 4D Ultrasound Intervention"
Sari Ahlqvist-Björkroth
University Lecturer, Psychology Docent, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology
Psychologist, Docent / Associate Professor
University of Turku
Title of the talk:
"Advanced care for high-risk pregnancies: Interactive 4D Ultrasound Intervention"
Program
23/9/2025
Congress program, Tuesday, 23 September
Kindly notice that the congress will be held in English
8.30-9.30 Registration
9.30-9.45 Opening of the congress, Ph.D., Adjunct professor Eeva-Leena Kataja
9.45-10.45 Keynote 1: Shannon Lenze, Washington University: Perinatal Interpersonal Psychotherapy: A review of the evidence and glimpse into the future (recorded presentation).
Host: Finnish Perinatal Mental Health Association
10.45-11.15 Coffee break + posters
11.15-12.15 Keynote 2: Hasse Karlsson: Maternal depression and anxiety during pregnancy - What happens in the biology?
Host: The FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study
12.15-13.15 Lunch
PARALLEL SESSIONS
13.15-14.30
Parallel session 1. Parent-Infant Psychotherapy : Mirja Sarkkinen & Elina Savonlahti: Finnish Integrative Parent-Infant Psychotherapy (FIPIP) in theory and practice
Parallel session 2. Perinatal Mental Health in the Nordics: Assesment and Interventions in Antenal Care, Part 1: Mari Berglund, Saara Sourander, Tarja Korpilahti-Leino, Terja Ristkari, Tiia Ståhlberg & Andre Sourander : "Strong together - Randomized controlled stydy for antenatal depression" (30 min).
Ylva-Li Lindahl: Implementation and evaluation of a programme for antenatal psychosocial assessment in Västmanland Region in Sweden. (20 min)
Sigridur Sia Jonsdottir: Might the Antenatal Risk Questionnaire be of important use in antenatal care in Iceland? (20 min)
Discussion 5 min
14.30-15.00 Coffee break + posters
PARALLEL SESSIONS
15.00-16.15
Parallel Session 3
Parent-infant Psychotherapy, Part 2: Päivi Ronkainen, Piia Hyytinen & Kaisa Santala: Working with the motherhood constellation, fatherhood constellation and co-parenting in FIPIP: clinical cases
Parallel Session 4
Mental Wellbeing, Expectations, and Gendered Experiences in the Perinatal Period
Valgerður Lísa Sigurðardóttir: Mental Wellbeing during Pregnancy in Women with a History of Miscarriage: A cross-sectional study
Ingvill Øvsthus: Dynamics between birth preparations, expectations and maternity care: Pathways to empowering and disempowering birth experiences
Hanna Wierenga: Women’s experiences of gender during pregnancy and postpartum
Mona Bekkhus: Expectant Fathers Risk and Infant Mental Health the Role of Caregiving Warmth
16.30-17.30 Nordic Marcé Annual meeting
19.00 Congress Dinner, Radisson Blu Marina Palace
24/9/2025
Congress program, Wednesday, 24 September
9.00-9.30 Registration
9.15-10.15 Keynote 3 (ITLA), Pim Cuijpers, Vreje Universiteit: Preventing and treating perinatal depression: State-of-art and future challenges
Host: Itla Children’s foundation
10.15-10.45 Coffee break + posters
10.45-12.00 Invited speakers: Sari Ahlqvist & Eeva Ekholm, University of Turku "Advanced care for high-risk pregnancies: Interactive 4D Ultrasound Intervention"
Maarit Leinonen: Use of psychiatric medication in the perinatal period
12.00-13.00 Lunch
PARALLEL SESSIONS
13.00-14.00
Parallel session 3:
Strengthening Perinatal Mental Health Services
Tiina Riekki: Finnish Special Competence Training in Perinatal Mental Health
Johanna Pietikäinen: Setting up the first perinatal psychiatric outpatient service to Helsinki University Hospital – Lessons learned from the first 1.5 years
Jonna Lehikoinen, Marjaana Raukola-Lindblom: Current Needs for Mental Health Support During the First 1000 Days
Parallel Session 4:
Clinical Interventions in Perinatal Care
Fríður Guðmundsdóttir: The experience of integrating Video Interactive Guidance (VIG) into clinical practice in Family Team 0-5, Iceland
Heather Mattner: Parallel writing: an effective clinical treatment approach for women experiencing perinatal trauma
Alkistis Skalkidou: External validation of a prediction tool to identify women with high risk of long-term tool to identify women with high risk of long-term postpartum depressive symptoms
14.00-14.30 Coffee break
PARALLEL SESSIONS
14.30-15.30
Parallel session 5
Findings from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study
Riikka Korja: Parental Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms Emotional Development in Early Childhood and Caregiving Behavior in Relation to Socio-Emotional Development in Early Childhood
Linnea Karlsson: Psychosocial and biological correlates of maternal pregnancy-anxiety trajectories in the FinnBrain cohort
Elisabeth Nordenswan: The association between maternal executive functioning and emotional availability in the context of psychological distress
Eeva-Leena Kataja: Maternal prenatal distress, positive mental health, and resilience, and newborn telomere length
Parallel Session 6
Infant Mental Health issues: studies from the Nordic countries
Tiina Riekki: Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms in the Children of Mothers with Antenatal Fatigue
Mona Bekkhus: Examining the associations between early life stress and child internalizing and externalizing problems using a network approach
Boglarka Zsofia Kovacs: Prenatal Psychosocial Determinant of Neonatal Brain Structure
15.30-16.00 Panel discussion on maternal mental health issues in the Nordics
16.30-17.00 Ending session + new board presents themselves
Congress venue
Date: 23-24 September, 2025
Venue: Radisson Blu Marina Palace Hotel
Address: Linnankatu 32, 20100 Turku
Arrival to Venue
Venue is easy to reach!
- From Turku Airport take bus number 1 towards the harbour.
- From Turku Main Railway Station is just 1.5 kilometers walk.
- From Turku Bus Station is 1,8 kilometers walk.
Accommodation
Here below are listed two Turku city centre hotels which have a special room rate for the congress participants.
Please make your booking directly to the hotel, see instructions and contact details below. The hotel fees include breakfast, service and VAT. All hotel fees are payable directly to the hotel.
Reservations by phone or email with the booking code: NMC2025.
Code is valid until 24 August 2025, 6pm. Please note that the rooms can only be booked according to the hotels booking situation.
Congress hotels
Radisson Blu Marina Palace Hotel
Linnankatu 32, 20100 Turku
+358 300 870 010
Staying in Turku
Turku is the oldest city of Finland and was founded in 1229. Turku has a compact size, perfect for exploring the exciting mixture of old and new.
The versatile livelihood structure, top class selection of education, culture, and services, as well as the beautiful archipelago, form a magnetic combination in Turku. In Turku there is everything, but still, Turku is small enough that you can go almost everywhere by foot or bike.
Welcome to Turku!
Experience Turku
By booking day tours, activities and multiday packages from
Contact
Scientific programme
If you have any questions regarding the scientific programme, please contact: eeva-leena.kataja@utu.fi
Registration and payments
If you have any questions regarding registration or payments, please contact aboaevents@certia.fi for more information.
