REPORT - XVII ECPD INTERNATIONAL SPECIALIST SCHOOL LATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN PREVENTION, THERAPY AND REHABILITATION OF ADDICTIVE DISEASES WITH THE MAIN TOPIC PSYCHIATRY AND ADDICTOLOGY BETWEEN MULTIDISCIPLINARITY AND AI Ohrid – Hotel Inex Olgica, 21-22 May 2026 - European Center for Peace and Development University for Peace established by the United Nations

XVII ECPD International Specialist School “Latest Achievements in Prevention, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Addictive Diseases” was organized on 21–22 May 2026 in Ohrid – Hotel Inex Olgica (North Macedonia). The leading topic of the Program was “Psychiatry and Addictology – Between Multidisciplinarity and AI“, i.e. the application of “Artificial Intelligence” in all areas of Medicine, including Mental Health.

The School was opened with the keynote speeches by Prof. Dr. Zoran Zoričić, Director of the School, Head of the Reference Center of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia for Addictions, Director of the Clinic for Alcoholism and Other Addictions of the University Hospital Center “Sestre Milosrdnice”, Zagreb, Prof. Dr. Nano Ružin, Professor of the ECPD UN University for Peace, Skopje, Prof. Dr. Petar Nastasić, Co-Director of the School, Professor of the ECPD UN University for Peace, Belgrade, and Mr. Mihajlo Filev, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Serbia in the Republic of North Macedonia – Ohrid.

Regarding the Program, it was traditionally focused on affirmation of multidisciplinary approach to addictions. Additionally, considering that the increasingly common use of AI in diagnostics and providing therapeutic guidelines, as well as individual application, bring many challenges and dilemmas to experts, the main topics included also the following:

Therapist Authenticity With/Without AI
AI and Mental Health
From Game to Addiction: The Hidden Risks of AI in Digital Entertainment
Digital Phenotyping as a Tool in Relapse Prevention
Autopoietic Ecology of Using Artificial Intelligence Tools in Working With Patients
Mobile Units for Prevention, Harm Reduction and Treatment Programs for People who use Drugs (PWUD)
Multisectoral Approach and Decentralization in the Field of Drug Policy
Social Work and Addictology in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and Multidisciplinarity
Risk Management of Addictions in Public Health: The Role of Security, Health Management and AI
History of Treatment of Psychiatric Patients and Addiction Treatment in N. Macedonia
Using Artificial Intelligence in Teaching Addiction Medicine, and other current topics.

The promotion of the 4th Proceedings of the ECPD International Specialist School on Addictive Diseases (2021-2025) had a particularly important place within the Program. The editors of this publication are Prof. Dr. Slavica Đukić Dejanović and Prof. Dr. Zoran Zoričić.

Lectures were held by: Prof. Dr. Slavica Đukić Dejanović, President of the School Council, Advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Serbia for the Health Status of MUP Employees, Belgrade, Prof. Dr. Janko Samardžić, Assistant Minister of Education of the Republic of Serbia for International Cooperation and European Integration, Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, Mr. Milan Pekić, Director of the Office for Combating Drugs of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr. Rasema Okić, Director of the Institute for Addiction Diseases of the Sarajevo Canton, President of the Association of Alcohologists and Experts on Other Addictions of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Prof. Dr. Liljana Ignjatova, Head of the Department for Prevention and Treatment of Drug Addiction, Psychiatric Hospital Skopje, Prof. Dr. Dimitar Bonevski, Head of the Center for Protection and Promotion of Mental Health “Centar”, Psychiatric Hospital Skopje, Ass. Prof. Dr. Nuša Šegrec, Center for Treatment of Illicit Drug Dependence, University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, Ass. Prof. Dr. Andrej Kastelic, President of the South Eastern European Adriatic Addiction Network, General Secretary of the European Opioid Addiction Treatment Association, Ljubljana, Ass. Prof. Dr. Suzana Jonovska, Head of the Department of Addiction Disorders, County Special Hospital Insula, Rab, Ass. Prof. Dr. Erik Brezovec, Department of Sociology – Faculty of Croatian Studies, Zagreb, Dr. Živko Mišević, Head of Department of Psychiatry, County Hospital Čakovec, Dr. Davor Drača, Head of Drug Addiction Dispensary Department, Special Hospital for Addictive Diseases, Belgrade, and Mr. Stanimir Trpeski, Academy for Training, Education and Science, Vrapčište.

A significant support for this year’s School was provided by the Company ALKALOID d.o.o., Zagreb – Croatia, whose representatives held a presentation on: Addictive Diseases – Pharmacotherapeutic Options and Clinical Reality: Clinical Experiences with Levomethadone in Croatia.

The School was internationally and nationally accredited. By the Health Council of Serbia, the Program was accredited as an International Seminar of the 1st category with 14 points for lecturers and 7 points for participants. Accreditation number А-1-137/26.