The Department and Clinic of Psychiatry at Wroclaw Medical University invites you to an open lecture by Professor Jean-Paul Selten on the social defeat hypothesis of schizophrenia.

The Department and Clinic of Psychiatry at Wroclaw Medical University (WMU) invites you to an open lecture by Professor Jean-Paul Selten entitled “The social defeat hypothesis of schizophrenia: origins, test results, challenges and promises.” The lecture will take place on Thursday, 7 May, and admission is free.

Professor Jean-Paul Selten is a distinguished psychiatrist and epidemiologist from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, and the originator of the Social Defeat Hypothesis of Schizophrenia. He will visit WMU as part of the Excellence Initiative – Research University (IDUB) program.

In his concept, Professor Selten describes the mechanisms through which chronic experiences of social exclusion, or “social defeat”, may increase vulnerability to mental disorders. His research focuses in particular on the risk of psychotic disorders.

Professor Selten’s studies are among the most frequently cited works in social psychiatry and the epidemiology of psychosis. They include analyses of psychosis risk among migrants and people from minority groups. In his work, he seeks to integrate epidemiological data with neurobiological models that explain the mechanisms underlying the development of mental disorders.

The lecture will offer an opportunity to discuss the relevance of the hypothesis in the context of contemporary social change, migration, and growing cultural diversity, as well as its limitations, methodological challenges, and possible directions for further research.

The meeting is addressed to everyone interested in psychiatry, psychology, and the social determinants of mental health.

Date: 7 May 2026, 12:00
Venue: Department and Clinic of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Wybrzeże Ludwika Pasteura 10, 50-367 Wrocław, seminar room
Organizer: Department and Clinic of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University