The purpose of the Federation is to promote the acquisition, dissemination and application of epidemiological knowledge in the fields of psychiatry and mental health. More specifically, its aims are: 

• to promote the spread of knowledge acquired by epidemiological and related research in these fields;

• to stimulate the development of scientific research methods; 

• to facilitate contacts and exchange of information between researchers of different nationalities and disciplines; 

• to encourage the dissemination and publication of research findings; 

• to sponsor international meetings pursuing these objectives.