On April 17th, 2025, GAMIAN-Europe hosted a highly anticipated webinar titled “Advancing Digital Mental Health Interventions for Schizophrenia”. This event brought together a wide range of stakeholders from across Europe to discuss the evolving role of digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) in the treatment of schizophrenia. The webinar served as both a platform for knowledge exchange and the official launch of the report on the same topic, marking a significant milestone in the integration of digital tools into mental health care.
The session kicked off with a warm welcome from Péter Kéri, GAMIAN-Europe President, followed by an overview of the session from Nigel Olisa, GAMIAN-Europe Executive Director. Nigel emphasised the importance of digital health technologies in transforming mental health care, particularly for individuals living with schizophrenia. He highlighted how these tools can be integral to early intervention, treatment adherence, and patient empowerment, paving the way for a more patient-centred approach to mental health care.
Next, Dr. Gerrit Burkhardt, Consultant Psychiatrist, took the stage to discuss promising digital health interventions already being implemented in the treatment of schizophrenia. He focused on AI-powered tools, smartphone apps, and telemedicine platforms, providing valuable insights into their effectiveness in symptom management and relapse prevention. Dr. Burkhardt also touched on the challenges of ensuring patient safety, privacy, and engagement when designing these tools.
Dr. Chiara Samele, Senior Associate at GAMIAN-Europe, shared her research on the perspectives of patients, carers, and clinicians regarding digital tools. She emphasised both the enthusiasm for innovation and the concerns surrounding digital exclusion, especially among older individuals and those with limited access to technology. Dr. Samele also highlighted challenges with user retention in mobile apps and online therapies, urging that digital interventions must be designed with a user-centred approach to improve engagement.
The panel discussion featured diverse perspectives from Prof. Peter Falkai from the European Psychiatric Association, Peter Johansson, an Expert by Experience, Péter Kéri, GAMIAN-Europe President, Vladimir Litoshenko, Senior Vice President of First Line Software, and Prof. Armida Mucci, a Professor at University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. The discussion explored the opportunities and challenges of digital health interventions, sharing insights from research, clinical practice, and lived experience. They discussed the integration of digital health into the European mental health landscape and the need for digital literacy, accessibility, and personalisation in digital tools.
The webinar concluded with Péter Kéri launching the report on Advancing Digital Mental Health Interventions for Schizophrenia, followed by closing remarks from Nigel Olisa. The report dives deep into the role of digital interventions for schizophrenia care, addressing both the challenges and opportunities in the use of AI, digital tools, and telemedicine in treating mental health disorders.
Key Takeaways from the Webinar:
Digital tools such as telepsychiatry, AI-driven analysis, and virtual reality offer exciting potential to enhance the care of schizophrenia patients by providing more personalised treatment and real-time monitoring.
Patient empowerment through digital tools was highlighted, with many patients reporting a sense of control and self-management, but concerns over privacy and data security remain significant.
The importance of ensuring collaboration between clinicians, patients, and tech developers to create tools that truly meet patient needs.
The need for clear regulations around the use of digital health tools and greater standardisation to ensure effectiveness and safety across different digital interventions.
Following the webinar, GAMIAN-Europe launched the “Advancing Digital Mental Health Interventions for Schizophrenia” report, a comprehensive report that examines the current landscape of digital health tools for schizophrenia, the challenges in adoption, and the future potential of these technologies. The report explores the findings of the webinar and builds on them with in-depth research, highlighting key areas for development, including:
The need for better integration of digital tools into existing mental health care systems.
Ethical concerns, especially around data privacy and the potential for over-reliance on technology.
The necessity for multidisciplinary collaboration between healthcare providers, researchers, and technology developers to improve the accessibility and effectiveness of these tools.
This report is a call to action for mental health professionals, tech developers, policy makers, and patient advocacy groups to continue shaping a digital health landscape that is inclusive, safe, and effective.
The “Advancing Digital Mental Health Interventions for Schizophrenia” report is not just an academic exercise; it is a tool for change. By publishing the findings, GAMIAN-Europe seeks to influence policy decisions, improve care standards, and encourage the adoption of best practices in digital mental health interventions. The report aims to ensure that schizophrenia patients are not left behind as the digital health landscape continues to evolve.
The webinar and report launch represent a major step toward creating a more inclusive, patient-centred approach to mental health care in Europe, with digital tools playing a central role in achieving these goals.
🔗 Watch the webinar here and read the full report here.
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