GAMIAN-Europe participated in the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) 2025 Congress, held from 5-8 April in Madrid, Spain. The event brought together leading professionals in psychiatry and mental health, offering a valuable platform for discussing the latest research and innovations in the field.
GAMIAN-Europe’s President Peter Kéri, Executive Director Nigel Olisa, and Board Member Shaun Johnson from Rethink Mental Illness represented GAMIAN-Europe, presenting our recent and upcoming projects. These projects focus on advancing mental health research, improving treatment strategies, and addressing the needs of individuals living with mental health conditions across Europe.
President Peter Kéri gave a powerful speech that brought the patient voice to the forefront of the conversation. Speaking from personal experience, Peter emphasised the importance of seeing patients as individuals and not just cases. His closing statement resonated with many at the congress:
“I’m a person living with schizophrenia, in a country where my name appears on a research publication I never even saw — yet I’m listed as co-author.”
“I’m a person with bipolar disorder, from a place where people tell me I’m misremembering selling my apartment. But I never signed anything. Still, they say I did — and now they’re taking me to an institution.”
“I’m a patient who’s afraid to go into a mental health centre — because I’ve been there before and found myself seated next to people using hard drugs. I just have bipolar disorder. But I didn’t feel safe.”
Peter’s speech highlighted the stigma and misunderstanding that individuals with mental health conditions face, making a strong case for greater empathy and patient-centred care. His call to action reminded us all that those with lived experience must be central to mental health discussions and policy-making.
At EPA 2025, GAMIAN-Europe also presented updates from five major EU-funded projects that GAMIAN-Europe participates in: TRUSTING, Psych-STRATA, REALMENT, PSY-PGx and Virtual Brain Twin.
TRUSTING: The project, focused on AI-powered speech analysis for predicting psychotic relapses, was discussed, with updates on clinical trials and machine learning applications in mental health.
Psych-STRATA: Insights were shared into the role of digital tools in providing personalised treatments for conditions such as schizophrenia and depression.
REALMENT: Progress on developing standardised treatment outcomes for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder through real-world data was highlighted.
PSY-PGx: Aims to improve care quality, reducing the suffering and financial burden of psychiatric disorders.
Virtual Brain Twin: Seeks to optimise medication and evaluate alternative treatments like brain stimulation and lifestyle changes through virtual brain twins for psychiatric patients.
GAMIAN-Europe not only showcased the transformative impact of EU research projects on mental health care but also reinforced the importance of advocating for patient-centred policies. The event provided an excellent opportunity to engage with stakeholders, share knowledge, and collaborate on the future of mental health research and care across Europe.
For more information on GAMIAN-Europe’s ongoing projects and initiatives, please follow its social media LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, Bluesky and YouTube.