On 13 May 2025, GAMIAN-Europe participated in the second General Assembly of the CSA BrainHealth, held at the University of Latvia in Riga. The meeting, organised in a hybrid format, brought together key stakeholders to assess progress and shape the next steps toward the creation of the European Partnership for Brain Health (EP BrainHealth).

Representing GAMIAN-Europe, Erik Van der Eycken, EU Projects Manager, and Raluca Nica, Board Member, joined the discussions to ensure that mental health remains central to the future brain research agenda in Europe. As a patient-driven organisation, our presence aimed to reinforce the importance of integrating lived experience and mental health advocacy into every phase of this emerging partnership.

The General Assembly featured updates from all CSA work packages, spotlighting the collaborative progress made so far. Crucially, the event included a panel titled “What to Expect from the Future EP BrainHealth?”, which explored ambitions for cross-disciplinary collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity.

For GAMIAN-Europe, the event served as a reminder that mental health cannot be siloed from brain health. We welcomed the opportunity to advocate for a partnership that treats neurological and mental health conditions with equal urgency and funding. As discussions around brain health become more prominent at EU level, we continue to stress that lived experience must shape research priorities, governance, and implementation.

We are encouraged by the growing commitment to stakeholder engagement within the CSA and will continue to push for a partnership that reflects the diversity of the brain health community, especially those affected by mental ill-health. Mental health must not only be part of the conversation; it must be a driving force in shaping Europe’s research future.

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