On World Mental Health Day (10 October 2025), Peter Kéri, President of GAMIAN-Europe, contributed to POLITICO Europe Studio’s “Behind the Numbers: Schizophrenia, Stigma and the Path to Inclusion”. The discussion explored how stigma and misunderstanding continue to shape the lives of people living with schizophrenia — and how policy, research, and society can begin to change that.
For decades, schizophrenia has often been defined by clinical diagnoses, treatment pathways, and persistent stigma. Yet the personal words and experiences of those living with the condition have too often been dismissed as symptoms rather than signals — as something to be managed rather than understood.
Schizophrenia affects one in every 100 people, yet those living with the condition often face profound challenges: social isolation, unstable employment, and a life expectancy reduced by 15–20 years. Nearly nine in ten feel judged by others, and 71% feel embarrassed by their diagnosis. Although treatable, schizophrenia remains one of the most stigmatised mental health conditions, with stigma itself acting as a barrier to care, inclusion, and recovery.
Peter Kéri called for a shift towards listening to lived experience:
“Schizophrenia has been framed for decades through diagnoses, treatments, and stigma. But what if we start from the sentences of those who live with it? Listening is not only about empathy; it’s about validity.”
Moderated by journalist Seamus Kearney, the event featured Ana Maria Tijerino Inestroza (WHO Europe), John Saunders (EUFAMI), and Tomislav Sokol MEP, and included an introduction to Teva’s white paper Overcoming Barriers for People with Schizophrenia by Dr Pinar Kokturk. Participants called for renewed EU action to address the needs of people with schizophrenia and Severe Mental Illnesses (SMIs), ensuring they are not left behind in Europe’s mental health agenda.
Representing GAMIAN-Europe, Peter stressed that patient voices must be recognised not as an addition to science and policy, but as their foundation. Lived experience offers critical insights into how schizophrenia is experienced, diagnosed, and treated — and how care systems can evolve to promote dignity, inclusion, and recovery.
The “Behind the Numbers” series by POLITICO Europe Studio aims to move beyond data to uncover the human stories behind health and social challenges. This special World Mental Health Day edition examined how schizophrenia is discussed in public life and how stigma continues to shape understanding and outcomes. Participants called for greater awareness, earlier intervention, and a renewed focus on the person behind the diagnosis.
“Before we can change policy, or care, or research – we have to be willing to ask: What do people with schizophrenia hear, say, and mean? And why have we been so afraid to know?” Peter concluded.
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