Last week, GAMIAN-Europe participated in the 19th European Congress of Psychology in Paphos, Cyprus, where our President, Péter Kéri, contributed to discussions about the evolving role of lived experience in shaping mental health systems.

In recent years, there has been growing recognition that people with lived experience should be involved in more than just awareness campaigns or side events. This conference offered a space for deeper, more inclusive dialogue and the opportunity to reflect on how far things have come and how far we still need to go.

“Why does it matter that I was in Paphos? Because it shows something is changing,” Péter shared. “For too long, patient-led organisations like ours had to beg for 5-minute speaking slots, or be added as the sixth author on someone else’s abstract, hoping to be seen. Now? We get invited… to sit alongside top professionals, to discuss what truly connects us: the shared pains, the shared goals, the shared humanness that mental health work is supposed to be about.”

For GAMIAN-Europe, this shift from occasional consultation to regular collaboration reflects a broader movement across Europe. We are increasingly part of conversations around research priorities, service design, and mental health policy. Our aim remains simple: to ensure that the systems affecting people’s lives are informed by their experiences.

Péter also spoke about some of the challenges that remain:

“So many of us — carers, people with diagnoses, families — think: ‘They surely know how this system works. Our suffering must be visible… Why don’t they act?’ And you know what? They do know. So if they don’t act, we need to keep asking: why?”

These moments of reflection are important reminders that change is happening, even if slowly, and that inclusion must be consistent, not occasional.

We are grateful to our members and partners who continue to push for more open, honest, and equitable systems. Conversations like the one in Paphos show that lived experience can bring insight and direction to the work of professionals, researchers, and policymakers alike. But they also remind us that listening must be matched with action.

As we look ahead, we’ll continue working with others across the mental health field to support progress that is meaningful, respectful, and informed by the people it affects most. If you want to learn more about how we are working to ensure that “Nothing About Us Without Us” becomes the standard across Europe, we invite you to connect with us.