Some of the most pressing questions about psychosis and mental ill-health were tackled head-on when the psychosis community converged for the 2024 AEPCC Forum on 21 November.
The Melbourne event brought together researchers, clinicians and people with lived experience of early psychosis from across the country.
Key questions were posed by speakers and in workshops, such as ‘How could the valuable experiences and views of people who are unwell influence research?’ and ‘How does stigma affect the views of researchers who are seeking input from people who are unwell?’.
The event also had global significance, with a keynote from Dr Nev Jones from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work.
Dr Jones, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia during high school, gave a rousing speech on the importance of involving people with lived experience in the design of research.
It wasn’t just the speakers who took centre stage, the day included group work and creating videos for social media. The AEPCC team are looking forward to amplifying the views and experiences of a breadth of people at the forum.
“It was amazing to see such a large and diverse group of people united by their desire to work together to improve outcomes for people with early psychosis,” AEPCC Executive Officer Jo Fitzsimons said.
“With nearly 100 people in the room, one international guest mused it could have been one of the largest gatherings of people with lived experience of psychosis anywhere in the world.”
The AEPCC team will continue to collaborate with the people who attended the forum and AEPCC members to develop an early psychosis-specific resource on lived experience involvement in research.
Follow @psychosis_understood on Instagram and sign up to be an AEPCC Member to hear more from the AEPCC Forum. AEPCC membership is free, and you can decide your level of involvement.
