ENCONTRAR+SE’s Eulália Pereira represents EUFAMI at European Brain Council conference
Eulália Pereira, Vice-President of the Portuguese association ENCONTRAR+SE represented EUFAMI on 22 June 2017 in a panel for the closing conference on the European Brain Council’s “Value of Treatment” project.
The main objective of the VoT project was to assess the socio-economic impact of interventions (clinical practice), or the lack thereof, and to provide evidence and tools that can assist policy makers and healthcare actors in shaping effective policy responses to some of the most prevalent brain disorders.
As part of the research activities, EUFAMI asked family representatives to describe how they experienced schizophrenia, from the onset of symptoms, the planning for recovery stage, and prevention. The purpose was to show the diversity of real life experiences and to identify key areas for improvement of services and treatment.
The conclusions of the study demonstrate a lack of appropriate services for people suffering from mental ill health and a hierarchical structure that excludes input from informal carers and family member associations. It also advocates for parity of investment in mental health, at a level with physical health, and mental ill health prevention in schools.
