EBC is pleased to have an e-poster viewing “Rethinking Schizophrenia: Care Pathway” at the upcoming European Congress of Psychiatry, set to take place on 5-8 April 2025 in Madrid (Spain). The e-poster EPP178 will be presented from 12:30 – 13:15 on 6 April 2025 in the e-poster area (station 13).

The e-poster will feature the second phase of the Rethinking schizophrenia project, co-created by the European Brain Council (EBC) and the European Psychiatric Association (EPA), and will aim to examine health gains and societal impacts resulting from optimal healthcare interventions in comparison with current care or inadequate treatment. Additionally, this projects convert data evidence to policy recommendations on how to improve the care pathways.

With a typical onset during late adolescence or early adulthood, schizophrenia requires lifelong treatment, combining pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. Early symptom recognition and timely interventions can greatly enhance functional recovery, however recent reports have identified significant gaps in access to timely assessment and shared decision-making, compounded by the unprecedented demand for mental healthcare among young people. Such high demands create challenges for health care services in delivering not only timely and evidence-based care but also safe and person-centred, as recommended by the World Health Organization. There is a need to improve prevention and care of young individuals with first episode psychosis (the onset of schizophrenia) to safely and effectively transition between various types of care tailored according to individual needs.

To address these issues, the Rethinking Schizophrenia project is conducting an analysis of patient care pathways across nine European countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the UK). This project aims to put forward an in-depth patient care pathway analysis in order to define specific strategies to advance the prevention and treatment of schizophrenia. Findings will inform policy recommendations to enhance care pathways for young individuals experiencing first-episode psychosis.

Learn more about the EBC activities at the Congress: