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.
Convened by Orygen, The Australian Early Psychosis Collaborative Consortium (AEPCC) brings together research, clinical services and people with lived experience to better understand and treat psychosis, and streamline the translation of research into real-world practice.
The annual AEPCC Forum is the embodiment of that collaboration, as people with lived experience of psychosis joined researchers and clinicians in Melbourne’s CBD to push the boundaries of how early psychosis research is conducted.
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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 guest lecture from Dr Nev Jones (pictured above, right, listening to AEPCC Lived Experience Network member Rosiel), 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 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.”
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The day was also used to drive ideas and content for AEPCC’s online community, Psychosis Understood.