Empowering Caregivers of Individuals with Severe Mental Health Disorders
A webinar by the EPA Section on Public Mental Health and the European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness (EUFAMI)
For International Day of Families, the EPA is pleased to announce the webinar “Empowering Caregivers of Individuals with Severe Mental Health Disorders”, taking place on Friday, 15 May 2026, from 16:30 to 18:00 CEST. This webinar is organised by the EPA Scientific Section on Public Mental Health and European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness (EUFAMI).
Details:
- Title: Empowering Caregivers of Individuals with Severe Mental Health Disorders
- Date: Friday 15 May 2026
- Time: 16:30 – 18:00 CET
- Platform: Zoom
- Registrations: Open
Key learning objectives:
Raise participants’ awareness of the importance of supporting caregivers by:
- Deepening understanding of caregivers’ roles, burdens, and their effective partnership with professionals.
- Exploring the role of family associations, how they can support caregivers and help identify their needs.
- Presenting the principles, delivery models, and outcomes of recognized evidence-based caregiver-support interventions.
- Initiating a practical reflection on integrating structured caregiver support into routine care.
DRAFT PROGRAMME:
16:30 – 16:35 | Mariana Pinto da Costa & John Saunders – Welcome, context and speakers’ introduction
16:35 – 16:50 | Why caregiver support matters: Evidence-informed rationale on role, burden and impact – E. Scanferla & R. Rey
16:50 – 17:05 | What to offer: Overview of evidence-based interventions – E. Scanferla & R. Rey
17:05 – 17:15 | What to offer: Focus on the EUFAMI PROSPECT programme – E. Rémond
17:15 – 17:30 l How to implement caregiver support: Practical strategies and tips – E. Scanferla & R. Rey
17:30 – 17:40 | Partnering with family associations – E. Rémond, E. Scanferla & R. Rey
17:40 – 17:50 | Q&A Session
17:50 – 18:00 | Mariana Pinto da Costa & John Saunders – Conclusions
ABSTRACT:
Informal caregivers are indispensable partners in the recovery of people living with severe mental health disorders, yet the role often brings substantial emotional, social, and financial strain that can compromise both their own health and the effectiveness of care. Supporting caregivers therefore delivers a double benefit: it improves outcomes for their loved ones and protects caregivers themselves — an at-risk population — by reducing burden and promoting wellbeing through structured, evidence-based support.
Meaningful collaboration with family associations is essential: they understand relatives’ needs and are key partners in designing and delivering support that truly fits caregivers’ realities. Clinicians and services need to know what works, for whom, and in which settings, and to translate this evidence into practical choices they can implement now.
A broad set of interventions is available to support caregivers, ranging from psychoeducation to peer-led programmes and service-based models. Many of these have been co-developed with, or are delivered by, family associations — such as the PROSPECT programme developed by EUFAMI. These programmes are often easily scalable, resource-efficient, and straightforward to embed within routine care, while being tailored to local resources and cultural contexts. This webinar will aim to initiate a practical reflection and propose practical strategies and tips on integrating structured caregiver support into routine care.
TARGET AUDIENCE:
All mental health professionals (e.g., psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, early-career clinicians…).
Moderators:
- John Saunders, Executive Director, EUFAMI, Leuven, Belgium
- Mariana Pinto da Costa, Member of the EPA Committee on Ethics, Chair of the EPA Public Mental Health Section. Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, UK; and Invited Professor at School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, Portugal – Biography
SPEAKERS:
- Emmanuelle Rémond, Board Member, EUFAMI; President, UNAFAM, Paris, France – Biography
- Romain Rey, Associate Professor and Hospital Practitioner, Head of the Department of Psychiatry, University Service for Coordination, Rehabilitation and Evaluation Lyon Expert Centres in Psychiatry – East Division, Le Vinatier Hospital Centre, Bron (Lyon), France – Biography
- Elisabetta Scanferla, PhD in Psychology; Member of the Public Mental Health Section and the Psychotherapy Section of the EPA. Senior Lecturer and Researcher, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France – Biography