From Mad in Ireland: The IEPA15 is the 15th year of the Early Intervention in Psychosis and Mental Health Association annual conference, and the third year with living experience input. In Psi-Star (a three-year project run by the RCSI), five PhD Teams are working on improving various aspects of practice, policy and education around early intervention in hearing voices/psychosis in Ireland and work in attempting to shift the still significant stigma around what is known as hearing voices, or psychosis – formerly schizophrenia. There are people with living experience (Patient Public Involvement – PPI) on each team currently. Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) is research conducted with or by the public, not simply about, to, or for them. PPI is now central to mental health research policy in Ireland, as well as internationally. Published just last year and shaped by PPI contributions, the new Irish National Mental Health Research Strategy demonstrates that involvement is now a fundamental part of the research process rather than simply an optional project choice.
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