Press Release Issued on: Sunday 10 October 1999 Issued by: Susan Kirkwood EUFAMI Embargoed until Sunday 10 October 1999 Europe needs improved mental health services Many thousands of people, from the countries throughout Europe, have signed a petition calling on EU policy makers to safeguard the rights of the four million people with mental illness in Europe and improve mental health services available to them. There were 1260 signatories in Scotland, and over 23,000 from across Europe. The petition, presented to policy makers at the European Conference on Promotion of Mental Health and Social Inclusion held in Tampere, Finland, states that everyone who lives in Europe should have access to prompt, effective, high quality and up-to-date mental health care and services, when required. The petition was facilitated by EUFAMI, who recently hosted their Third Congress in Stockholm. Delegates at the Stockholm Congress made a similar call for improved care and support for people with mental illness, their family and friends, when they declared that ''a new order in the provision of support to the mental health sector throughout Europe is now urgently required. " The EUFAMI vision would ensure: the empowerment of family members and friends who care for people with mental illness, the mobilisation of all available means to combat stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness the adoption by professionals of standards of best practice in prevention and treatment of mental illness: through training and promotion of self-help strategies While the availability of newer 'atypical' drug therapies facilitate the reintegration of people with schizophrenia, successful reintegration is only possible when the community is receptive to it. Improvement in public understanding and tolerance towards people with schizophrenia is therefore a critical step in allowing them to live more independent and active lives. Mary Weir, Chief Executive of the National Schizophrenia Fellowship, said: ''People with schizophrenia constantly experience stigma and discrimination. There must be an improvement in public awareness and understanding of this illness to enable people to live full lives in the community." Founded in 1990, EUFAMI is a democratic, member-led organisation, registered in Brussels under Belgian law. EUFAMI was formed by members of carer organisations who, overwhelmed by trauma of severe mental illness in the family, and finding their ability to cope undermined, shared their experience of helplessness and frustration, and resolved to work together to help themselves and the people that they care for. Ends Notes to Editors: The 'European Conference on Promotion of Mental Health and Social lnclusion' will be held from 10-13 October 1999, Tampere, Finland EUFAMI is the European Federation of Family Associations of People with Mental Illness The Third EUFAMI European Congress will be held at City Conference Centre 'Folkets Hus' in Stockholm, 8-1 0 October 1 999 More information about EUFAMI and also the World Psychiatric Association Global Campaign to Fight Stigma and Discrimination can be found on the following websites: www.eufami.org www.openthedoors.com ENDS For further information please contact: Susan Kirkwood Mary Weir Ian Harper Chairman Chief Executive Information Officer NSF(Scotland) NSF(Scotland) NSF(Scotland) 01224 630979 - home 0131 557 8969 0131 557 8969