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Mourning the loss of ISPS member Brenda Froyen

With much pain in my heart I have to announce that Brenda Froyen passed away. She was a teacher, a writer, a friend, a fighter for human rights and human approaches in psychiatry, an inspirator for so many people and above all a lovely wife and mom of three sons. People of ISPS will remember her sparkling lecture on the international ISPS conference in Rotterdam in 2019

Brenda was known for her commitment to better mental health care, stemming from her own experiences of psychosis and compulsive hospitalisation. She campaigned for greater understanding and better care for people with mental vulnerability. Her civic engagement and outrage led to the founding of PsychoseNet in 2017, a platform offering support to people with psychoses in Belgium. We will miss her, but the fire that she left will inspire us to fight for a better human care for psychosis.

More information about Brenda Froyen can be found on the website of the local ISPS network the Netherlands Flanders https://www.isps-netwerk-nederland-vlaanderen.nl/in-memoriam/

Ludi Van Bouwel
Chair of ISPS network the Netherlands-Flanders

View Rotterdam in 2019

A big thank you to the local organising committee of ISPS 2024 Helsinki for a great conference!
The 24th International Conference of the ISPS will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, 6th-8th July 2026. Save the date - More news coming soon.

ISPS Statement about Euthanasia (27th November 2024)

ISPS (the International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis) wants to alert the world to the dangerous evolution of allowing euthanasia or assisted suicide for unbearable mental suffering caused by psychiatric conditions. This raises complex medical, ethical, and societal/political questions that cannot be considered in isolation.

Psychiatric conditions are complex and dynamic, with the potential for change and improvement always present. A strong wish to die is often the result of despair and tunnel vision, not an irreversible prognosis. The role of caregivers is to counter this despair by maintaining hope, openness to alternatives, and a warm, continuous dialogue to understand the underlying issues. Giving up hope undermines the psychiatric profession.

In countries where euthanasia is legal, it places medical professionals in an impossible position – required to both protect life and facilitate death. This contradicts the Hippocratic oath and devalues the daily struggles and life-sustaining efforts of patients and mental health workers. Euthanasia sends a “death message” to the community, going against the basic human connection and solidarity.

Suicide and euthanasia have a profound impact on the person’s close environment. Autonomy is only possible in connection with others – “real autonomy” does not exist in isolation. Assisted suicide places sole responsibility on one person and leaves loved ones in guilt. Evidence shows no reduction in actual suicide rates in countries where euthanasia is legal.

There are concerning societal/political implications as well. The presence of euthanasia as an option can create subtle or overt pressure on vulnerable patients to choose death. It shifts societal values, normalizing the idea that life is negotiable and no longer inherently valuable. This echoes the past misuse of psychiatry for eugenics and the devaluation of certain lives.

In many countries, years of underinvestment in mental health have limited the choices and support available, leading people to despair. Every person has a human right to good mental health care, not a “right” to euthanasia. Given the stigma surrounding mental illness, the state must not change the ethical code to allow doctors to facilitate harm.

As the founder of the hospice movement, Cicely Saunders said, “if nothing can be done, there is still a lot to do.” Maintaining this core principle of preserving life and human dignity is the kernel question at hand.

An ISPS webinar is being planned on this topic, to facilitate discussion on this important topic. More news coming soon.

ISPS Executive Committee

ISPS supports

A Call to Action on Racism and Social Justice in Mental Health and Brian Koehler's petition to the American Psychiatric Association and World Health Organization to drop the highly stigmatizing, scientifically-challenged term "schizophrenia".

Ongoing Fundraiser

Are you able to support the fundraiser today?
The fund is to support –in particular – the participation of people with lived experience, their family members, students, and/or people living in developing countries.

We hope to raise enough funds to enable several people to take part in ISPS 2026 in Lausanne, who would not otherwise be able to do so for financial reasons.

Suggested donation:

$5 – $50 (according to your means)
Every little amount given to support the fund helps and is much appreciated

Please add the note “ISPS 2026” when donating

You can donate here

Thank you!

Learn more about ISPS

Welcome to ISPS

ISPS is an international organization promoting psychological and social treatments for persons with psychosis (a term which includes persons diagnosed with "schizophrenia"). We are committed to advancing education, training and knowledge of mental health professionals in the treatment and prevention of psychotic mental disorders. We seek to achieve the best possible outcomes for service user/survivors of psychosis by engaging in meaningful partnership with health professionals, people with lived experience, family members and carers.

The ISPS Charter of Good Practice in Psychological Therapies for People Experiencing Psychosis