Raising awareness about the mental disorders and their influence on the population, presenting the examples of the good practices and promoting service users' initiatives in the mental health field was the main aim of today’s gathering.
The conference was opened by the conference organization board members Vahid Đulović, Association Fenix from Tuzla, Ružica Atanacković, Association Zajedno from Banja Luka, Barbara Dätwyler Scheuer, Director of Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland in BiH, Goran Čerkez, MD, Assistant Minister of Health for international cooperation and coordination of the developmental strategies in Federation of BiH, and Dženita Hrelja Hasečić, Director of the Mental Health Project in BiH at Association XY.
Honorary guests and main speakers of the conference were world renowned experts in the field of mental health Professor Norman Sartorius from Switzerland, and Professor Paolo Serra of Italy. More than 120 professionals in the field of mental health and mental health service users participated at the conference and learned more about programs for reducing stigma and discrimination within the Mental Health Project. Personal stories of successful recovery of people with mental disorders were also shared during the conference.
