The ETUDE summerschool on Functional Disorders took place from June 10 to June 12 2024 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The summerschool was organised by the Early Stage Researchers (ESRs), and was attended by a range of clinicians and researchers coming from 12 different countries.
The summer school provided an opportunity to present the findings from the ETUDE programme. The ETUDE ESRs served as lecturers and hosted workshops, delivering in-depth lectures and interactive sessions on the main ETUDE work packages, including diagnosis, mechanisms, stigma, and treatment for functional disorders.
One workshop was led by guest speaker Maria Riise, who shared her lived experience of managing functional disorders and the process of seeking care through the healthcare system. It was a great opportunity to hear more about the challenges that many people with functional disorders go through, but also how we can improve care for functional disorders in the future.
There was also a guest lecture by Professor Wei-Leih Huang about commonly used terms in Taiwanese culture to describe functional disorders, neurasthenia and autonomic dysregulation. This provided an important perspective beyond Europe, and emphasised the importance of cultural sensitivity in managing functional disorders.
In addition to the core ETUDE work packages, summerschool participants engaged in specific workshops to build skills for the next generation of researchers. These workshops included research methods, encouraging participation and diversity in research, reflections on doing a PhD, and how to disseminate research to have more impact.
Several participants of the summerschool also presented their ongoing research. This was a great opportunity to practice presentation skills, but also receive feedback from the rest of the group.
Overall, the summerschool was a fantastic opportunity to share the learning of ETUDE and build a network of researchers and clinicians working in functional disorders. The ESRs would like to thank the participants for their strong engagement and enthusiasm throughout the busy few days!
