😃 Last week at #EULAR2026, we presented POS0246-PARE, “Mapping mental health trajectories in lupus: patient-identified inflexion points and support opportunities from a European patient panel”.
The poster was presented by Ricky Chotai, Lupus Europe Board Member, on behalf of Alain Cornet, Lupus Europe Finance Lead & Organisation Coach, and lead author of this work.
✅ This patient-led qualitative work explored how people living with lupus and established, currently stable mental health difficulties understand the trajectory of mental health across the lupus journey.
‼️ Based on our patient panel conducted in Portugal with 8 adults living with lupus, the work identified key moments when support may matter most: diagnostic uncertainty, early disease phases, fluctuating symptoms, and communication with healthcare professionals.
🔴 One of the key messages is clear: mental health in lupus should not be seen only as an isolated symptom or crisis. It can be shaped over time by interactions with uncertainty, communication, and care structures.
The findings point to practical opportunities for support, including earlier acknowledgement of mental health concerns at diagnosis, normalising mental health discussions in lupus care, clearer communication during periods of uncertainty, peer support, and integrated psychosocial support throughout the disease course.
💫 Congratulations to Alain Cornet for this outstanding poster and to all authors: Zoe Karakikla-Mitsakou, Jeanette Andersen, Ricky Chotai, and Alain Cornet.
Read the abstract:
distribution-congress.eular.org/from.storage?image=15rRXWmdOAJ77zPlkD-rQtl85j9jAymUnt6XfjsO2C9rls...
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Zoe Karakikla-Mitsakou
