We participate in la Nit de la Recerca with a talk on co-creation in mental health and motherhood

Lin Chen, from the Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), participated in Nit de la Recerca 2026 alongside a team of co-creators represented by Yolanda Jerez and Carmen Prieto. They gave a talk on the Co-Elna project-an initiative promoting co-creation in research and care regarding mental health and motherhood-led by Susana Ochoa and Victoria Espinosa in collaboration with Bàrbara Mitats from Salut Mental Catalunya. Their presentation was part of the "Scientists aren't the only ones doing science" session, which showcased initiatives that incorporate active citizen participation in knowledge generation.

Co-Elna project

During the session, Lin Chen presented the Co-Elna project, a participatory research initiative promoting a co-created working model to improve maternity care for women with mental health issues. The project integrates women with lived experience of mental health issues as active agents across all stages of the research and decision-making process, working alongside healthcare professionals, researchers, and social organizations.

This co-creation model makes it possible to identify real needs, define priorities, review materials, interpret results, and contribute to dissemination activities, ensuring that experts by experience have meaningful and ongoing involvement. The goal is to move towards care that is more participatory, inclusive, and person-centered.

Driven by Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu and Federació Salut Mental Catalunya, with funding from the Fundació "la Caixa", the project addresses the need to strengthen both the effective participation of experts by experience and specific care for women with mental disorders during maternity-an area still shaped by stigma and a lack of tailored resources.

The results obtained so far show a high level of satisfaction in the methodology used among participants and have made it possible to identify specific needs of mothers with psychosis regarding mental health, family relationships, access to specialized support, and stigma. Furthermore, the model developed has helped strengthen collaboration between care services, research, and the voluntary sector, establishing a methodology that can be transferred to other services and organizations.

Lin Chen's participation in Researchers' Night provided an opportunity to share this experience with the general public and highlight the importance of involving people with lived experience in developing research that is inclusive and socially impactful.