The third and final day of the 2023 Nostos Conference kicked off at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) with a talk by Sander Markx, co-director of the SNF Center for Precision Psychiatry and Mental Health at Columbia University, and a detailed look at the promising field of precision psychiatry. We were moved by the remarkable story of Devine Cruz, a young woman who experienced a dramatic recovery after years of psychiatric hospitalizations and devastating symptoms. 

This deeply personal journey laid the foundation for panels that highlighted the importance of dismantling the stigma around mental illness. Experts and advocates including acclaimed actress Glenn Close and California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom shared their work to connect children and families with peer-to-peer support and resources for care from an early age.

In the afternoon, gun violence prevention experts including David Hogg discussed paths forward on a particularly bleak and particularly American problem, and advocate Valerie Biden Owens proposed a “reboot” to bridge the toxic divides in our society.

Additional sessions shed light on the stereotypes and stigma that prevent vulnerable populations, including people experiencing homelessness, survivors of sex trafficking, people with disabilities, refugees, and LGBTQIA+ young people, from accessing the equal care and opportunities we all deserve.

Between sessions, the audience had the opportunity to explore the innovative design principles behind the human-centric hospitals being built through SNF’s Global Health Initiative (GHI), view video testimonials from youth on mental health topics, and listen live to young reporters from Greece and South Africa through SNF Nostos Pop-Up Radio.

SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos concluded the conference by thanking the participants, revealing the results of the mood checks, affirming that the stigma-free discussions at the conference offered a source of hope, and announcing that next year’s SNF Nostos will focus on civic engagement and civil discourse starting on June 23, 2024.

We may be leaving SNF Nostos 2023 today, but the connections and ideas we’ve shared this week will stay with us. You’ll be able to rewatch your favorite conversations or catch any you missed soon at snfnostos.org.