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Background: Stigmatization of people with severe mental illnesses—particularly schizophrenia—remains common in healthcare and undermines care quality. Traditional trainings rarely shift deeply ingrained attitudes. In line with the congress theme “Embodied Research - practice-based and embodied forms of knowledge”, art-based and experiential approaches offer embodied modes of understanding that move beyond purely cognitive learning, opening space for sensory, affective, and relational knowledge.

Goals: The LIBIAS project aims to develop and evaluate a profession-specific anti-stigma intervention for psychiatric staff. It investigates how artistically mediated perspective-taking and direct collaboration with people with lived experience can foster embodied knowledge shifts that sustainably reduce stigmatizing attitudes.

Methods: After assessing correlations between empathy and stigmatization tendencies, LIBIAS co-developed an innovative workshop with people with schizophrenia. Integrating literature, artworks, and personal encounters, the intervention engages participants in aesthetic and sensory representations of psychotic experiences, stimulating embodied reflection and practice-based learning.

Study design: participant- and judge-blinded art- and literature-based RCT; n = 90 (2×45); 3-month follow-up; ANCOVA for group comparison.

Primary outcome: OMS-HC, secondary outcome: IRI.

Power: 80%, α = 0.05, expected effect size 0.60.

Results: Preliminary results show that art-embedded perspective-taking reduces stigmatizing attitudes and enhances empathy. Participants report deeper, embodied insight into psychotic experiences and noticeable shifts in their clinical interactions. The presentation will detail quantitative findings and their interpretation.

Conclusion: LIBIAS demonstrates how embodied, practice-based, and art-driven formats can transform stigma-related knowledge and professional attitudes. The workshop holds strong potential for integration into psychiatric training and future adaptation for other professions and settings.