Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 1 in 6 people in the EU suffered from mental health issues. This situation has worsened with the unprecedented crises experienced over the past years. The pandemic has placed additional pressures on people’s mental health, especially among the young and those with pre-existing mental health conditions.
To tackle this crisis, the European Commission is putting mental health on par with physical health by introducing 20 flagship initiatives and €1.23 billion in funding from different financial instruments.
Source: Flash Eurobarometer on mental health, published on 9 October 2023
Why should the EU act on mental health?
On the occasion of European Mental Health Week in May 2023 we have asked EU citizens why the EU should act on mental health. Here is what they told us.
“Mental health is public health. It is a right. We have to protect it for the well-being of all EU citizens and the Union itself.”
Georgia Michailidou Tazoglou, Greece
“Because we can only live and perform our best when we are both, physically and mentally well.”
Nicola Unterecker, Germany
“Because mentally healthy communities are vital for individual well-being and flourishing societies.”
Catalina Maria Popoviciu, Romania
The three guiding principles
Rapid technological, environmental, and societal changes have greatly affected some people’s ability to cope. As such, the EU will take a holistic approach to mental health, based on the guiding principles
- adequate and effective prevention
- access to high quality and affordable mental healthcare and treatment
- reintegration into society after recovery
What are we doing concretely?
The factors affecting people’s mental health are varied and need to be looked at from across all policy areas. Therefore, the EU’s approach will be wide in scope, and will include efforts to:
- European Mental Health Capacity Building Initiative
- European Depression and Suicide Prevention Initiative
- Healthier Together initiative – strengthen the mental health strand
- Access gate for people experiencing mental health issues
- European Code for Mental Health
- Developing joint ecosystem for brain research
- Child and youth mental health network
- "Child Health 360: prevention toolkit"
- Youth First Flagship
- Healthy Screens, Healthy Youth
- Protecting victims of crime
- Cancer mission: platform for young cancer survivors
- EU-level initiative on the psychosocial risks
- EU workplace campaigns
- Initiative for more and better trained professionals in the EU
- Technical support for mental health reforms across several sectors
- Gathering data on mental health
- Tackling stigma and discrimination
- Mental health support for Ukraine’s displaced and affected people
- Supporting the dissemination of the Inter Agency Standing Committee Minimum Service Package on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)