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EFPA statement
World Mental Health Day October 10, 2022
EFPA calls for comprehensive, sustained and meaningful EU-level action on mental health.EFPA welcomes the signs of a return to specific comprehensive EU-level attention for mental health. Between 2004 and 2017, a variety of dedicated initiatives was proposed and implemented by the European Commission: examples are the EU Pact on Mental Health and the Joint Action on Mental Health, leading to a policy Framework on Mental Health.
Since 2018 however, mental health has been part of the overall EU chronic disease agenda. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the current war against Ukraine serve to underline the precious and vulnerable nature of mental health, and the urgent need for continued specific rather than generic action. The need to actively step up attention and resources to safeguard and protect mental health has never been more apparent.
Awareness of the importance of mental health is strong and on the rise in society at large and in the European institutions. And so is the need for psychological support.
Read the full EFPA statement here - Text fold-out References:
[1] https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/strategic-planning/state-union-addresses_en
[2] John F. Ryan speech.PDF
[3] REPORT on mental health in the digital world of work | A9-0184/2022 | European Parliament (europa.eu)
[4] https://www.efpa.eu/activities/involvement-eu-projectsFirst, Commission President von der Leyen, in her recent State of the Union address, referred to the need for an ‘initiative in Mental Health’, and specified this in her Letter of Intent accompanying the address [1].
EFPA was also very pleased to hear DG Santé Director John F. Ryan listing several mental health funding options [2], when speaking at the opening of EFPA’s European Congress of Psychology in July in Ljubljana.
The State of the Union address offers hope that the Commission will act on the 2019 Finnish Presidency Conclusions, calling for a comprehensive EU Strategy on Mental Health.
Second, the Czech Republic EU Presidency is organising a high-level conference on mental health on 14 November. This will strive to develop a ‘roadmap’ for EU action on mental health and will provide a useful opportunity for stakeholders, including EFPA, to make their voices heard, and underline their mental health priorities and needs.
Third, the European Parliament has recently adopted its first-ever report dedicated to mental health. In addition, several MEPs are actively campaigning for a EU Year for Mental Health and an EU Health Strategy. EFPA has supported this campaign since its inception [3].
These three initiatives, which involve the three main EU institutions provide concrete opportunities for advocacy and action.
EFPA would like to see future EU-action on Mental Health support and recognise the crucial role of equality of access for citizens to the services of psychologists, both in relation to the prevention of mental ill-health as well as in the promotion of mental health and well-being.
Psychologists should be included in the health and social care system as a matter of course. EU action could also aim to facilitate access to psychological interventions, with particular attention to addressing the needs of underserved populations. It should also ensure a lifespan approach to mental health, taking account of age-specific requirements and needs.
The active input from relevant stakeholders in the development, implementation, monitoring and assessment of the future EU action on mental health will be indispensable. Only then can the relevance and practical impact of this action be guaranteed.
EFPA, harnessing its Member Associations from every country in the EU and more widely throughout Europe, as well as making use of the findings of the many EU research projects we were involved with[4] will play its part, in cooperation with other relevant and leading stakeholders, to make concrete proposals towards the content of future EU action on mental health.
EU Comissioner set MH as priority
‘Preparing for dedicated EU level action on Mental Health'
Hybrid meeting of the MEP Alliance for Mental Health – organized by GAMIAN Europe and the MEP Alliance for Mental Health.
Brussels, October 25, 2022.
On the 25th of October, GAMIAN-Europe and the MEP Alliance for Mental Health co-hosted a meeting to capitalise on the current EU-level momentum with respect to mental health. Two important developments have given rise to this momentum.
The first relates to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union’s reference to a future comprehensive approach to mental health which will see the light in the second quarter of 2023.In addition, the current Czech EU Presidency recognises mental health as a priority and will hold a major conference on 14 November in Brussels, to explore and discuss future EU action.
EFPA Director Sabine Steyaert and EFPA EC member Koen Lowet attended the meeting online. The meeting was opened by MEP Radka Maxova who underlined:
- The MEP Alliance’s long-standing advocacy for EU-level action on mental health, with a specific emphasis on the efforts to obtain a European Year for Mental Health and a comprehensive EU Mental Health Strategy.
- EU Commission President von der Leyen’s State of the Union address, announcing a ‘comprehensive approach to mental health', which is also part of the Commission’s 2023 work programme.
- The recent, first-ever dedicated European Parliament report on mental health, which was wellreceived in the European Parliament and beyond.
- The upcoming Czech EU Presidency conference, to be held on 14 November, will provide an opportunity to explore concrete EU-level action, providing content for the future Commission’sinitiative. EFPA’s president Christoph Steinebach will be speaker at this important event. We will report about his contribution in our next edition.
MEP, Maria WALSH‘
Creating an EU Mental Health Strategy is now needed more than ever. And we need that strategy to be implemented in weeks, not years!’ Call for action:
EFPA, with many other stakeholders, calling for a European Year for Mental Health and a comprehensive EU-level strategy dedicated to Mental Health.
At the occasion of World Mental Health Day, October 10 we are using this day as a call to action for policy-makers and change-makers all over the European Union in calling for a European year dedicated to #mentalhealth as well as a comprehensive EU-level strategy for mental health.Watch as MEPs and EFPA with many other essential stakeholders make their case as to why the time for action is now.
Watch the video here below.(1)_w1700_h406_1.png)
