Mental Health Europe’s call to step up EU work on mental health

On occasion of World Mental Health Day, on 10th October 2024, Mental Health Europe led a joint effort from different European organisations to call for substantive actions to shape a Europe where everyone’s mental health thrives across their life course. The Joint Statement “Deliver on Promises and Honour Commitments on Mental Health” – drafted by the European Mental Health Advocacy Platform* and endorsed by 33 organisations – was launched on 10th  October 2024 and is open for further endorsements until 10th December 2024. Mental Health Europe joins the other 32 organisations – which in the meantime have become 45 – in the call for a comprehensive and intersectional European strategy on mental health and for an Intergroup on mental health in the European Parliament.

Our priority actions

An Intergroup on Mental Health

In relation to the Intergroup on mental health in the European Parliament, on the 9th of October, Mental Health Europe – together with Gamian Europe- engaged in dialogue with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in Strasbourg, to support the campaign for an Intergroup on mental health. Mental Health Europe stressed the need to create an Intergroup on Mental Health in the 10th European Parliament, to ensure a formal structure to foster exchanges on mental health across different political groups and to strengthen collaboration between Members and civil society, so that mental health remains at the forefront of the legislative agenda. Over 30 MEPs participated in a photo action to express their support for strengthening the EU’s mental health policy. 

A call for a comprehensive European Mental Health Strategy

As to the call from civil society on a comprehensive European Mental Health Strategy, this was echoed by many MEPs during the debate on mental health which took place in the European Parliament on World Mental Health Day. MEPs across different political groups called for a European Strategy, with timeline, benchmarks and budget. The debate shed light on the urgency to address mental health problems in our society, with a focus on prevention and with a mental health in all policies approach. Many MEPs considered crucial to address the situation of groups in vulnerable situations, such as young people, as well as to promote good mental health at the workplace (by enacting a directive on psychosocial risks and wellbeing at the workplace or moving forward with the legislative file on the right to disconnect).

The need to ensure good quality, accessible and affordable mental health services was also stressed, at the same time pointing out that budget cuts (to EU4Health and to Member States’ health budgets) are incompatible with the objective of ensuring that everyone can fully enjoy their right to access good quality mental health care. Many interventions focused on the need to break the stigma and fight discrimination. MEP Tilly Metz stressed that Europe faces a choice: 

“Either we address the concerns of the population, or we continue to contribute to the dangerous status quo. It is time to set out a European mental health strategy with clear objectives, a timetable and a budget – a strategy that will mobilise the Commission and Member States to act seriously on all relevant fronts: in the world of work, in public health, in education, in the environment, in research, yes, even in anti-discrimination.”

Other MEPs in the room agreed: it is now time to go from words to actions.

How to get involved

If you agree that urgent action is needed to step up our work on mental health across Europe, join us in our call for a comprehensive European strategy on mental health and an Intergroup on mental health in the European Parliament. Show us your support by endorsing the Joint Statement and by sharing it among your networks. The Joint Statement is open for endorsements from 10 October 2024 to 10 December 2024. We accept endorsements from civil society organisations, research institutes and other collective actors, within and beyond the health sector, operating at EU as well as national, regional or local level.  

*The Mental Health Advocacy Platform – established by Mental Health Europe in 2021- is primarily a space for European and national focused organisations as well as persons with lived experience to come together and work towards the prioritisation of mental health. It includes organisations for which mental health is an important focus, regardless of it being their core work or not.