Towards a Roadmap on Digitalisation in Mental Health for Transforming Mental Health Systems in the WHO European Region

On 7 September 2023, Mental Health Europe (MHE) actively participated in a pivotal technical meeting titled “Towards a Roadmap on Digitalisation in Mental Health for Transforming Mental Health Systems in the WHO European Region,” held in Porto, Portugal.

This meeting was organised by the Mental Health Flagship of WHO Europe within the context of the Symposium on the future of Health Systems in a Digital Era and it brought together esteemed experts from Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, and prominent European networks.

The primary focus of this gathering was to deliberate on critical components required for the formulation of a comprehensive European roadmap for digital mental health. The discussions revolved around governance, capacity building, infrastructure development, and forging partnerships, all of which are fundamental for transforming mental health systems through digitalisation.

During the meeting, MHE stressed the need to adopt a human rights framework, embracing a psychosocial model to understand mental health, and promoting a co-creation approach as guiding principles in the discourse surrounding digital mental health care (for a detailed vision, please refer to our document here).

Furthermore, MHE had the privilege of sharing valuable insights gathered from an expert roundtable that explored the current legal and policy landscape governing digital mental health care. The comprehensive report stemming from this initiative is readily accessible here. 

MHE is honoured to have the opportunity to contribute its expertise to this vital process aimed at advancing digitalisation in mental health within the WHO European Region.