On Tuesday 18 October, the European Commission and the Council of the EU gave an update on European efforts on mental health to MEPs at the plenary session of the European Parliament.
Czech minister Ivan Bartoš, representing the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU, said that crises from the Covid-19 pandemic to the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine were having an impact on health systems and the mental health resilience of citizens. Mr Bartoš drew particular attention to the mental health of the young and that of old people.
He welcomed the Commission’s ‘Healthier Together’ initiative. “Mental Health is primarily a competence of Member States”, he said, but it is a recurring topic of discussion at EU Council meetings in wider contexts. He gave as an example the adoption of the conclusions on the economy of wellbeing (2019/C 400/09) and the exchange of views and best practice in March and June to support the mental health of Ukrainians.
Ivan Bartoš welcomed the European Parliament’s vote on the first two Health Union texts (see EUROPE 13035/6), which recognise the impact of the pandemic on continuity of care, including mental health. The EU Council is due to adopt its position on 24 October.
Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides said: “Experts are warning of a tsunami of mental health problems”, adding that these warnings were echoed during the Conference on the Future of Europe, particularly by young people.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen had indicated in her State of the Union address that the Commission would work towards an integrated approach to mental health. Ms Kyriakides announced that work had started and would concern several public policies and actions. She called for improvement of the understanding of mental health problems, access to care, prevention and mental health promotion.
The commissioner stated that €28 million has been allocated to mental health over the past 3 years at EU level. She added that the Commission was supporting Member States to improve their mental health systems and the implementation of national programmes. Ms Kyriakides further said that states could use the Recovery and Resilience Facility in this context. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)